Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-11

IN me last report OF me Committee, no
provision was made iorsuch military ex-
penses oi the late war, as were then unli-
quiuatei, IN consequence of Il belief which
has been proved 10 be erSoneous, that all
accounts of that description had been fl
naly settled. Itappears. that accounts
10 the amount OF S67,255 6i cents were
audited in the past year, and s l27,90i Oh
cents paid on, of the Treasury, and char
ged on the Military Contingent Fund,
without any appropriation for that head
OF expenditure. As the warrants already
issued on simliar account, NAV not he
presented TO the Treasury within the
year, and there probably remain outstan-
ding demands upon Tie government of
the same description, The Committee have
deemed II proper 10 restore this head Of
public expenditure, and recommend a
provision for it by law.
OF the several descriptions of debt due
by the Commonwealth, OH account Of the
late war, S ,362,9O6 o5 cents principal,
together with S l24 ,53l 26 cents interest,
including an interest of five thousand dol
lars on the old certificate debt, have been
pald IN the past year. Within the same pc
Rod, the sum OFFS 2,72S 10 cents of the
principal of the last mentioned debt has
also been discharged
TT N'biS vi tIiss NOUll1OnWtdliil re-
naming unpaid consist of the old six per
cent certificates Il remnantof the expcn-
| ces o! the revolutionary war; and of the
seven and eight per cent loans of the late
| war
For the cxtnguishment of the principal
| sum OF the first, no other provision has
been hitherto made, Than that, arising
| from tieallowance Of a tender of the GER
uhcates, which are the only evidence of
ITS existence, in discharge of The arrears
| OF taxes due prior 10 the wear seventeen
hundred and ninety. The Committee
have proposed TO apply the sam of ten
thousand dollars annually, to the pay
rnent OF the interest and the gradual re-
demption of the principal OF this debit
lis total amount, of which there is no
public record, did not, probably, exceed
the sum of elg!ity-tlrree thousand dollars
on the first day of October last and,
should the certificates OF if, which are
now twenty per cent. below, rise, to par,
| the final eXting uishment of the debt may
be effected IN less than twelve years, by
the Inconsiderable addition which the
Committee propose TO make TO the sum
hitherto provided for the payment of tie
! interest alone.
The Committee have presumed TO re-
commend the immediate extinguishment
of The small debt of thirteen thousand
dollars, contracted in the close of the late
war, upon an interest of eight per cent.
| per annum
These operations Of tile treasury will
| leave 10 be provided for, by the sinking
fund of 100000, the debt due on the
seven per cent stock issued TO the Banks.
which amounted on the first of October
last to 702.500 dollars. by the steady an
phcation of this fund, TO The object to
which IT has been already consecrated by
law, tins debt will be discharged by the
seth OF September, 1896.
Of the expenses provided for in the
preceding estimates, those growing out
| OF the late war, are III their nature .ransi-
tory; and will be reimbursed the Com
monwealth, il is presumed. by the Gov
eminent OF the United States. Tie debt
due ON the eight per cent. stock will also
be excluded from the list of the annual
! expenditures of the Commonwealth. fer
the ensuing year. Without the reduction
oil any other head OF expenditure, the
charges upon the ordinary revenue will
therefore, be reduced after that period by
| the sum OF twenty-four thousand. one
! hundred dollars; and after the fiscal
| year, which will terminate in 1926. when
1t is probable that all the debts of the
! commonwealth willhave been discharged
TINS reduction of the public expenditure
Will becarried 10000 dollars farther.
There are, however, two heads of ex-
penditure, TO which the Committee feel it
incumbent upon them to call the attention
OF the House OF Delegates.
The internal charges ofthe Pcnitentia-
| ry, for the past year, including the sala-
RES oil ITS officers, appear, from the Au-
ditorS report, 10 have exceeded the sum
OF tity-two thousand dollars The Com
mttee have ascertained that a part of
fins sum should have been charged under
another head expenditure: but making
| the proper reduction therefor, the dis,
| bIrsements chargeabIe OH the institution
itself, exclusive of the expenco Of reDlov-
ing criminals thither, exceed for the last
year torty-six thousand dollars, while tbe
actual rec eipts, from the agents entrusted
with the disposal OF the produce of IFS
! labour, have amounted, for the same
| period, 10 no more than Sl4,357 cents.
| 1T IS impossible, but that a proper direc
ton OF this institution, would suffice TO
make the sale of ITS manufactured com
modlties, pay for the Sude materials out
OF which they are fabricated. and the sub
sistence of the labor employed on them.
| A workshop, under the most ripid discip-
| line, charged with neither rent nor wares
| except the salaries Gifts superiniendants
! ought, at least, to maintain itself. The
Committee indulge the hope, therefore
| that thP exuerIpucC If futt,ro ,,oo-o Iii