Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-18
.S5.165 90

AOtI1. no, 100 w
The above bill is explained by James D.
Power IN his testimony. As disbursing agent
he accompanied the expedition. Before the
committee he testified that when he asked
Conant what expenses he should pay, he was
told such as were usually incurred by gentle
men travelling over the country. subsequently
he said that the bill included parlors at the
hotel, carriages and other extras. He also said
that Justice Harlan had a SOD along, who was
supposed to act in a semi-official capacity. His
expenses were all paid out of the fund. He
also advanced the expenses OF Mrs. MacVeagh,
which were returned as soon as the commission
reached Washington. 1t also appeared that
none of the clerks who went along received any
extra compensation, having been paid sonly
their regular salaries.
Sherman's effort to obtain an appropriation
for this fund appears in the following to the
chairman of the Senate committee. similar
letter was also written to Mr.. Atkins. who re-
fused to incorpate the sum asked for at the
suggestion of MIR. Glover:
WASHINGTON, June 7, 1878.
Hon. VIM. Window, Chairman Committee on APP
priations, Senate.
SIR have the honor to call your attention to an
estimate OF Six thousand dollars for the expenses
the Louisiana commission, submitted to Congress on
the 18th Of October 1877, blouse Elk. Doc. No. s.,
Forty fifth Congressl and again the 9th of Feb
ruary 1875 and to earnestly urge that the appropria-
ton be made at the present session To defray the
expenses of the commission to Louisiana, the Fist
National bank OF New York furnished and placed to
the credit OF the commission the of five thou
sand dollars; of that amount there spent
49, and the balance, S1o49.27, has been returned to
the bank. The money was obtained and used to
meet public emergency, expended with the ut
most economy, and the amount is still due the bank
In my opinion the expenditure entirely proper
IN every respect, and 1t is only just that the bank
should be reimbursed. The balance of the estimate
is intended to compensate the communication
JOHN SHERMAN,
Secretary of the Treasury.
The most damaging facts brought out by the
committee in examining the clerks who accom-
panied the expedition were as follows: Power
testified that Conant simply told him that pro-
vision for the money had been made. He did
not know anything more. He had drawn drafts
on account on the New York Bank for 81, 600
before he started, us he did not wish to carry
more money about his person, and these had
been cashed at the sub-treasury ut New Or
leans on presentation. This was contrary to
law. Cashing these drafts was an exchange
which the law in terms forbids. 1t permits
drafts to be sent to the place of collection by
discussing officer prior to payment and its pro-
ceeds paid over. This was not done. The law
was broken. The head of every department is
required by law promptly to suspend every
dlsburslng officer SO breaking it, subject to re-
moval or retention by the President. Since his
return from this mission Power has been pro-
NOTED to chief of the warrant division.
=. T. Hanna, the stenographer of the con-
Germ, testified that he was detailed by Alonzo
Bell, assistant secretary of the interior, and he
supposed at the request of Chandler, although
he had never met Chandler in the whole affair,
and did not know whether he was influential
in the matter. He went and acted as stenogra-
pher for the members, writing private letters
for them to parties in Washington, but princi-
pally to members of the Louisiana legislature,
who were always hanging about the headquar-
tiers. He had understood that the money had
been advanced by New York bank with the
promise of its being returned through an APP
preparation. He wrote the final report as die
tated by Hawley.
Chief clerk Upton also testified that it was
understood at the time that the bank was to be
reimbursed through deficiency appropriation.