The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-11
INVESTIGATION DEMANDED
TAMPERIN0 WITH THE PENNSYL-
HANIA TREASURY.



HARRIsBURo, Feb 0.-The Legislature
has been in session moro than a mouth, and
yet no report has been laid before It by the
committee appointed year ago to investigate
the State treasury. There were circumstances
connected with the appointment Of that COM
uittee which led many otssrvaut men to bo-
lieve that 10 very serious intention TO make &
thorough Investigation and exposure rs- enter
tertlined, and TIC =c.i--; 6: inc Committee has
STRENGTHENED this belief. Let these Olrcum-
stances be recounted, and let the public Judge
for Themselves.
On the 18th OF January, 1875, MIR. Smith Oorn)
OF Derks offered a resolution requiring the
Speaker Of the House to appoint n com mlttee
OF seven, whose duty II should be to - make
full and particular inquiry and Investigation into
the accounts OF the treasury OF the State dur
ing the period Of the.torms OF ofice OF William
II. Kembe. W. W. Irwin, and Robert W.
Mackev," tho committee to have free access TO
oil the books and papers in the office Of tho
Ire surcr Of the State, and authority to INSPECT
the books aud papers Of all banks or persons
with whom tho moneys OF the state had been
deposited bv TIE State rreasurers named some
imposition to the resolution was made by Mr.
Christy Otep) OF Allegheny, and Mr.. ltelRhard
Dem. Of I.ycoming, who was made Chairman
OF the committee when 1t was Hftcrward ap-
pointed, then moved that the further consld-
Grafton OF the resolution be postponed TIL Jan.
THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
On the 2lst the resolution was amended 80 az
to make 1t Include the term OF office 81 VIM. "
hcGr'th. and then, on motion Of Mr. Withlne,
ton (Dem) of Northumberland. " was referred
to tho judiciary Committee. On the 10Th OF
February. after taking three weeks To- consider
the matter, this committee made areport dis
cour cling any attempt to investigate the treas
ury through the agency of a committee. hut
suggesting tn tit might lie done by the Audit
tor-General. Twelve dAya thereafter deb. 2.l,
the House adopted resolution iustructing tho
CHAIR to appoint n committee OF seven IN ac-
cordancc with the resolution offered by Mr..
Smith on the 10Th OF January, md thereupon
tue Sneaker appointed Me.srs. Relghari, G.n-
ster, smith. Wise, Ennick. Chrisnan. ana haley.
The elief was WIDESPREAD that some uf our
State Treasurers, and especially kemole and
NJ ckey, hal used the surplus funds uf the
Commonwealth for their own individual pront,
ana u corrupt oar politics md control our cleo
uous. Tho demand for an Investigation was
loud and earnest. IL di1 not come rom one
party alone, tut from both. The rcpresenta-
lives If the people pretended to he ANXIOUS to
carry out the wishes Of their constituents. and
yet thev kicked the resolution to appoint a
committee around the ll"use moro than I'VE
weeks before they ssed II.
The committee have shown the same dilatory
spirit. They ~ de no attempt to perform their
duty TIL Apfil. when they called At the treasury
md a ked pcrmi-sion 10 examine the books aud
pup r.. aud were !. ltclN turned out bV W.
VI ckeN. The pu lie he I'd no more ~ them tn
the middle 81 July. when they maze report
setting forth that tueN had ex iminei the public
documents publish. d -. riy 10y the different de,
partnItula 81 tho ate Government. aud had
found First-'rnat fom 1890 to 1874 nearly So
lOJ.CO1 was illeg uv ken from the sinking fund.
Secoud-Ihai IT iui lSO2 t. 49,. Win an average
bal,uco II S2.l00Ou constantly on hand, the
State rrea-uters had not accounted to the State
| for one cent 81 interest on the same. the tax
pavers being thus practically robbed of $i.ioo.-
90. Third That the sinl,ing fund law had been
great los, OF the people and the enrichment Of
tue state treasurer.
FEEBLE ACTION.
