Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-04

eiy>iy- three doHis, which addict To TOE Ianca on
ham, ,ou tho 3Oh Seltcrier, Big of TWENTY-FIVE thou
sand, FIVE hundred and eighty four dollars seventy
Seven cent? makes an aggregate of hundrcd and
three thousand FIVE huAdrcd aud IN enty duars SIN
| ~ Gems the disbursements tor the same period
amount 10 eighit mine thousand, four hundred anil
sess,iy zone dollsA, nnci, three cents, leaving a
balance on 'he sob Sepi-nher,. 1898. of fourteen
,h"usand, forty eight Goiius, sixi, seven cems.-
(Ss- statement C.)
From the fast day of hisrrh Last, co ihe S0ih SEN
ienber 1929 each day Inclusive, the receipts az the
treasury, on account ofihe james Risei Con,pspv.
amount TO hundred aud ,is h,y- seven thousand
two hundred aud Ion five dollars eighty four cen,s
and the disbursements to bun,, I'D and forty
| 'hon-nptl, seven buudrod ani seventy eght dollars,
twenI five cents, leaving balance on 3O,h S.p'cni-
Der. 1928, Of fo,y-eight ih"nsnad iow hundred aud
iy-seven dollars, Fifty nne cents See statement }
The Payments Ia redemption at the liblic debt, with
the last fiscal wear, inouni 10 ninety thousand,
eight Hundred aud twenS nine dollars twenty seven
cents, and account Of leresi ipriy-tive thous-
AMI, six hundred aud ,h"iysix dollars, ninety
cents. See statement X. and F.)
Should ~ he the pleasure nj the Legislature, to put
| the Peuem'inry into complete OF repair and
security, II is very probable thai the funds of the go
vernneni, will not bc sufficient for hai pu,pose win
out reduction in sou,o of the appropriations,
increase Of The taxes. The latter messute, is pre-
| su'nrd would he rs d,sagreeabc 10 the Legislature,
as u would be inconvrnent to the people. !, there
fore, take the liberty Of suggesting r-,uct,on in the
appropriation 10 the Sinking Fund, sufficient
the above object. For several yeas past, there has
| been AN annual appropriation OF Que hundred thou
sand and the last year oio hundred and hify thou
sand dollars To The payment of interest and gradual
extnguisbmen of the principal of the public tebi
much the larger portion Of which is held Ivy The
Ideni and directors al the Literary Fund, and yield
ing generally greater interest than could be Oh.
tanned by an investment la any other stock, the presi
dent aud directors will have complain that
| It's ex'ipguishmeni is deferred.
Very respectfully, your obetient servant,
JERMAN BAKER, Treasurer
The SpeGker Of the House IF Delegates.
The Speaker laid before the House the fol-
lowing communication from the Governor:
Council Chamber, LIST December, 1928.
SIR have the hoBor to lay before the General
Assembly, letter from The ndjutant general, togeih-
er with the annual return OF the militia for the year
1873, accompanied with an account Of the public
| arms, accoutrements, &c.
have the honor lie, with great respect, your
| bedient servant,
JAMES PLEASANTS, Jr.
The Hon. the Speaker Of The House Of Delegates
The communication, with the documents
ordered TO be printed.
| The annual communication from the Audi
| tor was read as follows:
.4udiior's Office, December 1, 1928.
