Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-19

/! the thirty-6rst day Of the same month dreu
five thousand dollars more: of this sum oas
thousand dollars vas pad over 70 Leavit
Janussy eth. 1880 for the purpose Of paving
this force: for the balance of the five thousant
dollars, Governor Garceion received the
checks of the State Treasurer. drawn on dif
ferent hanks and each payable to his order
There is not any presense that at this time
any expense, which the Governor would b.
authorized by Law TO pay had occurred, and
was unprovided for. These checks Govern
nor Garcelon, in person. Immediately present
ed for payment. endorsing them as an indi-
vilual and received the money for them. and
he now admits that he did not deposit it in
any bank, and returned no account of it to
any officer Of the State. When callad upon
to account for this money, traced to his pos
session, Governor Garcelen produced before
your committee, receipts for money paid to
various persons, linciuding the 0ce thou
sand dollars paid Adjt- Gen. Leavitt) from
December a6th. 1879 to February goth. 1880,
which amounted to the sum Of SS744. This
left in his hands the sum Of S2256, for
which he had not counted: of this sum he
claimed to have paid A. r. Gould
for counsel fees, $500; to the members of his
Council, S465 to special police, Sl06; TO.
sundry bills and extra expenses, 500: and
for .ncidentals, Sl29, amounting in all to
$500. which left in his hands $3.50 of the
public moneys. which he admits has never
been paid to any person. and has never been
refunded TO the State. Az analysis of the
receipts produced, discloses the fact, that if
correct they show that GU. of the whole
S3.44 paid out by Governor Garcelon. S2l76
was paid b. F. Lancaster, Superintendent of
Public Buildings, between the second day of
ID L.
1t was supposed BY the committee N the
first instance that this sum was pad TO the
force about the State House above mentioned.
but further investigation disclosed the fact
that this eorce had been paid in full up to
January S,h. When questioned. Doctor
Lancaster could only account fol the expen-
diture of about five hundred dollars of the
money received l,y him from the Governor,
leaving about Sl5o0 with no Ineligible ae-
count of where il had gone, or to what pur-
pose il had been appropriated. Your COM
mittee were not impressed with the accuracy
of these receipts. 1t appeared from Lancas-
ter's testimony that after Governor Garcelon
had left your committee on Monday last, he
sent for DR. Lancaster to come to his room,
and that he there wrote out the receipt
for $500, bearing date February Goth,
1850, and also that he wrote in ink an
other receipt which he said had pre-
viously been written with lead pencil.
1t is clear that no accuracy can be expect
ed 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 Coz Garcelon denies; and
claims tina. he produces the receipts of
Lam aster, and that he IS accountable for the
money But It is certain tina. little re-
lance can be placed in the evidence
of payments of the public moneys when
no bill has been audited and no
items are given to be preserved As vouchers.
Of the money claimed to have been paid by
Gov. Garcelop a large sum was paid after he
ceased to hold any Office in the State. His
term expired Jan. :, 1880, instead of return
lug the moneys he wrongfully held. and ac
counting for what he had used. he went on
paving out this money to persons not in the
employ of the State with reckless IMPROVE
dence which would have been the subject Of
censure had the money been his own. Who
ever 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, members of his Coun-
Gil received double mileage. This as a
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. Garcclon
when the councillors applied to him for re-
payment 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 S465. January 10th, eight
DAYS after Gov. Garcelon's term of Office e:
PRED, he paid G. w. French 500 Cor
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 adj
mits that he has sold one carpet belonging to
the State. for which he has not rs yet nc-
counted, and your committee have taken tes
timony showing that lie procured carpet for
the library, and purchased too much by about
thirty-three yards for the purpose. This sur
plus he cut off and sold and has not vet rem
.ered an account for the amount received.
No mention is found of the fact Of such sale,
in any public record connected with any de-
partment of state. DIR. Lancaster says he has
not settled his account with the State, and in
tends to account for the money received by
him. Butthe transaction is one which should
not be sanctioned. Great abuse is liable TO
creep in, if the superintendent can buy new
carpets and sell the surplus without any Off
cial action authorizing him so to do, and
without making an account for the money he
receives. Dir. Lancaster also admits that he
paid some of the so-called police five dollars
for twenty-four hours service. This seems
to your committee to be rather extravagant,
considering the character of the men en-
ployed. especially when the law restricts
watchmen in his department. to two persons
and define their compensation.
1t is clear to the committee that the pub
lie funds to very large amount have been
unlawfully drawn from the State treasury, anG
have been misapplied. 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 par
lies claiming 10 have demands against the
State. there is no longer any safety for the
public monies. but they can be plundered and
squandered without any limit, and we may
well be filed with apprehensions. when we
see transaction like this where, if there was
no actual criminal intent, there is such .
reckless disregard of consequences and Of law
as to amount to crime against the people
whose trust and confidence have been yiolat-
ed and abused 1t is difficult to believe that
Gov. Garcelon did not know the danger and