Evening journal., 1891-10-14

&ppramcmenr ana rne conecuon orrne mercaa
tile taE under the direction and control Of the
office Of the present auditor general has been
attended with gross ipefficieney culpable neg
hgence, If not criminal completely. II also ap
pears that the auditor general seeks to Justify
his violation Of the law because his predecessor
in the same Office had no violated It, and this
Notwithstanding the fact that the act Of May 2,
1882. was passed for the express purpose OF cor
recting such abuses. II has been totally tx.
nored and deaed both by the auditor general
and state treasurer JOHN r, Fow,
GEoRoE W. SKINNER
The Governors Message.
In his message Governor Pattison re-
views the whole Bardsley affair, refers to
the work Of the legislative investigating
committee and the evidence obtained and
then says;
From these various sources Of information ii
appears TO be the undisputed fact that during
most OF his official term John Bardsley was per
mitted to retain and touse a very large amount
Of money collected for and payable into the
state treasury, for which he mother made, nor
was ever called upon and requested to make.
the account directed by law. For the collection
Of the moneys so retained by him no such legal
steps were ever taken as are mandatory upon
the state treasurer and auditor general, and he
is shown to have embezzled them to the amount
Of more than Sl,250O00,
The stubs OF his cheekbook and the entries
upon his private memoranda made at the time
show that he paid to a clerk Of the auditor gen
erals office a onehalf share Of moneys crimi-
nally received by him from the magistrates OF
Philadelphia In whose hands he placed the suits
for the collection Of delinquent mercantile
taxes. There is q memorandum to show that
Bardsley regularly received large sums of
money from the publishers Of newspapers
which obtained the advertisement Of the mer-
camille appraisers lists. 1t is admitted by some
Of the publishers that they paid these moneys
to clerk in the office Of Auditor General
Thomas McCamant, and the books Of BArdsley
indicate that he divided the brides thus re-
ceived with the auditor general or some yet
undiscovered person Of tho same initials. The
auditor general has denied under oath that he
received any share Of these moneys, and his
clerk is dead
Alleged Payments to LIvesy.
Among the books and papers Of John Bards-
ley appear evidence and memoranda made by
him to the effect that on certain dates no re.
ceiyed large sums Of money for interest from
banks, repositories and individuals TO whom he
had loaned the funds Of the state which he was
permitted TO retain or were transferred TO him
by the consent and connivanoe Of State Treas
urer Henry X Boyer Cashier William Livesy
and Auditor General McCamant. These same
memoranda and check books show payments
by Bardsley Of money to William Livesy
cashier Of the state treasurer, and presumably
to Auditor General McCamant during the
period that he was permitted by these officials
10 retain enormous amounts Of state moneys
1t also appears that the auditor general and
the state treasurer at different times and on
dates quickly following Bardsley's receipts Of
interest wrote Bardsley letters acknowledging
favors received.
Governor Pattison then mentions other
cases where il appears to him as though
Auditor General McCamant. State Treas
urer Boyer and Cashier Livesy had con
niyed with Bardsley to defraud the state
out Of large sums Of money, and asks the
senate TO take "the action appropriate in
the premises In conclusion he says
For the Honor Of Pennsylvania.
have awaited the resort TO and the exhaus
ton Of the processes Of the criminal laws
Their Illustration has only intensified the right.
eous demand Of the people that their servants
shall answer FOR neglect Of duty or completely
in crime The responsibility u determining
whether reasonable cause exists for the re
moval Of them rests with you. The public ex
poets that II win be met and discharged with
out regard 10 partisan advantage or detriment.
and with single concern for the good name
and honor Of the commonwealth.