SIR In obedience to @ an act reduce into
The several acts concerning The auditor and
er, have the honor TO transmit TO the Legislature
the annual report of public receipts and expenditures
Tor the fiscal year which terminated the S0h Septen,-
her last The balance in the treasury on the Isl 90
tober was SO OF 10 Of winch, the Of Sl3 ,065
III stands 10 the edit of the Washington Monu
being ths amount of subscriptions Contributed ny
di'ouais to that object leaving the sum of l9 95f
Tho unexpended revenue of the Commonwealth ai
tiini period, now merged into the general fund. The
LueSsIy Fund, and fund for internal improvement n;
are necessarily excluded from the statements annex
ed, having heen tonided, by OF the last
SION, TO the second auditor
also transmit estimates of the probable receipts
and expenses tor the curTen fiscal year, which ex-
hibu very small anticipated balance in the ,ressut,
on The Isl Oci 1924 These estimates founded upon
the suppos,tion, thai there will he material change
III the income ar expenditure of the government Any
extraordinary expense which the public necessities
may require, must of course he delrayed by
taxation, 10y reduction of the sinking fund, or some
other specific appropriation Considerable augmen
taiion oil the revenue might he produced, paymen,
OF me large "rIearases which have accrued, and
sl accommodating upon delinquent lands, en-
forced by law. Although The sale of such lands for
non-laymen ol taxes, must AT all times he attended
with Inconvenience, and IN instances with in
justice, yet the longer il rs deferred the greater will
those evils he fell aud believed, that such pro-
visions might he adopted as would in a great degree
SECURE the full hencfi 0i thcir exemption both the
| Commonwealth, and 10 midi, 'duaI proprieors.
In pursuance of the law, which makes ii my duty
TO poni out deecls ia the revenue sysIem invite lhs
attention OF the Legislature to the following, which
seem TO me To merit consideration. | au satisfied
that many ncouNenieuces, Use fron, the frequen
changes IN the Office Of commissioner of the
lhe important luncoDsfo he performed 10y that Off
cef are perhaps not iuily appreciated Experience
and skill, undoubtedly requisite in that every
other puIsuu, can hardly be expected where the
prineipIe oi annual rotation is so equently acted
| ny accountability Is useful ana iHLSpe
sable, hut 1t is feared that changes have been some.
tines made without due regard 10 the necessary quail
hcauons. The consequence IS, that many of The land
books OF the Commonwealth have been involved ~
| confusion aud perplex ny, aud sometimes rendered
almost iilegble. WhisI this Inconvenience exisi.
authority ongni 10 De lodged IN this office, TO correc
Pa'pabie mistakes appearing IN the books. The wan
VI s"ch power operates with serious hardship uPor
uon resident and other proprIeufs OF land returned
delinquent. BY the existing law, alone iav,
me power OF correcting errors, and that only within
Twelve months from the time they committed
Years may elapse before the discovery is made nnc
the Owner iIeU fluids that entry has en-
tailed lien upon his properly, which the Legislature
| only can release.
There Qua misconstruc,ion or tire revenue Ia ~
sanctioned, us have been Informed, some in.
stances, by The courts, which calls for Immediate re.
NEEDY. The law is perhaps not sufficiently clear in
subJecng unimproved lots ~ town taxation, though
IL cta scarcely be doubted that The Legislature IN
tended 10 place town and country properly, Of The
same description, upos like footing. Some amend
ment ~ the phIaseoogy Of the of The last session,
concerning the tax on licenses, is also necessary
that &c, leaving ii doubtful whether the sergeans OF
corporations from whom no bond is required, have
not authority 10 collect parI OF the revenue.
lhe last Legislature substituted an ad vaorem, in
iier VI specbc tax on carriages. II tie value could
he fairly assessed, The former mode would undoube1.
" he The most equitable but, have 10
believe that the commissioners have confUed 100
much IN that respect 10 the judgment of lha owners
themselves From upwards Of s IA 600, the tax from
that source has been reduced to III 800, would,
therefore, recommend that, upon all fosr-wheeIed
pleasure carriages at least the specific tax shond he
vived
The revenue Of The current year has been paid with
the usual puncuality.
am, SIR, with high respect, Your obedent servant
JAS. j. HEATH, Auofiior Of Pub nc.
! The hon. Speaker qf The House IF Delegates
| Ordered TO be printed.
Tuesday, Dec. 2.--.The Chair proceeded to
appoint The Standing Committees of the
| House, AS follows
| For Courts of Justice .-Messrs. Blackburn, Cor.
don, Watkins Of Pnnce Edward, Taylor, spoomer
! Morris Of Hanover, Christian, Clinton, Lee Tyler
| DtNts HAMMER Thun,neon nf f.,