, 1878-12-19
COMMUNICATED.
EEkRl rORN or NGrON,
OFFICE Or rms StCErINEN,
OlNMrlA, Dec. Is, 1873.

| find n rambling communication OF
not quite three columns, over the
signature of Mr.. Il. G.. O'Brien, il
witch he seeks To- rNIricAto himself
from the uncnviablo position in
which he is placed 10y his unparlon.
able egIrct OF official duty, and by
making false statements IN regard to
my official conduct. While the game
is hardly worth the ammunition, and
asking space in your valuable paper,
certainly great imposition, yet it
may hc best to show such of your
readers as may have seen his letter,
how a plain statement Of the facts
will put him down.
In referring toa brief aud TEN.
perate statement over my signature,
showing why the House Journal had
not been published, he says:
at WAS with considerable surprise that
! read the charge therein made, holding
Me responsible for the decentralization of
the House Journal. when he knew il was
directly ut Variance with truth"
1t wss not with any surprise that
| found HIS communication n tissue
OF talsehoods and misrepresentation.
Mr.. O'Brien says:
The Chief Clerk, as SUCH hollis his of.
flee for two Years, and has the right to
keep the Journal until il is rrady 10 be
tiled in the Sccretary'S uilict." y
As 10 my term of ottiCp. | am Chief
Clerk unIh my SUCCESSOR is elected ANA
qualified. -
The Journal Of the House, Of which |
am Iliiei Clerk, belongs la my possession
until 1t is ready to turl. over"
All the reply necessary to this is
to quote section 1874 OF the Revised
Statutes OF the United States:
The Secretary shall record and
preserve all the laws and proceedings
of the Governor in the Executive
Department-he shall transmit one
copy OF the Laws and Journals of
the Legislative Assembly within
thirty days after the end OF session
thereof, 10 the President, and two
copies of the laws within like time,
to the President of the Senate, and
to The Speaker of the House Of Rep.
resentatives for the use of Congress"
! have been called upon repeat
eddy for this Journal by citizens, as
well as the authorities in Washing
ton; the former indulging in censure,
the latter in sharp reprimand, call
ing nv attention TO said section. All
this Mr.. O'Brien knows, and am
satisfied bis purpose is to iniure me
officially, by Withholding a record
which renders it impossible for this
office to comply with the law.
Mr.. O'Brien also states that | had
determined "not to have the House
Journal printed for want of funds"
all of which is a wilIful and deliber
ate falsehood, and he knew it to be
such when he penned it. The verb
iage in regard to what he pleascs to
term the "public printer, furnishing
him copy, ETC." is too stupid to merit
reply. The Clerk of the House has
no more to do with the person EN-
ployed by this Office to print docu-
ments under direction Of the Gen
eral Government than be has with
the Gears. | have no doubt but
Mr. O'Brien's code Of morals iusti-
6es him in neglecting to perform la,
bor which he has taken sn oath to do.
and for which he has drawn the paw,
in order that he may perform the du
ties of "clerk Of the court"
Muoh OF bis remarkable communi.
cation is devoted to the "pubic
printer" in which he seeks to cover
up his wrong doing and neglect. He
informs the public what one of the
employees Of the Secretary's Office
could or could not do. What this
has to do with the matter does not
trznspire. Ho" it excuses his mis-.
lcOuducs tho reoord doas not chou