Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-02-24
DAKOTA.
A JOINT INVESTIGATION.

.. ~ WV
Pettigrew's Attempt at Defamation OF
Character Rendered Migratory by
tho Developments of n
House Committee.
All through the essio of the legisla.
,ure Mr.. Pettigrew. of Sioux Falls, gave
the public TO understand that he was going
10 make it warm for thu. secretary of the
territory, the deputy auditor of the
territory, the superintendent of instruction,
and the public printers. Finally he got
himself appointed as chairman Of II com.
mittee to investigate those individuals and
announced in advance OF any examination
of books and papers his intention of rem
dering them odious in the eyes.of the pub
lie. This threat had little effect upon the
public generally, for Pettigrew's malice
and disposition to attain bis ends by any
means. fair or foul, neutralizes his pre-.
tended conclusions in advance of their
PRONUNCIATION. In other words, it is gener-
ally conceded that Pettigrew 10 not parti-
cularly careful about holding himself to the
strict letter and spirit of justice upon all
occasions, and it was supposed that his
v,ndictive nature would lead him to a
studied Misrepresentation Of the transac.
tons of men against whom he has so
frequently declared open enmity. This
supposition was fully verified. His com.
mittee Investigated the auditors books and
examined the record of the secretary con.
corning the distribution Of the codes. 1t
asked for no explanations, summoned no
witnesses, but placed its own construction
upon every little item it could dig up
which reflected upon the parties whom it
was pursuing. Out of its deliberations it
has produced the following report:
MIR. PRESIDENT: Your special com.
mittee appointed to examine the books and
papers of the auditors office, and also all
expenditures for printing during the past
two years, report.
That they have made a careful eXamiHa-
ton of the books and papers in said Office,
and find that warrants have been issued for
printing and indexing the codes OF 1877, to
the amount of five thousand SIX hundred
aud tf,y-one dollars.
That warrant 125, for four hundred dol.
lars, and warrant 1877 for one hundred and
etg%hty-dollars, issued March Goth, 1877,
form a part OF this amount.
That these two warrants were registered
for payment on the 2Sth day of March,
1877, and that on the 10th day OF January
l71S. the treasurer, by advertisement, mott.
tied this hulders of said warrants, through
the Press Il Dakotaian, according TO law,
that the money was in the treasury for the
payment of said warrants.
That on or about the 18th day of Novem
Der, 1878, Messrs. Bowen & K,uosbu;v,
presented said warrants to the auditor OF
the territory aud asked that they be caa-
celied, without payment as they were an |
over issue, and that the said warrants were
so Cancelled.
These warrants were in excess Of the al.
preparation, and after such cancellation
from the total amount Of warrants issued,
deaucting the amount OF such warrants, TO-
wit: The sum OF five hundred and eighty
dollars, it appears that the sun Of FIVE
thousand and seveoty one dollars OF war.
rants have been actually audited and paid
for printing and inaexlug the codes OF
1877, or seventy. one dollars in excess of
the amount appropriated for such purpose.
which amount has been returned to the
territorial treasury during this investiga.
tion OF your committee.
Your committee further report that from
estimates received from reliable publishing
houses. they are of opinion that the codes
of 1877 could now be printed and bound
for a sum not exceeding twenty-five hun.
dred dollars, such estimates ranging from
eighteen hundred dollars to t%wenty-four
hundred and seventy-tive dollars.
That frNn1 gI,n .1ln -. Al. a..--S
office it appears that there has been audited
and allowed for the transportation of
prisoners the sun of one thousand nine
hundred and nineteen dollars and forty
cents in excess Of the amount allowed by
law.
The auditor informs us that before al
lowing some of these accounts he advised
with the then governor aud secretary of the
terri DRY, John l.. Pennington and Geo. H.
Hand.
We further find that there has been audi
ted and paid to Messrs. Bowen L. Kinps-
bury the sum.of ninety-four and 3O-1Oo dol
for printing proclamations of his excel.
lency, Governor Pennington, while the coy-
allows from FIVE hundred TO one
dollars per annum for incidental
expenses for the governors of the t~erritor-
les.
There has been allowed and paid to the
superintendent Of public instruction, includ-
.ng printing, stationery, &c, the sum oftwo
thousand, Elk hundred and thirty-six and
'G-lOO dollars. OF this amount one thous.
md, two hundred and eleven and 6o-lOO
dollars was for salary for the two years end
ng January lat. 1870; four hundred dol.
airs was for mileage for which there are no
vouchers showing tina, the superin-
endent actually travelled any distance
in the discharge of the duties of
.is office, as required by law; seventy-6ve
dollars for postage six hundred and twenty
dollars for printing; two hundred
for holding territorial institutes !:
hirty dollars for two dictionaries eighty
we and 20-l0O dollars for stationery ; seven
ollars for a students lamp. This last item
to have been purchased without an.
hority of law, but was allowed and paid.
4 ,o aFaL- L:l re-