The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-02-16
THE LOUISIANA TROUBLES.

| NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 15.-The report O
! the House committee. appointed to investi-
| gate the books of the State Treasurer show
that one hundred and ninety-eight thousand
| dollars OF the interest fund had been divert
/ ed. Dut was subsequently restored. After a
| long account Of the details of the transac
| ZION, the com mittee say that no direct
| loss to the State can be traced from all
| these Irregularities, and, i'm fairness to the
Treasurer. your committee beg leave. TO state
that the cash balance on hand on the first
OF January 1876, is in conformity with the
books. The Investigation reveals, however
the startling fact that the public funds have
been tampered with by the highest officials
of the State. The evidence shows plainly
that heavy pressure was brought 10 bear
upon the Treasurer by VIM. Pitt Kellogg,
Governor of Louisiana; by. Henry c., Dib-
bic, assistant AttOrneyGeneral of the
State and at that time acting as Attorney
General; by Jacob Hawkins, Judge of the
Superior District Court of the parish of Or
leans; by Alfred Shaw, the Attorney for
the Metropolitan Board of Police. and j. H.
Oglesby, the fiscal agent; and that under
their combined influence the Treasurer
sHeeumbed; but although your commit
tee are inclined to look upon this pres
sure as palliative, to some extent. of the
Treasurer's conduct, yet they do not believe
that he can plead it in aXtenuation of his
official acts. Were such a departure from
the duties of public officers countenanced a
dangerous precedent would be established,
that would open the door to violations of
law by unprincpled men, who would thus
abuse discretion and power at their pleas
ure. Your committee, therefore, though
satisfied of the guilt of Antoine Dubuclet,
believe he was handled as a mere instru-
ment by other parties who were ready, if
need be, to make him scapegoat, and to
cast upon him the entire odium of the trans
nit ttan haU LOT RI
sufficient evidence to establish the fact that
Antoine Dubuclet, who has thus disposed of
State funds without warrant OF law, is less
guilty than VIM. Pitt Kellogg, who was the
originator of the whole scheme than Jacob
Hawkins, Judge of the Superior District
Court, of Orleans, who used his influence to
encourage the nefarious deed; than Henry
G.. Dibble then acting AttorneyGeneral,
who advised the unlawful act when he
should have guarded the interests of the
State; less guilty than j. III. Oglesby, fiscal
agentgH the Metropolitan Board OF
Police and president of the bank depository
of State funds, who lent his official aid to a
diversion of the funds of which he was
keeper under the law, and as it will appear
received pecuniary compensation OF &c.
696 for interests and commission on loan
made OUT of State funds by the State Treasu
rer. After careful examination oft the facts
of the ca-e, and after weighing honestly and
deliberately the evidence adduced, Llajor-
ity OF YOUR committee have reached the fol-
lowing conclusion: They are satisfied that
ANTIQUE Dqbuciet has violated the law. and
that he should be i'm peached for the follow
ing reasons, to- wit: l. Because he did, in the
month of October, 1874, issue, without prop
er warrant from the Auditor, and i'm viola
ton of section $40 OF the Revised Statutes,
the following checks against the State funds,
to-wit (here follows a list of the checks. num-
bers amounts, dates drawn, etc. The re-
al nd ha of
mittee are satisfied that William Pitt Kel-
-logg, Governor of Louisiana, has grossly
violated the law and should be 1mpeached,
because, by threat, promise and otherwise,
he induced Antoine Dubuclet State Treas
urer to divert from the interest fund, in
October, 1874, the sum of $4,000, and in
January, 1875, the sum of $4,000 without
proper warrants from the Auditor, in viola
ton of section Z, of act No. 3. OF 1874 known
as the Funding Bill, and section $40, of Re-
vsed Statutes. A majority of your. COM
mittee are satisfied that Henry G.. Dibble
has grossly violated the law, because, in
derelection of his duty, whilst acting Attor-
ney-G General of the State in the absence of
Hon. A. 2, Field, Attorney General, he
advised the State Treasurer, Antoine Du-
buclet, to divert from the interest fund of
Louisiana, without proper warrants, in Oc
tober, 1874, the sum of 900; in January,
1875, the sum of $4,000 in violation of sec
ton Z, of act No. 3, of 1874, known as the
Funding Bill, and section $40, of the Revised
Statutes and your committee would sug-
gest that articles of i'm parchment be imme-
diatey drawn, as the law requires, against
VIM. Pitt Kellogg, Governor of Louisiana,
and Antoine Dubuclet, State Treasurer; !;
that, by joint resolution, Henry G. Dibble,
assistant Attorney General of the State, be
addressed out of office; that Hon. A. Z.
Field, the Attorney General, be instructed
to institute criminal proceedings against
| Alfred Shaw and j. I'll. Oglesby, for
violation as particeps crinaints, of section
| Z. of act No. 3, of 1874, known as
the Funding Bill; and that means
be devised to compel J. II. Ogles-
bv to restore to the Metropolitan Board of
Police the sum of $6,696, Illegally charged
by him as Commission, and interest on
the loan of $S5,000, made by the Treasurer,
out of the Interest Fund of the State, to the
Metropolitan Board of Police.
Respectfully submitted,
JULES ALDIGE,
| Chairman.