The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-02
NICE FOR Mr.. KEL SEY
Secretary of State Draws
On State Monies When
= He P1eases.
iBLIC AND PRIVATG FUNDS MIXED
eer Complication Should the
Feretary Die-State Re-
eeives No Interest for
Its Money.
patton Of the Evidence Be-
the Voorhees, lnvesiigat-
Ing Committee To-day.
kBLIC AND PRIVATG FUNDS MIXED
s,5ecfal to &c Jer.s.eu 20 Nc,rs.

State KELSEY wants to go to Europe. He
says his health is poor and he needs a
trip abroad. He wants TO go as soon as
he can and therefore the VOORHEES, Com
mittee went outside of its scheduled path
this morning and took up it's inquiry
into his office.
At the opening, Mr.. Corbin said that
he would take up the subject of revenue
derived from the Secretary of States
Office in order that the Committee might
make suggestions to the Legislature con-
cerning those revenues which have now
amounted to large sum. He then dwelt
for some time on the various acts of the
Legislature which changed the pay of the
Secretary of State from fees to salary.
of 5000 a year and 1900 for clerk hire.
The Secretary of State was compelled
by those acts to make, under heavy pen
alties, quarterly statements of all the
fees he collected and turn them over to
the State Treasurer. These various acts,
he claimed, made it plain that it was
intended that the Secretary of State
should receive no more than six thou
sand dollars for any service which he
rendered the State in his Pooh BAH
fcapacity of Secretary of State, Clerk of
the Courts of Errors and Appeals, Pre-
negatives and Pardons, Commissioner of
insurance anu TIE Olner. minor duties
which he performed The Secretary of
State, he said. was the only officer who
drew the allowance for clerk hire and
then paid the clerks himself. In all the
other departments the clerks appeared
upon the States payroll.
In 81 an act was passed which Mr..
Kelsey construed TO mean that there
after he should keep for himself the fees
received by him from the Prerogative
Court
Senator Skirm asked if that was the
intent of the law Mr.. Corbin thought
not. but said it might bear that con-
sTGcsfen, although it was rule of law
mat no money of the State could be
appropriated by ambiguous or doubtful
language.
Mr.. corbin then read the quarterly re-
turns III wrieh ME ; Kslzeg raade during the
ysaFs ss e s fSat Bhe sseTssaary sa seTtad led
ending June 80, 1879, S72S; August s0 1879,
Der 81, 1853, Sc. .ls3.s7,. '''0' S-''''-''' 's
In the matter. of the fees of Chancellor
ana 1na of the sa te wfpe fpe the ge e Of the
on salary. and Of fees divided from
Mr.. Kelsey did not make any statement
or pay. them over to the Treasurer until
the SnQ OF edcn IScdl year, altnOu2n IQe
law, Mr.. Corbin claimed, required him
to do SO quarterly from 1888 to 1894.
Mr.. Kelsey turned into the. Treasurer
certificates, court fees, assessments on
private lands. judicial .oot fees a and in
his OH Office had Collected at an an expense
CONSTRUED ToTHER. WAY.
1t was noon when Mr.. Corbin finished
this explanation. and then Henry C. Kel-
sey was sworn.
showed his books and explained the man
ner in which they were kept.
the returns yearly instead of quarterly,
and he said he did not construe the law
to mean, that he-was to make any state
longed to the State he had made the
statement last year, He never made de-
construe the law to mean that he should
His books were never examined by the
ways open to inspection. He paid the
money over to the State once a year
only, and in the meantime kept the funds
in his own private accounts in the Me-
chanics' Bank of Trenton and the Sussex
Bank of Newton.
Mr. Corbin showed how. for long peri
ods. Mr.. Kelsey had in his hands large
sums of money belonging to the State
and asked the Secretary If he did not
amounts turned into the State Treasury
at more frequent intervals; He replied
that it. would. He also said that if the
corporations should be. pursued they
would yield a revenue of million dol
bars f1gEP 2 geaP aq. e ne hosh s9ate: eF 1AFEy
The proceedings here developed into a
taffv shop. Senator Szirm most emphat-
upon upon NJ Mr. Kelsey asked sis M Mr.. Corbin rIe
where the State would be in case the
Secretary should die with all the money
to- His private account.
aar. Sorbin said he supposed that the
State woIid have to prove its claim and
-svaH for the distribution Of the estate.
Mr.. Skirrn again declared that he had
no intention Of .refiecting upon Mr.. KeI-
sey. in which he was joined by every
eaea sse 9f fba tie Mr. ssaa eorbn
office was the best kept in the Capitol.
4 model office in every particular. Sen
opinion. while the Secretary bowed and
smiled his acknowledged
Mr.. Ketcham. disturbed this. pleasant
some of the years. he had large sums Of
the States money N his private bank
NIE TIE oR Sat TE TaT sBRs Bet soTrpwer
SHOWN sIs " that il 1891. wl.:e ne bad sl2o,-
borrower. Mr. corbin then took the
Secretary,s check books and showed that
eF % a fnSa n1thng caga j. them n asntad BY Whc ram tae
@ xass was also sus shown aasf that s
was absorbed in Mr.. Kelseys private
affairs.
Mr.. Kelsey said at times the States
money is invested on his private ac-
count
ssThen you receive interest on the
State money?'' asked Mr. Ketcham.
If it is State funds | do,n replied Mr..
Kelsey
Chats not for the use of the State
then" asked Mr.. Voorhees,.
The State will get it, = replied Mr..
Kelsey.
eThe interest ?y asked Mr. Ketcham
s,ss ,9h IT there y pn statute , ghlnn m corr pn
sew.
He was asked If the committee re-
uuested him SO to do. he would turn over
to the State Treasurer at once the thirty
nine odd Thousand dollars which it was
shown he now had Of the State monev.
but which does not appear In any of his
bank accounts and he replied that he
would. The amount he said was
mingled with his own funds; he was
embarked in business and had securities.