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

claim allowed, and the money taken from il
on the warrant of the Governor and Council.
In the space. within which this report
must be confined we cannot give the
"details As to the extent to which the late
governor and Council carried this practice
OF using public moneys for purposes other
aan those for which they we're appropriated
~ the Legislature :
HE Free High School, appropriation
seems to have been favorife fund upon
which to draw whenever the Governor and
Council wanted more money
we have had copies of this appropriation
anu the account kept with il taken, and SUBJ
NIT them as part Of the testimony and call
attention to them.
VI the appropriation for Free High
schools SIS. 474-97 were drawn and expend-
cd Tor legitimate purposes, while S., i03 90
were drawn and used for purposes entirely
alien to the nature of the fund. the largest
item being the $1,000 drawn by warrant of
the GoyerRor and paid to him on December
81, 1873. Other appropriations were over
drawn. no attention being paid to the limita-
tioA liked by the Legislature. These are
shown by the the accounts" which are sub
mhted as part of the testimony.
! Special attention j. called 10 the appropri-
alton for printing which has been overdrawn
sl,ll2-4s and in the account of Pillsbury 4
20. the State printers, and the papers filed BY
them AS their vouchers for moneys drawn
from the treasury, no voucher or account is
found for the payment of $1,000 on October
I, ls29. 1t is claimed that demands for print
ing yet remain unsettled, but this apparent
over payment of public money should be
| closely looked into and proper vouchers
should be insisted upon whenever settlement
s made.
The money drawn by Gov. Garcelon
during the last two weeks Of his ad.
ministration.
These amount to six thousand dollars.
They were drawn IN the usual MANNER on re-
ports OF committee of the Council approved
by the Governor and were as follows
December "a, 1879. 81 900 for protection
Of public property; on appropriation for mill
| tarv purposes.
December 81, 1879. 81 200, for counsel
fees and professional service for the State
| on the Contingent fund of the Governor and
Council.
December 81, 1879. 1000, for expense in
! Cured for police services on the appropria-
ton for Free High Schools.
In neither case does any receipt. account or
voucher appear with the report, or among any
papers of the Governor and Council.
| The money was drawn in advance of its
USES VII" Ho aIcompahy ing STATEMENT as "
how 1t was to be used taken from funds APP
propriated for other specific purposes. and ex-
pended, If at all, without any warrant of law.
We call special attention on this point to
the statement of Governor Garcelon, which
Is found in full in the printed testimony, and
which contains the narration of the facts and
circumstances surrounding this remarkable
| transaction as viewed from the Governors
standpoint
The sum and substance of that statement
is that the money was drawn and used for
payment of the force which Governor Garce-
lon placed in and about the State House dur
ing the last month of his administration, and
in many cases running forward into what is
commonly called the 'Lamson. or ''Smith'
or Fusion government.
1t is not claimed that any warrant of law
existed for the payment of a dollar of this
money after Governor Garcelon, on Wednes-
day, January I, went out of Office.
The Governor himself does not claim that
any such payment bv him was authorized by
law, and yet. as he admits, he has as late as
February 10Th paid money out in considera-
BILE sums to persons presenting claims to him,
exactly as though the funds of the State in
his hands were subject only to his own dis
erection in their use. 1t was in testimony be-
| fore the committee that from the 18th day of