The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-16
THE REPORT on THE STATE TREAS
URER.

| URER.
The committee appointed BY the House to
examine the books Of the Auditor and Treas
urer Of the State yesterday, submitted re-
port which will be found printed in full in
another column, and which makes some very
startling disclosures of the loose and highly
improper manner in which the funds OF the
State have been handled by the pre- lent State
officials.
We pointed ont, some time since. that there
was no doubt the Office Of the Treasurer was
ripe for Investigation, and hence the irTegu-
larities which have been discovered by the
committee have not surprised Us so much as
the fact that there should have been found
no deficit
The report shows conclusively that the
funds of the State were tempered with by
the sworn officers of the State in most shame
less disregard of the law and Of their oaths Of
Office. It proves that the Governor and his
legal advisers urged and finally prevailed
upon the Treasurer to divert sacred funds of
the State for purely partisan purposes. and
that for long periods Of time the money Of
the State was lent out and used for purposes
never contemplated by, and in palpable
violation Of, law.
The committee, after exposing the unwar-
rantable and fraudulent scheme whereby
VIM. P. Kellogg, Jacob Hawkins, Henry c.
Dibble, Antoine Dubuclet, and others, caused
q large sum of money to be diverted from its
legitimate use, advise that articles of inn
peachment be drawn against VIM. Pitt Kel-
logg, Governor, and Antoine Dubuclet,
Treasurer. They advise, also. that Henry
@. Dibble, Assistant Attorney General, be
addressed out Of Office by joint resolution;
that the Attorney General institute criminal
proceedings against Alfred Shaw and j.
81. Oglesby, for violation Of the Funding
bill, etc.
The report is Lengthy but exceedingly
interesting, and We refer our readers to the
document itself for the full particulars of the
various transactions upon which the commit |
tee base their recommendations
Those recommendations are eminently |
proper, and should be acted upon by the
House in every particular except in regard to
the impeachment of the Governor. So far as
that functionary is concerned we are bound |
to say, and We say it with profound regret,
that the mantle Of the compromise will
effectually screen him from this or any SINH
lar attack. We were not responsible for that
We steadily and persistently
advised against it. We pointed out the very
difficulty that has now arisen, and insisted
that no resolu ton be passed by the Legisla-
ture which could be regarded as condoning
the sins Of the Governor. Tho compromise
was effected, however, and joint resolution
was passed by the House pledging the General
Assembly not to impeach the Governor for any
past official act
We said 1t was blunder then, we know it
ID blunder now-for now We have indisputa-
bic evidence that the Governor had done acts
anterior to the compromise for which he was
mpeachable, but for which, in our view Of
he matter, he can not now be touched with
'ut placing the very House which sprung into
,xistence under the compromise in the a.ti-
ude of ignoring solemn pledge which is
me of the laws of the State, regularly moor
,orsted in the statutes.
If the recommendation for impeachment
lad been based upon any act subsequent to the
and if that act was properly one
or which the Governor could be impeached,
hen we should join in the recommendation I
nth all our might, and in spite of the Radical I
'enate, which it is openly proclaimed is ready
. try and acquit almost instantly, any Radi-
al office-holder subject to impeachment, We
hould urge upon the House the most prompt
nd vigorous action.
Thus much for the Governor. In regard
D the other recommendations, there is no
eason why they should not be acted upon, as g
70 presume the committee must have had 9
mple testimony upon which to base their 9
rave charges. The officials against whom q
aese charges are leveled are not protected by Z
ne compromise. The cunning old Radical,
IT, Wheeler, who manipulated the affair, was
My interested in maintaining the Kellogg t
surpation. and did not care how soon the r
1b-oficials of the State got into trouble. +
The report evinces much laborious research =
i'd reflects credit upon the gentlemen who, +
it'll rare perseverance and skill, have sue q
'eded in laying bare to the public the q
o oked ways by which the Radicals have n
anaged to maintain their supremacy in this I
ate and 10 tide over troublous times il
CUR POLICE AS IT Is.
Readers are referred to the ample and most N
teresting report of the House committee p