The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
ATTORNEY GENERALS REPORT.


The Matter TO ne Presented To the civil
Courts.
After an investigation Of over three weeks,
Che Attorney General submitted yesterday
tho following report and documents to the
Governor, In relation TO the charges now
pending against the State PriHter:
ATTonsEy GtrInALs. OYr1cE.
State us Louisiana,
New Orleans. January .. 1879
TO His Excelenry Francis r. Nlcheils. Gov
ernor ri Lou s8na:
Dear Sir--1n obedience to your request,
that should investigate and report to you
the facts and the law In the matter OF the
charges pending against tho State Printer,
determined TO submit the question: oS fact to
experts, and, therefore, selectes two printers,
one supposed to represent the Flea opposed to
the State Printer. and the otter understood
b represent the views OF that official. These
two requested to name an umpire. They
readily agreed upon Col. Gerard 1Hth, the
present foreman, as l am informed, OF the
New Orleans Daily Picavune. 4 now forward
10 you, as part OF my reporte the three re.
ports made by these experts. Ihe reports OF
widely variant, while that submitted by Col:
Stith does not agree fully with either, and
concludes with statement thai aHppR print
ers there is much difference o1 opinion as TO
what constitutes one and hale prize matter.
According 10 the report Of Col-Stith, there Is
not great difference In the nusntef OF pages
charged and actually printed. Upon this point
the report will speak FOR ITSELF
AS to the question Of law Ct isruc In this
matter, I think the interests OF the State de-
mand that I should not declGe but submit
them to the courts for determination, and IN
the meantime ] ahnll inetructzthe treasurer
10 withhold tho payment Of -all warrants
fuu, hp m.
"A those warrants arc suhIecE, IN Lhe hands
Of third persons, to oil the dhfetAes that could
be made against them Ia the. limits OF the
payee, tho State will DO secured froin loss In
this way.
Finally, have concluded that the question
OF law arising In this matter.upon tho con-
stfuction OF statutes und CONTRACTS ara OF stitch
q character that no criminal blame Gun prop
erly attach to the State PfinteG, whe is not a
lawyer, for any error as to theiE construction.
And further, that the report q thu umpire
does not disclose such st,ste o9 facts as
would warrant the State In charging. this
tion Of the whole case do not feel iuatitied in
taking or directing any crinIinas proceedings
In the matter, Very respectfully.
II. N. OGDEN, Attorney General.
Before presenting the veriousreports men
.ioned above by the Attorney General. and to
make them Ineligible, we nauss state that In
volumes legislative documents and upon
which he drew warrants, the Stat, Printer
charged among other items, this ons:
94lg,o0O ems extra rule and figure
work, at 20 cents per 1000. -. si,oaS 20
When the report Of the grand jerry appeared,
accusing the State Printer with .fraudulently
measuring his work and overcharglDe on this |
single item 100000 ems. or say $500. the
State Printer remcasured this whole work.
In this remeasurcment he ascertained that, |
far from overcharging, he had. Ia facs, under- |
charged the State some 115, 1G3 ems, or Ga IS. |
II was this last detailed calculation which the
State Printer submitted to tho Attorney Gem |
eral, and 1t IL upon this calculation that the
report OF the umpire is based. The total extra |
rule and figure work In this laet calculation
Ia. Observation-Disclosures. .2.6As lt5 ems. |
Total actually charged the State
In bill reported on by jury a.41o.0ee ems. |
Total underchsrged. ...... 1853 ems. |
which, at 90 cents per 1000. is 500 13