More than three months elapsed before the
committee were herd nom again. In the
me n time the Erie Convention had met ami
| spoken on the Treasury u les ION IN ldngu age
| which could not Toe mlsut icrstuod The com
| mittee acted. Dat they acted fecbh, as before (;
and on the 2l-t Of O'toher they made report
| in which they stated trat having continued
their old Inc 81 Investigation they had further
discovered
Frst-Th from 1894 to 1874 there appears to be a
he Ss te df,tcnt Tr,asurcrs talinr credit Tor Az.
ny interest IN me state drbl bore. rne grand
ut' ia tnc .Neu Y.ts would amount to the enormous
Second rnit fro iSo TO 1874 there appears to have
been cxces e prem mn chlrTrd IN ne purchases OF
80 TOP ~" iutcfes'-ocArng b'nl'' amonnins In al
s4aj d miner fr.naqegt r9n% M, came I'm
! uoued may hc t'hua'c1 as ioloW.'
UniaAfl taken from the s.uhing fund. ~ 4Oo0 900
nters oa paee G,to,it' .'...-'....'..'' $1,000
OvercA re s0li prcmlu IL AZ
Tie CON iticc having lfsnri t.. Inc Of nq1ry a.
tar 81 ~-s ~ 90 a. ,u9nasa'a tne ssaie
70 splcsr ami 'Npl M n .s,ine em Of ne above
| /
~. ny ",. a. uu' IA i Wa1 40 AZ y,
icsufy unul his pr' dcct,s.rs 10 ONCE ~"rt sworn
anly an unusual di .tpn On he part of ~ltuess.
gS & sS6 nacS Mr May 'i TO a ~ a 1i te
| IN PAiide PHI, on WEDNESDAY oct. 20 Mr. Maokey id
appe and h. aud AL tue rN-sate Treasures we
.tud!ously AVOIDED ne ueellnes o. the connilice u d
their arrc-t that po~cr would be promptly ed, but
prcru gatiye Of the House which must Of nee
sy rcuain uncxcrcsed until the II ur 10 ~ session.
s! ,niy ri inc chares ina Ar 49, rue as ne
treasurer. do NOT appear when iu suDf Gnaed 10
| explain or deny item.
ARE THEY IN EARNEsrf
The committee y that II tney mad power to
| issue an attachment for the ARE Of Mack,y
! aud his pred, cessots Ia Office, who refused To
| aupedr, tnat power would he PROMPTLY used.
| They udd that this H. a IrerogatiVo OF the
| House which must If necessity remain unt xei-
ci ed until the House - N session The House
| has ueen in session about I've eoks, and yet not
| one word has ueen neAid from the committee
or auv member OF 1t about this whole matter.
Were the G mmittee IN earnest when they AS
surtd the public. In their report ~ Oct. II that
The, would promptly nave issued attachments
against Mnckey and h Wble II they lad bad
power TO do sol II tncy were Ia ruest, and II
they really want 70 orug those shiliul manipu-
lttnrs tf to q bile none, before them to tes-
MY, WAY have they I called upon tue House
TO exercise its preIogaiive ami compel their at
tendancef
There are gentlemen on this committee whose
| ability the public have confidence in. and whose
| integrity no one draiIeS To qie ton. But thcS
cannot remain silent much longer, ana still en-
joy public confidence. Enou.n - known to ius
NY The ureferment OF articles Il Impeachment
against Mackcy, and II Tue committee will moi
do their du W other members ut the House may
| step forward ana reap the nonur wuich the peo
| pie re sure To he~tow upon whoever snhl tx
pose and punish the piuudCrels Of their treas
ury.
An Ascending CoHHiy Treasurer.
woosrru, Ouip, Fcr. Ia. }. H. iliman. County
Tr,asu,, D. s9sc ndod lat aight, paril x,uiuau"l
Of his hooa, SHOWS q 'ect ID about sGlVll tat fur
tncr inNcsusall ~ may e. lnse these nSn e. lhm"Y }
tIes,ae Il ~ we a. ,., ,, ' ,,tl,, '' u"