Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-01-13


Tue mouse OF Delegates Thursday with the Report
Tue executive Council, In relation to the detection
OF the late T'ressurers defalcation.
-, Richmond, Jan,,ary 5, 1929.
10 The GOVERNOR or VieGtNIA
olr: In consequence of resolution nhon,ed bv .bo
House of delegates on the I'd instant, ca,lnr uuon
Tue Executive for certain information in relation to
the detection of the late Treasurer i'm tho etlro,;o,
that was discovered in March last il becomes necs
sary and proper that | should submit .hc followinu
statement, which respectfully ask NAV be comuni,
o"teo 10 the House. was member the com,nit-
Tee whose duty it became to make known the defal-
cation aforesaid; and most willingly disclose ever,
circumstance and fact connected with this transaction
when came within my knowledge, end which NAV be
calculated In any degree s,ew show the ,iisooyer
vas inaae III what manner, and at what time it was
made " 800
Two members of the Executive Council are ~,
pointed 1t Is known to the I,cvisst,,ro aar +br
months TO examine the Auditors and 'rreas,rar,.
accounts. This duty dcvolves upon each CounciIor
once a year Mr.. Pendleton and myself were usscci-
eu III .he PEI ofmance OF 1t and the quarter endinr
On the 81 OF December is that portion of the venr
whose fiscal transactions it has bcIonned 10 no 10
examine.
IL Ia proper that should here state besoreI nro
ceed further IN the detail Of the facts which willow
that had not the slightest suspicion Of nnv p,jsc,
duct on the part of the Treasurer until think abou.
week before his tragical end, and the discovery Of
me detacatlon. As of integrity he STOOD as
':'h ~ my cStimatlon, as any citizen Of se.c common
'e'u'i; vas on terms OF great intimacy with him.
mention these facts to shew. how difficult il was
under such circumstances, TO admit my mind any
tiih5 hke suspicion as to his integrity. knew no.
thing OF his private transactions or great e,harross
ments, until some weeks before his death The LAM
requiring the committee "to repair the Ifcas,Ir,,
Once at the end of the quarter for the PURPOSE Of
examining the settlement made by the Auditor and
treasurer; detecting errors in such settlement IL
'i!ere oe diy ascertaIllD5 the money deposit III
The Banks. and the money in the Treasury. vvhc,,
'pninnttee shall make report thereof to the Execu
rive and If 1t shall appear their ction nt The
treasurer has misappied the public money or trca-
Sre committed to h's IL is made the duty of the
ilSecutVe TO dispiace HIM and appoint successor"
In orderto comply strictly with his law az far os r.
can be complied with, (tor it is impossible to execute
1t literally, although in its spirit and object it NAV bel
hao given notice to the Treasurer, aud I believe
Mr. Pendleton had also, mouths before the uari-
Cd OF examination had arrived, that it would be neccs
safy Tor nim To admit lis mo the Treasury Office o.,
me hst 1tg Of the quarter after the Oics cs closed
aud The business gt the Treasury lad closed for ih9
dtty, for the purpose of counting the money in the
treasury otce;g or we raust be admitted. Ike nes.
moFnnls 6f'ors IN btaiesS commenced. For it will
he observed, that If the count is not .e ,,.ec;sei
sn5tair that tinse, BE- pI9e nj ALL Or ut ali
events, if Is made it will not exhibit N, accurate
statement OF the III the Treasury Office at the
cnd OF the quarter. During the business hours Of the
treasury, which III the Wutar IS from clock IN the
morning until In the evening" the tate Of tn, rc.e
uTy rs changing, that is, Increasing or Diminishing
every ho'r in the day. If had n..dc the count ~
CLOCK on the last day OF tie quarter, viz: the 3ls
}?ec large sans might have been pail out OF tho trea
sltrv received into it. before t:,e Office closed on that
cay. III II bad been mace the next day, it woui,
nave exhibited no true statement of what IT. til
rlee the preceding day Ut the end of the quarter
The Banks close at ; oclock-the time when the
Treasury Closes. and before the Treasury Oca closes,
it Is frequently necessary for the Treasurer to BIZ
65ent From it, having public business to settle will
me BANKS be Therefore informed us that it would
re more convenient ii we could come into tho o;ce
on the morning after to close of the quarter before
tue Daslness OF the treasury commenced. 70 thse!
suggestion we agreed o. it was n1nntGst that The
he pfcg todp 10, b,l
proceeding III that a5 IL we had icc:i admitted
into the Treasury Office the evening before for the
purpose o. making the count. We accordingly at
fenced on the morning OF the first of last Jaruary
ana counted every cent Of money which was produced
ny the Treasurer, having remained in MS Office the
evening before and took neInorandums of the same
w tnen addressed letter. 70 the Presidents of the
two Banks, in which request al them to inform It's
of tue amount OF Hoes III their respective Banks 10
the credit oi the commonwealth Ut the close OF the
quarter ending ontie 81 Dec 1897. On the next duy
we received answers from the Presidents of the two
banks. stating the amounts of the public monies Oh
deposit In their respective Banks, to the credit of the
commonwealth Adding the sums thus reported from |
the Banks to tiat which had counted i'm the Office
and comparing the whole with the Auditors books |
(Which was done rs it could b. dOne) L az
pSared that there about $500 more in the
treasury, than ought to he there. This overplu< |
WIS very ratIouauy accounted for, u0on the sup
position that checks had been isgi,ed by the .
Treasurer which had not been presented for paw
DGnt at the Banks Oi course, 1t appeared that the
l,uoiW itu1s mao not oeen isapped, and that every
thlng was done which ought TO have been done. Mr.
fendleton and myself wrote our rep ,rts in form to
'oe Executive alternately, ] had written out the
P:ecedlngTe and became hs turn to write out
,jie one whch was ma5e at the period when the de-
feicalon was discovered, lie has explained in the
ropcrt why 1T not made sooner Things rested
in TINS situation, as far my knowledge cxtenjs uu-
tn, think, about week before the dedication was
discovered. When Mr. Pendleton mentioned to rae
me circumstance oftw checks which mad been dra:yn
by the Treasurer on the Banks on the 31st day
of December, 1927, tie day winch our quarter clio.
fed which We had been appointed 10 examine, the one
upon the Farmers Nank- i'll favor of the Virgioia
bank amounting to 81 1870 the other upon the Eir-
gina 8ans amounting TO 80 $50 which CHECKS had
~ 4-'''sj 'n TIA; day. but lgI NOT been pad OIL
nat nag, and upon wn!: the Treasurer hld received
Inc htA-, -. -....L IL L..