The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-03-13
DIR mARRIsBUnG LETTER.
HARRISBURG. Mar. 8 1878.

The regular legislative business CT
the week past has been principally
routine. A large number Of bills
have been advanced upon the ealen-
dars. The discussion has been prin-
cipally upon local measures. The
Philadelphia Recorders bill and the
bill creating a State banking depart
ment, the two most important meas
ares of the session are virtually 10
the same position they were last week.
The Bank bill has been sent to com
mittee twice during the week, aud
again stands upon the Senate eaien-
dar for final passage. Amended so
as to restore bank assessors, the first
time. il was sent TO committee q sec
ond time and when it again appeared,
among its amended provisions was
toe section abolishing bank assessors
Ifpassed at al It will most likely be
in its present shaps.
The all important event OF tbs
week has been the developments in
regard to alleged irregularities in the
collection of State taxes due from the
Union railroad and transportation
company" The facts in connection
with this case have been SO thorough
ly mixed up with newspaper and
street gossip that it is almost impos-
I sible to arrive ct any correct state
ment of the affair. 1t seems that in
October last at the time tie above
mentioned company went into liquid
alton it was discovered by Messrs.
Simonton and 0lmstead, The first,
formerly corporation clerk in the
Auditor Generals Office, aud at pres
ent a law student, and the second a
prominent attorney Of the Harrisburg
bar-that a large amount of tax az
gregating some $500, 600, was under
the law due from bat unpaid by the
corporation above mentioned. These
gentlemen taking time by the fore
lock" went to the officers OF the &C
counting department and the Auditor
General and proposed to collect this
tax for 4 commission of ten per cent.
An agreement TO this effect was
drawn up by Messrs. simonton and
0lmstend, and signed by the Chief
Clerk of the Auditor Generals Office,
by the State Treasurer, by the Attor-
ney General and afterwards by the
Auditor General in person.
The tax to the amount above
named less an abatement Of about
SIS, 00G, was promptly paid over by
the corporation without litigation to
Simonton aud olmstead, who upon
the receipt Of a warrant upon the
State Treasurer, drawn by the Audi
tor General for their commission Of
ten per cent paid ove to the Com
monwealth the amount collected viz ::
$751;, 600 upon which their commits
sion was $4,000.
The large amount Of the fee paid
in this case soon attracted attention,
and the matter began to be generally
gossiped about on the chill" and ia
the city. At length certain articles
were published in & daily paper in
Lancaster, which were 10 the nature
Of an adverse and severe criticism OF
the transaction, and which cast reaec.
tons of q serious character upon ell
parties whose names were appended
to the contract under which the mon
ey was collected, and upon the pres
ent corporation clerk in the Auditor
Generals Office. VIM. r. Rsyard,
whose name does not appear upon
any Of the papers connected with the
contract, aud who denies any i'm
proper connection with the affair.
Now a legislative investigation
has been demanded by both sides,
and tie following committee ap-
pointed by tho Senate are sitting on
the case: Senators CLARK, Gazzam,
Davies, Herr, and Poole. a nEu-
Der of witnesses have been examined,
the most important of whom was
John McMurray, who made some
damaging disclosures. The testimo-
nv of Mr.. bsysed has not vet been
given. Until all tbe testimony IN,
your correspondent deems it saViss-
bic to express no opinion on the sue
ject. B.