The Portland daily press., 1880-04-09
Continued from first page.)

sent for DR.. Lancaster to come to his room,
and that he there wrote out the receipt
for $500, bearing date February Goth, 1880, and
also that he wrote in ink another receipt which
he said had previously been written with a lead
pencil.
1t is clear that no accuracy can be expected
in such vouchers. DIR. Lancaster claims that
the rolls upon which the names of the men
were borne, are in the hands of Gov. GarcelOn;
this Gov. Garcelon denies; and claims that he
produces the receipts OF Lancaster, and that
he is accountable for the money. But it is
certain that little reliance can be placed in the
evidence Of payments Of the public moneys
when no bill has been audited and no items
given to be preserved as vouchers. OF the
money claimed to have been paid by Gov
Garcelon large sum was paid after he ceased
Jan. 7, 1880. In stead of returning the moneys
he wrongfully held, and accounting for what
he had used, he went on paying out this money
to persons not in the employ of the state with
reckless improvidence which would have
been the subject OF censure had the money
been his own. Whoever went to him with a
claim, whether it was legal or otherwise,
received pay. One instance will be sufficient
In the early part of his administration, men,
bers OF his Council received double mileage.
This as . matter of form they paid back-or
what they claimed to be the same thing-did
not take their mileage for the next session.
The matter rested until the close or near the
close Of the administration of Gov. Garcelon
When Inc CounclllOrS appnou 10 MIN Tor repay
ment and he complied with their request and
paid them. The amount of the sum so paid,
including the double mileage and some other
bills, was $465. Jan. 10th, eight days after
Gov. Garcelon's term OF office expired, he paid
G. w. French 800 for staff duty. Another
sum of 1929 is charged for sundry bills For
all these payments there are no vouchers, and
no man can say that they are correctly made.
Nor is the account of DIR. Lancaster without
Its peculiarities He admits that he has sold
one carpet belonging to the state, for which he
has not as yet accounted, and your committee
have taken testimony showing that he procur-
ed carpet for the library and purchased too
much by about SO yards for the purpose. This
surplus he cut off and sold and has mot yet
rendered an account for the amount received
No mention is found of the fact of such sale in
any public record connected with any depart
ment OF state. Or. Lancaster says he has not
settled his account with the state, and intends
70 account ior the money received by him. But
the transaction is one which should not be
sanctioned. Great abuse is liable to Green in
II the superintendent can buy new CARPETS and
sell the surplus without any official action au-
thorizing him so to do, and without making an
account Tor the money he receives. DR.. Lam
caster also admits that he paid some of the So
called police IS for "a hours service. This
seems to your committee to be rather extraya-
gant considering the character of the men
employed, especially when the law restricts
watchmen in his department to two persons
1t is clear to the committee that the public
funds to q very large amount have been unlaw-
fully drawn from the State treasury, and have
been misapglied. "A considerable sum of the
money is still retained, in open violation of the
statutes of this State. If any official. upon
leaving office, and after the expiration of his
term can, upon any pretext whatever. take
from the treasury funds belonging to the State
and disburse them at pleasure to parties claim
Is no longer any safety for the public moneys,
but they can be plundered and squandered
without any limit, and we may we'll be filled
with approximations, when we see transaction
III, IKE % TINS where. # there was no tactual crimi
nal intent, there is such q reckless disregard of
consequences and of lawsas to amount to a
crime against the people whose trust and con-
dence have been violated and abused. IT is
difficult to believe that Gov. Garcelon did not
Know the danger and wickedness of such a
processing: He and his Council must have
known that such acts were in violation of law
and in contravention of common prudence and
honesty, and the desperation with which
this scheme to perpetuate their own power has
been pursued, may arise from the vain hope
ina, tney might be able to hide from the eyes
OF the people, these Irregularities which only
require to be exposed in order to be con-
demned. Your committee recommend that
the attention of the Attorney General he
called to the large amounts now in the hands
OF either Gov Garcelon or Dr.t Lancaster, and
L
Co., for which there appear to be no vouchers:
and that such proceedings be instituted as will
protect the interests of the State and yindicate
the demands of public justice.
