Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-08-18
The following despatch appeared in the
Wing Of this morning:

AUGUSTA, Aug. u.
The Executive Council, pursuant to vote at their
last sesslon. met here 20 day This particular date
selected b~eause t5001O Of the public debt fell
doe % day The Council took all n. steps te.. r.
stsrnce Of the Governor. Owing to Governor
f1sisteds refusal TO meet the Council. no warrant
aDd therefore no money could be taken from the
Treasury 10 meet the obligations Of the state. To
prevent the state bonds from going to protest Treas
urey Hoibrook has personally made an arrangement
with some banks In Boston TO advance the 5000
required to the credit Of the state.
That the members Of the Executive Coun-
Gil and the State Treasurer have been guilty
Of a very disreputable trick. plain statement
offhe facts In the case will be sufficient To
clearly prove.
When the State Treasurer has an instalment
Of the debt TO provide for, requiring the ac-
ton Of the Governor and Council, it would
seem to be his plain duty to notify the Gov
ernor a. well az the Council Of that fact.
The Governor was in Augusta three days
last week and saw the Treasurer. lie was
there also the week before. but the Treasurer
said nothing to him Of any business in his
department coming before the Governor and
Council; nor has the Governor received any
communication from the Treasurer touching
this matter, or from the Secretary Of State or
one Of the Councillors.
The Governor saw Col Robbie, one OF the
Councillors, in Portland last week Thursday,
and had long conversation with him. But
tho Councillor did not tell him that part of
the State debt would fall due on the 18th.
lie did say to the Governor that he hoped he
would be present at the meeting Of the Coun-
ell as there might be matters of Importance
to be attended to. The Governor said he had
just come from Augusta and he knew Of moth
ing calling for immediate action and there
was nothing in the Executive Box" in the
Secretary Of States office.
The Councillor said: THE State Treas
urer may have something. You had better
see him." The Governor replied: ''If the
State Treasurer has matters of public bust.
ness Of importance, as you intimate, and is
concesling them from the Governor, he must
take the responsibility.
Let il be borne in mind thai when the
Council fixed upon day for reassembling
after their adjournment by the Governor, the
date selected by them was the 18th of August.
The changing of the date TO the 18th was the
result Of an after thought. based upon secret
information conveyed to them by the Treas
urer and concealed by him from the Cover
nor. and in pursuance of conspiracy cooked
up between them, to place the Governor in
the attitude Of refusing to provide for the
payment Of maturing debt and thus endan-
gering the credit Of the State.
We learn, also, at this meeting OF the Con-
spirators' Council. yesterday, there were but
three of the seven present. so that had the
Governor been in attendance ut the meeting
no business could have been transacted.
With the facts as above stated in their
possession, the people will Judge for them
selves a. TO where the responsibility rests for
this disgraceful trifiing with the credit of the
State. If these gentlemen of the Council
avS1N ta Gt,t., ,SNa sxxN
putable scheme do not find its results dis
astrous TO them, we are mistaken in the
character Of the people of Maine.
Yesterday a reporter of the Kennebec
Journal had an interview with State Treas
urer Holbrook in regard to the statements in
the above concerning himself. the substance
Of which is as follows;
r. Ia there any foundation for the allega-
ton in the article in the Bangor Commercial
Of the 18th inst. that the Executive Council
and the State Treasurer played trick upon
the Governor in relation to the State debt
which Came due on the 18th?
Mr.. II. None whatever. The charge is
entirely groundless. had no commun-
ication with the Executive Council in regard
to the bonds coming due. before the 18th, ex-
ccpt in the usual official way. | did casually
mention to Col. Robbie one day rs met him
in a bank at Portland a word about the
bonds, but that was all ever said to any
member OF the Council about the matter. 1t
IL utterly false and absurd to charge that
trick was played upon the Governor. have
never considered the Governor so ignorant of
important State affairs that he did not know
when those bonds became due, and whoever
invented the idea that trick was played up
on him by presuming upon his ignorance in
the matter. places the Governor in a very
unenviahlc light before the people of this
State. The charge resolves itself into a
charge Of gross ignorance against the Gov
ernor. for how could such trick As is men,
him unless he was grossly ignorant of the
most important financial affairs of the Stateg
X. You made remark about commune
eating with the Governor and Council in re-
gard to the bonds in the usual official way.
will you please explain what is meant by
thisl
Mr.. II. - mean to be understood that
made the usual application to the Governor
and Council, in this case, as in other SINH
lar cases, for a warrant to pay the bonds.
Ny application may be found in the Secreta.
ry Of States Office" THE application is as
follows
STATE OF MAINE.
TRHAsCKKK's OFFICE, I
Augusta, Aug. 10, 1881.
10 the Hoaoyabie Governor and Cosse,i:
Please draw q warrant in my favor for the
sum Of Fifty Thousand Dollars to paw for q
like sum Of State Of Maine Bonds, maturing
Aug. Is. 1881, and charge the same to the
appropriation made for the payment Of Pub
lie Debt.
S. A. HOLBROOK.
State Treasurer.
Nv application was made on the 10th, FIVE
days before the meeting of the Executive
Council. Il vas placed in the Executive bcx
i ~ Secretary Of States Office box in
whleA conm1aicatious for the Governor and
csaneil. and b which they always have free
aeoeas. - paseed Il M pss in the box IN