Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-15

practice il that the pdgiaratS of fees, accruDg |
within one year, necessarily TALL into the fiscal
OF The succeeding year. The pre-
vicus rep1Tt OF this committee, pursuing the |
example OF Siiniiar committees during former
sessions OF the Legislature, confined itself To
the fiscal accounts of the year terminating the
30Ih September last. aud correctly stated 80
much OF the said accounts as referred TO the
department, whose conditions il was their duly
To enquire INTO. lour committee have, in like
manner, reviewed every other matter embrace
ed bN their former report, and after having the
testimony OF several witnesses, and a careful
eNannatisn, tOr themselves, OF the state at the
oihce, they are of opinion that the report
heretofore made is entirety correct aud they
now beg leave to submit II TO the House as a
part of their present report, without altera-
ton or amendment.
M. Chamberlayne moved The following
as a substitute tor the report:
The committee appointed by the House OF
Delegates to examine into and report up0n the
state of thu Land Office for the last year; have
according to order, performed that duty. And
report
That the hooks and papers in the office are
III Il COED state OF arrangement, and in perfect
preservation.
beeu promptly attended to, and faithfully dis
charged. Bnt as il is proved that the Register
is frequently absent during the recess OF the
Assembly, tor a week or fortnight al time,
ab>enee is not the result of sickness or inability
to attend but trsm his attending to his interest
as commission merchant in Richmond, il Is
manifest 10 your committee that the situation
OF the Office is TO he attributed to the attention
OF clerks IN the Office, aud not TO that of the
Register
Ii appears to your committee, that the sum
OF 5 1888 ID reported by the former commit
tee fees received for services done in the
Registers Offire and paid into the treasury
u to thp last iaN of the last fiscal is
correct, in a much az il is mast manifest that
that sum was received for services rendered
aud work done IN the office during the fiscal
year 1878, and which, although il ought to
have been paid on the first da, of April. aud
last day of September. ia that year, was nor
paid until the first day of October, 1918, aud
the 10Th September 1919.
Your committee further report. that it does
not know what the fees received by the Regis
ter for work done in his office during the fiscal
year ending the 18th September last, are IN
as much as the Register, so far from paving the
same into the treasury twice daring SAID year
as by law he is required to do, hath not as vet
rendered an account thereof, from which il is
most manifest to your committee, aud II beg s
leave TO state il to the house. that the Register
is a detaultcr Tor all tue fees received for work
done in hls office for and during he IiScal wear
ending the 29th September last, viz 1919.
Your committee further report, that from
the testimony of the late Auditor, it appears
that while he was in office, il was the invaria-
DIe custom TOT Ine Register 10 return OIL oath "A
list OF fees received into the Office for the six
months preceding And six months thereafter
10 pay the amount iuto the treasury and if he
did not, according to his construction of the
law that then, and MOI TIL then he vas bouud
to move against the Register on the bond given
by him for the faithful performance of his dn-
ty. That latterly the Register was in the habit
OF taking more than the usual Indulgence for
instance, the fees received la the last half of
the fiscal year, ending the 10Th September
la Ia 90,
1919, twelve months after they were due bN the
Register and SIX months after, he, the Auditor
could have moved against him aud were then
pad III consequence of a threatened motion 1t
further app cared from the Auditor statement
thai for the fees received in the office during
the first halt ot the fiscal year 1919 due by he
Register on the LIST April, 1919, and subject To
be motIoned tor, after the 20th September
1917, he, the Auditor, would have motioned
for, but suppOsing that no longer notice was
required To be given him than other pu bic de-
fauters. viz; ten days, he did fad, when look
ing 10 the law with the intention of giving no
tee tor motion TO tn first day of last General
Court, held on the l5th November, 1919, that
;hIrty days notice were necessary and that he
had let the time slip. Aud that therefor, and
therefor only, lie was not noticed
Your committee further report, that the sum
which accrued 10 the treasury from the eNis-
tence of the Land Office for tue fiscal year
ending the 2Dth September last il ouiy S2537 81.
Instead of the sum OF 5 $40 6i as heretofore
reported; and that that sum of ) $40 81 is
made by adding TO the sum OF 5 2537 30 which
actually accrued during the last fiscal wear. the
sum ct 1913 Ii, which accrued from the eX-
IStence OF the Office Tor The fiscal wear 1915 and
mol paid into tie treasury iIil 1919.
his substitute was rejected.
A motion was made by Mr. Smith of
OF Wight, that the said report be amended
as follows:
Your committee, in reviewing the other
SUBJECTS embraced III their former report
after "A careful inspection of the stale of the
once, aud an examination ofSeVeIal witnesses
are OF opinion iha; their former report so far
a, II respects the state and condition of the
ONCE, rs entirely correct. and thew there
tore beg leave 10 submit il TO the House with
eutaieratOn or amendment. Your commit
tee conceive 1t to he their duty to STATE, that IN
the course of their inquiries, abuses. which
III their opinion ought not 10 be .Hilered 10 pass
without anlmadversiOD, have been discovered
10 exist. II appears that IL has been a pTac-
tee with the present register and his prede
ceSsOrS IN oihce, either To issue warrants and
grants signed or indOrsed by one of the clerks
III the Office IN their name, or TO leave blank ,
"iIich were blied mp in their absence. At
what precise period tins practice commenced
your committee are hot Informed but M ii,s.
tee to The present register they think proper @
state, that It seems 10 them TO have existed inn.
before became INTO Office. II appears also to
YOUR committee that tie money arising from
ices on business done in the office la not
Deen pa dinto the treasury with the regularity
a"d IN the manner required by law These
Tees ought by law, i'll The opinion OF your
committee to be paid at The eBd OF the siA
months in which they accrued. As however.
no coerciye remedy, for d failure in thi,
respect is provided against tile register, umtls
another period Of six months has elapsed. II
hds been theprdctc< not TO pay these fees into
me treasury uaiC the payment Of them could
he enforced by law. Aud even after the nudi
To OF public accounts might have resOIted
to summary remedy against the register.
considerable and ~ the opinion of your COM
inIttee unreasonable indulgence has hitherto
been allowed The fees for business done ~
the Office between the ISt day OF Aprii 1915,