The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-29

they could not-for the fact did not exist. Tbex
chose to rely upon this mere statement of the .u
d'tor, because, suppose. they found that it sta
ted much greater sum to have been applied to
=" manufacturing arms" than had in reality been
applied TO that object. Upon the same ground,
might suppose, that if the auditor had stated
unon paper, that million of dollars had been ex-
pended in making arms, the committc. would,
without more scruple or examination, than they
did exercise, charge the making of arms with
for the institution, If the committee had directed
the auditor to make their report for them as
Go not suppose he would have attempted to value
or appraise the manufactured articles but that
would have deprived the trainers of that stupen-
dous composition, of the rich harvest ofapplause
which they expected, and have, perhaps, recei.
we'd from the credulous and unnforrned.
From the distinction which the several appro-
priation laws ha:, made, between the funds for
making arms, and the funds for co.,abletinp ,he
,nangfaetoy Of arms, it is evident that the seye
raj Legislatures which enacted them, intended.
that the establishment, with all its appendares.
apparatus, tools and furniture, should be compile
ted in every respect, without applying to that OBJ
ject, any part of the funds which were exclusive
" appropriated for the manufacturing of arms
otherwise they would not have appropriated ae
Parate funds to those separate objects: and had
those funds have been applied exclusively to the
objects for which they were appropriated. the
weakest member of the committee could have
found no difficulty in ascertaining the cost of the
arms. From the sum actually expended in the
making OF arms, deductthe amount that the com
Ponent parts OF arms and materials on hand had
cost and divide the balance, by the number of
arms, &c. made, and their cost is ascertainetl :.
But unfortunately for the institution, the funds
were not applied exclusively to the objects for
which they were appropriated. Over the dis
bursements OF those funds, had NO control INV
duty rs SUPERINTENDENT, required that should adj
OF IN thp1 &c IT, -
present them to the Executive for their exami.
nation but it was impossible for me to tell what
funds the auditor would issue his warrant unon
for their payment.
1t will be seen by the annexed certificate of
Mi Joseph Jackson, chief clerk of the Audi.
tors Othce, and may also be seen BY a refer.
ence to the vouchers and document. upon which
that certificate was founded that the sum of
hiteen thousand six hundred and eighty nine
dollars and thirty eight and an half cents, of the
funds appropriated for making Arms, have been
applied to other objects, to wit to the purchase
OF tools, bedding, iron work for fixtures, REPAIR
ing old arms, &c.
Having examined the vouchers in this Office
by which money has been paid for materials for
manufacturing arms, hereby certify that the
whole sum drawn from the appropriations for
| making arms, for the purchase of tools. bedding
iron work for fixtures, repairing old public arms,
&c. between the first day of May, 1901, and
| sand six hundred and eighty nine dollars, SO
Cents.
JOSEPH JACKSON,
| 60. u Clerk Of Accounts.
Auditors Office, 3Oth2
November, 1909. s
Besides this sum of s 1869 ss5, improper.
ly charged to the account of " making arms.
| 1t appears from the Auditors statement above
alluded to-, that between the LIST Nav. 1901 and
the LIST October, 1908. the further sum of nine
| hundred and one dollars and thirty five and an
half Cents, have also been improperly charged
| to the making OF arms. The last mentioned sum
was expended in the purchas of timber, &c for
the establishment, for stamping and preparing
arms tor distribution among the Militia. for
Cast Iron work for tn. machinery of the manu-.
factory, Tor Cast Iron Anvil, and hammers for
the Tilt-hammer Forges for other expenses re.
latiye to the erection of the buildings, and sun.
dry other charges which have no more relation
to the making of arms than the expense of the
buildings themselves, nor the ground upon which
they are seated. Some of these articles to the
amount of three hundred and ten dollars and
| twenty nine cents, according to the Auditors
own statement, had already been paid for from
the contingent fund, and why ne should after
wards charge their amount to sc snonlfactuy;no
dr,ns," cannot comprehend. here set the
dates OF all the charges which form the said sum
OF ) 9ol IS J, as they are placed in the Audi
w ototc'hSIt' me- datcS are as IOllOWS, to
wit :--1S04. January 11-February 20--April
1905, March 26-April 9--1806, February
May 24-June 27--1607, May 20-June 90
September 7-18oS, August 9-August g.
August 9-The following, according to the Au.
ditor's statement are to be found " in the contn.
gent fund bundles. '--1804, March 21--18O7,
September 7--Septcmber 7--September p
September 7--1808, January 4-March 21-
The vouchers referred to by these dates will
shew that part of this sum ought to have been
paid from the funds appropriated for the erection
of the buildings, &c. and that the balance should
have been paid from the contingent fund, but
that no part thereof ought to have been charged
to " manufacturing arms"
There is also the sum of three thousand. five
hundred and twenty dollars and sixty three cents
which the Auditor has TWICE charged to ma.
nufacturing arms" and of course one of the char
ges must be improper. The entry of this sum
on the fourteenth page ofthe Auditors statement
is made thus" 1908, October III, T. Shoe for
bar and hoop Iron, &C. &c--S $500 g." Its
here proper to remark, that before the com.
meneement of the operations of the Virginia
Mandatory OF Arms, the Executive had enter.
ed into contracts for arms to be made in phiIa-
delphia-and general John Shee ofthat city (the
gentleman named in this entry was the agent of
this Commonwealth, who transacted the business
10 relation TO those contracts IT was known be-
fore the operations of the armory commenced
as we'll as afterwards, that iron, STEEL gun stocks
and other materials necessary for making arms
could be purchased on cheaper terms in PhiladeI.
phia, than in our own state sums of money or
drafts for tat sundry times were therefore trans
mitied TO gen. Shee, for that purpose. 1 here iu