Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-12-16


Literary Fund as to the Funt for Internal IN
2roVement and the James RIVER Cnmpany.-
ihey discover that all trese accounts have bee,
heP' In the most curate manner. and IN,
vouchers 10 sustain every item in the off, ia
report, have been submitted 10 their inspec tinr
and approved he whole operations of Ills
department have been most clearly and intel.
nightly laid open 10 The inspection Of your Com.
mittee. aud thev have perceived morning 10 re.
commend. either in The order of k-,ninp the
accounts, or the general arrangements Of the
9th e. The examination Of YOUR Committee
presents the Following results:--l. As to the
| Literary Fund--the amount, Of which actually
availabk, is 81, 2oo,ooo,s56 S3--the gross a.
mount as the I'd Auditor States, IS 458 OOo, 79e
s5-but this sum should BE- reduced bv 81 3d.
900, the grant 10 the University Fii,y-eight
| Thousand, four hundred and forty one dollars,
eighty-seven cents, due by the estate Of John
Preston, deceased, and which, in all probability,
Will never be recoversd--six hundred and forty
! niue dollars and for,y-6ve cents from Preston
Smith, in The same situation, and eight thous
| and dollars lost on the purchase and sale of u
5. Bank Stock. These diff rent sums amount
to S257,94o So, which deduc led from he gross
amount of Sl,45s ,ooo,796 IS, will leave the
real available funds as b. fore sared and which
consists In stocks and loans OF various kinds,
as exhibited in The report Of the I'd AUDITOR.
Cd. The Fund of Internal Improvement-
The amount of productive stock is s., 6o4, 400
-amount of unproductive stock, S465,I26 81.
some of this latter stock may, at a distant day,
yield an income; but, The fact that so large
sum should have been unprofi,ably laid Out, in
the period OF Is years, should in the opinion Of
your Committee, teach ,be General Assembly
caution in regard to further investments.
Sd. James River Company.-The sum actu-
ally expended on the James River, the Kcnawha
River and Turnpike, amounts to Sl,26o,ooo.
The annual nett revenue derived from all these
improvements, is S2s,673 5o-the interest up,
on the debt is S7l,673 5l-so that the annual
disbursements exceed the annual receipts, by
the difference between these sums, viz. S4l,.
954 44-which amour is cha ged every year
on the income OF The Fund for internal I'm
provement.
IL appears 10 your Committee, that muo h
loss has arisen to the Literary Fund, from The
negligent manner in which the School Cons
missoners Of differen, counties perform their
duties. While the Committee state with plea
sure, that these Commissioners, in many coun.
ties, furnish regular reports, and execute the
trust reposed in them satisfactorily, neverthe-
less, their conduct in other parts Of The Com
monwealth is far otherwise. In some counties,
10 which large quotas have been drawn, there
have been no reports tor several years; and the
sum OF money now in the hands of the School
Commissioners, unaccounted for, amounts TO
upwards Of S4o,O 900. The present laws i'm
pose fine upon each Commissioner for not
performing his duly and making Iepor: an
nually; but il IS the business of no person 10
enforce the penalty. Your Committee would
there fore recommend, that whenever reports
are not made in the manner prescribed by law,
to The President and Direc ,ors Of the Li,era-
~ Fund, it shall be the duty Of the Cd Auditor
forthwith, to write 10 the Attorneys Of the
Commonwealth for the counties whose Com
missioners may be delinquent, urging them TO
move on 10 DAYS notice, for the recovery OF
the 6nes they nave incurred. Your Commit,
tee would further suggest the necessity OF
law restraining the Commissioners from al
lowing their Clerks more compensation than
would amount 10 per cent. on the sum dis
bursed; for they pereeise that IN some coun>
Ties, the allowance TO Clerk, has .qualled 10
per cent. On the whole amount OF The quotas
received. Your Committee further suggest
the propriety of prohibiting the Commission
ers from receiving their respective portions Of
the quotas allowed their counties, and com>
pelIing them 10 disburse The whole sum through
their Treasurer, who gives bond and security,
and who alone is known TO the Commonwealth
as legally responsible.
Your Committee have examined all the evil
dences of stock owned BY. and debts due to
these several Funds, and find them carefully
preserved, and corresponding with the repor'
Of ,hr I'd Auditor made to the presen, Gene
raj Assembly.
Which on motion or Mr.. Miller of P"w'n
/ after reading, was referred to the Committee OF
Schools & Colleges, and ordered to be printed
COMMERCIAL
Prices of Produce in .flerdndrin yesterday
Wagon Prces.l