Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-01-27
INVESTIGATION.

The era of Investigation which has Of
late taken such firm hold Of Congress,
has broken out in full force at our state
capital. Notwithstanding the reputation
that Michigan has gained during the
past twenty years of Republican admin
istration of its state affairs, and notwith-
standing that all, or nearly all. previous
investigations which have been ordered
by former Legislatures into the conduct
of state officials, have resulted in finding
nothing to condemn, there seems to be
general desire on the part of both politi-
cal parties in the Legislature to investi-
gate all charges against the management
of any branch of our state affairs. The
first subject that was brought up for in
vestigation was the dedication in one of
the departments of the state University.
This is a matter that the public here gen.
orally know little about, and care very
little about. except to have an honest
and economical expenditure of the
money appropriated By the state
for the support of the in
stltution. The committee, of which Mr..
Macarthur of this place is member. to
which was delegated the investigation,
will doubtless look carefully into all the
charges and counter charges, and report
the bottom facts i'm the case.
The next subject which was brought
before the Legislature as proper mat
ter for investigation, was matter in
which our section of the state is more in
terested-that of the trespass agent, Mr..
d. J. Evans. Soon after the meeting of
the Legislature. there were whispers Of
Irregularities in the Office, but they did
not assume a tangible shape until the
10th, when resolution was offered by
Representative Martin, of Detroit, calling
tor committee OF investigation. The
facts of the case, as developed thus far by
the mover of the resolution, are some
what as follows: Mr.. David j. Evans,
Of Bay City, was commissioned in June,
1874. by Commissioner Clapp, of the State
Land Office, to look after trespaSsers
upon the state lands in the Lower PENN
sular. 1t was made his duty not only to
ascertain and make estimates of the tres
passes and report them to the Land Of
flee but also TO seize all timber. lumber,
shingles. bark, or other property taken
from or manufactured upon the state
lands. and to sell such property at public
or private sale as ne might deem tor the
best interests of the state, reporting all
such seizures and paying oyer the pro-
ceeds of such sales. less his expenses, to
the State Land Office. He had a similar
commission for the Upper Peninsula, but
that was subsequently revoked. Under
the above commission Mr.. Evans has car
ried on an extensive business in the
northern counties Of the Lower Peninsu-
La, his net collection for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 1876, as appears
from his last report, being $19,1S6 9I, as
follows: for conveyance of stripped
lands, 1926 81; tor stolen timber, ST.
| l9i 90; collected on irregular sales, ST.
| 100; and collected for expenses Incurred
Gas penalty, $l,945 50. His bills for gem
eral allowances for the same time rs
audited and allowed by the Board OF
State Auditors. made formidable list of
some 1900 items. aggregating about $S,-
600. These items are Tor hotel bills, buss
hire, aXhelves, and miscellaneous as
sortment of articles. all of which may be
perfectly legitimate and harmless, but to
Mr.. Martin and some others they look
suspicious enough to warrant investiga-
ton. 1t is asserted, moreover, that the
Land Commissioner had no authority to
appoint such an agent, and this question,
! it seems, was also TO be included in the
investigation. 1t further appears that
when the present commissioner took
possession of the Office January ?, Mr.
Evans removed all the papers, vouchers.
and memoranda relating TO his official
transactions from The Office against the
protest Of the commissioner that they