THE POSITION IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL.
On March 4, 1880, the clerk of the commit
tee, George ID. Bisbee, Esq, who has been
most faithful and efficient in the discharge Of
his duties, acting under the unanimous vote of
the committee, addressed the following letter
OF notification to Governor Garcelon and each
member OF his council with the exception of
ida:;al MT Moody. who had already appeared and
testified before the committee, and MT.
Parker OF Aroostook county to whom a tele-
graphic notice to the same effect was. sent.
AUGUSTA, March 4, 1880
siRE am direeted by unanimous vote of the
and expenditure and appropriation of the public
money to inform you that the committee has inyes-
Mgstea lnto ana taken testimony upon the subject
ing the acts of the Governor and Council i1pon said
election returns and the appropriation Of public
money1 under their control and that an opportunity
will be offered for you to appear before said COM
mittee on Monday the eighth day of March at the
Oaplta, In Augusta to testify and make explanation
upon tho matter before said committee. Parties
appearing before the committee will be allowed the
usual fees for travel and attendance. ~ 'Ao
very Respectfully Yours,
GEORGE D. BIsBEE,
f.+ r,aif Clerk of Committee.
No one of the ex-members of the Council SO
notihed has seen fit to appear before your
committee IN response to such notice. Mr..
roster VINO IS absent in a distant State has re-
sponded in a courteous letter, regretting his.
inability to be present as he is so far away.
Mr.. Fogg has replied in long letter which
goes into the testimony, and which has already
been published in some of the State news
papers, Gov. G. rcelon has appeared and
given extended testimony which is herewith
submitted. A'A
The weight of all the testimony rests SO
heavily upon these members of Gov. Garce-
Ions council who have refused to come for
doing, to explain or deny the acts which the
testimony leaves at their doors, that your COM
mittee bearing in mind the we'll known rule.
that no witness, forced to appear, can be
compelled to testify to facts involving him in
crime, have concluded to leave these men
where the testimony leaves them, exercising
the privilege, invoked by criminals for ages
past, OF not testifying against themselves.
Their names and residences are as follows:
Charles d: Chase, Portland; Frank M. Fogg,
II. Monroe, Thomaston; Frederick g. Parker.
Presque Isle.
GOVERNOR GARCELoN.
Hon. Alonzo Garcelon, whose term of Office
as Governor was made notorious by the events
into which your committee have been examin-
ing, came forward when called and his testi-
mony, which we submit, is long and cannot
fail to be read with deep interest, II is but
Just to say that, while before your COMMITTEES.
Gov. Garcelon always declared himself will.
ing to disclose everything thaths knew relating
to the investigation. His memory at times was
infrm, and when he was confronted with acts
on his part for which he had no warrant of
law he repeatedly failed to give any satisfac-
tory reason for his course. He is shown clear
ly to have become committed to a course beset
with infractions and bold violation of the law,
and to have shrRnk at nothing in pursuing that
course and he had at many times the opportun-
ity given him, which he always perversely dis
regarded. to halt in his course, and by follow
ing path plainly marked out to him by the
law to end all the troubles and give peace to
the State. He was in many cases besought by
Senators and Representatives, who had been
legally elected, to hear their cases, and to de-
eide upon them according to the law and the
constitution. In all these cases he turned a
deaf ear, and persisted in issuing Certificates of
election to persons who had been plainly re-
jected by the people.
When an indignant, but yet law abiding
people, expressed their determination to see
that every legal and peaceful method known
In our government should be resorted to in or
der to prevent the violation of popular rights.
Governor Garcelon, instead of respecting this
firm attitude, took such course as to ali the
more arouse and infame public discontent.
BE brought arms to the capital from a distant
city, where they had been kept safely for wears:
he hlled the State Captol with a forna ~ ;rro