The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-17
The Survey of Lowry Island.
REPORT OF INVESTIGATING COMMITTEES

REPORT OF INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
The following report was submitted IN
he House If Representatives on Saturday Il
last:
Mr.. SPEAKER: Pursnsnt to resolution
Of February "a, your committee beg leave
to make the following report That 1y
chap. j., acts Of 1854, sec. /, II became the b
duty ofsthe Commissioner OF Swamp Lands, a
mon the recommendation of the Governor,
with the concurrence OF the Attorney 3
General and Secretary OF State, TO make c
snrvev of all the tidal and overiowed
marsh lands lying between East ana west ;
pascaro1Ia River and the Gulf OF Mex ;
leo together with other lands mentioned
in said act These lands are now known as
Lowry Island.
Your committee find by the evidence
taken by them, that there was no written
recommendation made by the Governor
and concurred in by the Attorney -6eneral
and Secretary of State, recommending that
these lands should be surveyed, but that
ON a conference between these officers IL
was agreed that the survey should De
made. which was communicated 10 T. NJ.
Dohertv, Swamp Land Commissioner, by
Gov. Robert Lowry,
That the Swamp Land Commissioner,
on the 25th of June, 1884, appointed e:
NJ I. Hamilton to make tie survey OF
these lands now known as Lowry Island.
Your committee find from the evidence
that II. d. Cameran claimed to act and |
did act for the State ii making contracts
| Tor the services of Surveyors, Assistant |
Surveyors and in buying or caused TO be
| bought supplies, tools aud other things on
the credit of the State OF Mississippi; that
/ this action on the part OF ii. ID. Cameron
was without right or authority OF law, aud
a plain violation OF law. That 10 one
| mad a right To make any contracts with the
SURVEYORS TO survey these lands except the
| Swamp Land Commissioner, and he only
bv implication of law. See section /,
! chapter Il, Acts 1854. Your committee
find that there were large expenditures OF
money made for the survey OF these lands
under the supervision OF III. II. Cameron;
the first account is contained IN voucher
060 on file in the Auditors office Tins
voucher is composed of vouchers A, Is, Z,
, d. Z, T, and q.
= Voucher A is the payroll and expense
account of the survey Tor two months
ending August 10, and September 10, 1854.
Voucher b is the account OF h. w. Nor
rell, one OF the surveyors, amounting to
? 1899 90.
Voucher c is a small printers account,
D amounting TO S6.25.
r Voucher d is a number OF accounts due
I to hands, aggregating Sl77.
e Voucher is an order on II. d. Cam
:, eron for two laborers, by f. W. Morrell
: for $12.
: Voucher T is an order on J. NJ. T. Ham
d ilton, by NJ. L. Massey, 50.
2 Voucher G Is an Attorneys fee for an
t abstract OF ptle, receipted to II. ID. Came
; ron, s..
e 80. ,,,, -, 81, 6,,1 from, tl,a avidanc,
% that J. NJ T. Hamilton received 5000 pc
Is month for making the survey, and $500 fo
II himself and assistant in making the maj
Re of Lowry Island, SO that he received fol
10 his part OF the work 500, and his expense
paid. 1t is impossible to determine wha
et the expenses were. Your committee hn'
:. that there Is conflict OF evidence as t.
what Mr.. Hamilton was TO receive. Nj
Cameron states that he was to receive SLOT
and pay his own expenses, while he state
that he was to receive $500 and his ex
= penses were to be paid. Mr.. +. w. Morrei
saws it was his understanding at the tim
from Mr.. Cameron, that Mr.. Hamllto
f. was to receive $3.50 per month. You
he committee find that in all controversies a
III to wages the State was always charged an
ID finally paid the largest amounts and some
n times paid them twice. They find tina
ce the contract OF Cameron if considered 8
a all was Tor $3.50 and that this charge
of $500 per month is excessive, and that /
To d. Cameron, who drew this money fToI
n the State is cue the State 800 on tbs
nj account.
