Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-17
GOV. CIRCUIT
Appears as a Witness Before
the State Investigating
Committee.
HIS TESTIMONY.
Tho Trips to Nashville Exhibition and
Grant Monument Dedication In New
York Touched Upon Ex-Gov, Page,
Hon. c. W. BrowneII and Gen,
Peck Also Upon tho Stand.
HIS TESTIMONY.
(From Our staff Correspondent

4
Montpelier Nov. 15.-The committee in
yestIgating the official expenses have he
gun the examination of various officials
and ii looks as though most people who
have held office during the last decade
would have to tell how they happened to
expend a cent for travelling and hotel
expenses. Witnesses examined tonight
are ex-Govs. Grout and Page, ex-Secre-
tary of State C. w. Brownell and Gen. r.
s. Peck. All were questioned by Senator
Young. The first to appear was ex-Gov.
Grout, who made a statement to the COM
mittee as follows:
co,- cpot.r.e er.rr,,,,>r
''OO " % "a E'h"A l.
Gentlemen of the Committee With
trifiing exception warrant is found in
written law for the official expenditure Of
public moneys by the governor The orig
nal conception of our State government
leads to one of three conclusions to wit.
That the executive department would not
have public expenses; or If any, that the
governor would pay them from his own
pocket; or that the matter could be safely
trusted to his discretion. The latter view
has evidently been accepted as need for II
appeared. The official expenses of the
governor have always been borne by the
State, Precedents are not wanting, rati-
fled by public sanction as old as the con-
stitution for drawing money from tho
treasury without legislative appropriation.
and this is one of tho questions vou n re
called upon to settle.
! apprdhend the public expects the gov
ernor to do in an economical way those
unexpected and constantiv ocurring +hins,s
in the course of his administration suit
able to respectable nubIic service int
cannot he nnticinated hv ,ogis,atio, ana
to pay for such out of the public treasury.
Within the last year loud demands were
made that the governor nav thn roon,a,s .
money for tho Vormont raoir,o,,,f - ~ y
Spanish war. The povernnr ,,,s ,,,ir' iii
ing. but could not nav tbirgs 10 n,h,o,' ~
knew not and so oniy III o,.,,'' IN ,,l i'e
incurred every doIiar ~ u.htoI, u.n ,S Va
without oxpress warr,nt or inn "a' % nt' pu,t'
as the money maid for the Nash,n,o 'rL,' tr,,,
The scopn Of your tnvest,,o,to, ,'' onI. ~ ~,
back ten wears and afforde onnort,,,,,. So -
ascertain what has bcon dona t., a,,n ". ~
ministratiors. 'rbe AUDITORS renorts COW.
ering the neriod showing tbo Catio,,t,' =,
summaries under cIassiGc,tion Of onSai,i
expenses tssS to,ssO Gny DiI,,rah,r, o,,'i
staff, sI97s 81. $500 to 1Se9 Gov. p"gn and ",,,,
staff. sl4SG 90 1909 ia 1So. C,o,. EuIior and
staff, s142g &C. 1Se4 IN 1SoS Gov Vnodb,,.,.
aud stan sto5O az, Isoe 70 tsoc .aIs 80
staff (except Nashville trim, s,Ce7 ~ nv,
advised tho nrIncinal rnbiic rnnct,,,s ~n'
casloninr eyncnsos ,vero in ttn,, nit,inrr
hams pertoJ prosidc,t uo,,iso,,,s tn
nupuration and ,bo contor,iai 80 ~
ington's inaupurntior rcInhrotod w.
York In thn ease mt ,;nv Io,o -, u,o,
tho uonnirg,or o.ioh,o,jo T., r,I
Ilcr's case II wos tt,n ,yori,,,i eair viz
Gov Wocdhurv II Voc thn dodpna,i,,' 'e't -
Cbic.om,ugo port, ono r., ,,,, , t. ".
McI<inley's iroucurotior apJ tbn 1oai,o
ton of the Grant monument
/ t;oy DiIIinrhnr NJ Na,, yor,, ,,, 80,
corteG by the National Guard the exnanso