Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-03-19

you to consider. Were these reports bound
And were they paid for? Was the contract
mutually understood as / have explained.
These reports were to be printed and bound
under the direction of the Secretary of the
Board of Agriculture in accordance with the
provisions of the law to which l have re-
ferred, but which was repealed in the
winter of 1878 and '79. They were to be
bound as l have stated. And was it 90
understood by Smith & Co. and subsequently,
by Mr.. Cameron. that the 5000 vols. were to
be bound with the abstracts in one jacket or
cover?
have letter here from the Secretary of
the Board of Agriculture to Smith & Co ,
instructing them that they were to be bound
together; and here in the statement made BY
Mr.. Cameron is an acknowledgement from
him that they, 5000 of them, were to be
bound together in one jacket and for 32 cts.
per vol. So then then the knowledge came
home to Mr.. Cameron that the first 5000
volumes were TO babound separately and the
other 5000 volumef making 10000 vols. in
all) we're to be bound with the abstracts in
one book, and all for the sum of 80 cts. per
volume. He admits it.
Although the State had nothing to do with
him III the contract, still by his written ac-
knOwledgment here, we show that he under
stood the contract with Smith & CO., as l have
stated it. Now was he paid for binding these
volumes, and was he paid for binding the ab-
stracts! | have in my hand q copy of the
payments that were made to him taken from
the records. including for the 1000 vols. Of
the reports and 5000 Of the reports with the
abstracts. There were to be O,OOO vols. and
that is all the contract covers. He was paid
as you will see for binding lO,O67 at 32 cts
ol ;rcl cl,,I; ola N
Co., Mr.. +. reads the different payments
giving date of each, amounting in all to S3,-
22i A, of which $3.50 was paid Smith & Co.,
which he explains.) So that he was paid not
only for 10, 600 reports, but for O,O67, some
thing over the full number.
We find then that l0.O67 volumes were all
paid for but not single one of these volums
contained the abstracts or societies reports, al
though the State had not only paid the full
amount for binding the reports. but the full
amount agreed upon for binding 5000 vols.
of reports, with the abstracts. You will see
gentlemen that piror to July 1879 Mr. Cam
erOn had received from the State his pay for
stitching and binding all the agricultural re-
ports under the contract, 100000 and 81 be-
sides, and for stitching and binding the alb
stracts, while the State had not received a
single vol. Mr.. Cameron on the 30th of Dec.
1879 settled up all his bills and claims of
every kind against the State. received his pay,
and gave his receipts therefor.
Now comes the most astounding thing of
all. The very next day, the 3lst Dec. 1879,
there was paid or given to Mr.. Cameron,
(after having received his pay for these Ag-
ricultural Reports, and after having received
his pay for all the work that he did in 1879.
and tor every nameable claim he held against
the State) the sum of 1900 for which he
had performed no work. And that $1,000
was included in the warrant No. $50, which
you will find mentioned in his printed bill Of
a copy of which you have before
you.
We cannot consider this matter, or touch
upon it perhaps, however lightly, without
duplicating third parties in this nefarious
transaction; ard if l do refer to it, l do it
not from any desire to implicate or bring
odium upon others, hut only so far as am
obliged to do so in order to arrive at a true
understanding of the facts in the case.
This is no party matter. There can be no
partisan feeling on the part of any person
desirous Of acting right. / feel assured that
YOU all, without distinction of party or sect,
wish to probe the matter to the bottom with
out enquiring into whose household the bolt
may strike. 1t has nothing to do with the
u
reason to believe, from the action which nv
friends of the opposition have taken during
the session, that as soon as.they discover that
any person or persons have been guilty of any
fraud or wrong against them or the State,
they will be the last to stand up here in their
seats and attempt to defend or justify it. A
party may not be in fault when one of its
members has committed fraud. 1t is Only
when political party justifies and attempts
to conceal or defend the crookedness of its
members that they can be charged with any
wrong. All parties are cursed with dishon-
est men and officials.
By looking at the evidence you will see
that this 50 900 was paid or given to Gamer
on through the instigatiOn of one or two gen.
tlemen who we're at that time in the Council
of 1879. and who in hot haste, on the 3lst of
December, just as their term of Office was
expiring and they were about to step down
and out procured this thing to be done. This
$1,000 was paid without any justification or
authority, no bills were presented nor vouch-
ers offered by Mr.. Cameron, if you believe
the testimony under oath of Mr.. Cameron
himself, as given before the Hale Committee
last winter.
At first Mr.. Cameron tried to make the
committee believe. as his testimony tends to
show. that there was a large amount of un-
finished work upon which he had done con-
siderable labor for which he would soon be
entitled to pay. But when he was cross-ex-
amined, it came out in evidence from his
lips that he hadn't done any stitching or bind
ing. There was some unfinished work of
lS79-that is work to be done-but it was
done in 1880 and was not commenced in 1879.
and it did not amount as shall show and
prove to you, to s., 900. and when it was all
done in 1880 and his bill rendered. it only
amounted to $IO9l.55. No stitching nor
binding had been done on the work prior to
December 81, 1879. Only few ems. had
been folded, ~ Cameron was forced to &C.
knowledge himself. which didn't amount to
anything. He drew that 81 900 from the treas.
ury upon . warrant issued by the Governor,
upon . report drawn by Committee of the
Council. from the Free High School fund.
First, the warrant was drawn upon the ap-
preparation for stitching and binding, but it
being found that that appropriation was over
drawn it was changed and the fund for Free
High Schools was made to contribute to Mr..
Cameron's needs as more important than the
education of the youth of the State. But
will not comment upon the appearance Of
that transaction. 1t is enough that it wss
done and 81 900 were paid Cameron not due
to him and without any consideration and
without any justification, in reason, law or
equity, proceeding unparalleled in the his
,orv ~ ha An uCos nf tho State haliovo