IS The item Of $1,000 on the expense a,
lv count, Exhibit a, /" your committee fin
- from the evidence of j. II. 7. Hamilton
To should have been credited to the Stat
al instead of charged to the State, and tn;
a.; ! 4 Of n
n favor of the State, which is due by Ii. |
.ir Cameron, he having drawn the money frol
nj the Treasury of the State. As to Il
e. items
v Transportation 45
transportation party d
DIS Total.
1t, Your committee find no proper vouche
OF for them. The testimony tends 10 sho
% that the first item $1,000, was for hauliT
ut laborers TO their work in a spring Wagon
IS as 10 the S45. 80 the testimony is vague al
lis uncertain to the $54.75, your commi
Of tee find it was double charge as to $50:
ess of it on exhibit A, and is again charged
Is. to $685. of it in exhibit l., showing it
en- have beeen collected three times. Vouch
be d for Siz7.00 was collected twice by Ii.
is Cameron, once in voucher A and once
nd State, and II. ID. Cameron certainly ow
in the State that amount, he having draw
lie, the money.
in Voucher B and voucher \ compar
sy shows that ii. D. Cameron drew $l25j
to for the month ending August 10, al
ass $4,000 for the month ending Septemb
ial ID, 1884, as E. w. Morrell's salary f
ted those months as shown by voucher
its while voucher A shows on the pay rolls
ent these months in voucher A, that E.
Vi Morrell received $3.50 for August and s
Dor in September and $3.50 not on the roll
ne. by turning to MIR. HamiltOn's depositi
ar it will be seen that E. w. Morrell in t
APP month ending August 3, received S. =
ers day for l54 days, aggregating $3.50, a
les, in September he was paid for 10 days J
To- and the $53.75 was for extra work done
his Mr. Norrell. This is shown by Mr.. Ham
; 1t toms time book, which he exhibited to t
committee; SO that il will plainly appe
his and your committee find that II. d. Gamer
lii drew from the State Treasury $3.50 as
his amount due Mr. Morrell for August a
ray September, 1884, when he had alrea
OF drawn all that due Mr.. Morrell, a
hat that Mr.. Cameron is indebted to the ST.
raj in the further sum of $3.50.
7ell Your committee find that vouchers
/ b, G, D. +, + and q are included in t
his office, was approved bv GOV. Lowry and
ind warrant issued therefor. less SIS2I0.
) to the Auditor, and received by II. d. Can
lse- ron; that the $132J0 was afterwards
lsh proved by Gov. Lowry and paid to H.
in Cameron as shown by his receipt vouch
ern No. 1910, December 80, 1885, as q
sed amount paid j. NJ. t. Hamilton by II.
un- Cameron, special agent" in voucher 10
ex- They find no such amount had been pa
TO Hamilton by Cameron, and was not pf
ace him until March 6. 1866. as shown nv
ID. Cameron's dispatch and the testimo
! of Hamilton filed herewith
Your committee refer to the testimo
OF Gov. Lowry as to his authority
req auditing and approving the accounts
III. d. Cameron and say it is legal gu
ton which does not come within tn
ion province to determine. They feel it b
un- Just to say that the many double chars
the discovered by them are SO concealed that
of would possibly escape observation exec
on close scrutiny.
,r;- That racapitulating the double charg
av- and collections and overcharges of H.
I 10 Cameron, they report the following:
nd, DOUBLE AND ovERcHARGEs.
ust
the f. W. Morrell's acct, Elk. b.. $3.50
be Exhlbd D-.--..-.- ........-.....- III
nne j. Nj. I. Hamilton's account ........ 100
be Item $60.60 charged instead offered \
de- tied to the State .................... 12I
yer Item 1925 of an item of S54.75 in
in expense account voucher A. twice
ask charged, once In payroll to Bonn
uld atil ana once IN expense account
Md tits again charged in Elk d.. but