Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-04-03
FE9ED.sY., .q4D8sFE 3, 1879.


sufficient cover the difference between the expected
and actual receipts
OF the Auditor that nearly $li0 900 of the
of 33 had been paid into the Treasury the LIST day
OF October, 1888, than paid of the of 1894
on the LIST day of October 1884 and this want of prompt
uude appearing item which the Auditor had repre-
scented To be almost certain, IL occurred TO mat
ter OF some Importance, to ascertain the of
ror so great in calculation confidently made This
cause had heard assigned 10y several OF the Shcris
with whom had convcrsed. They had all concurred
IN representing, that they had never before found
much difficulty III collecting the taxes and of them,
upon whose statements Knew perfect reliance might
be Piace had assured me, that he had been compelled
10 borrow money upon his credit TO pay the taxes
he had been unable to collect These
corresponding with others which | had received from
different quarters, and with my personal knowledge
OF the condition of the country induced ascrbe
the well established fact of short payment Of the
nue. to the causes stated by in my Annual Message
to the General Assembly.
Before prepared that Insssage drew rough sketch
OF so much of IL relates to the receipts aud dsbuse
nens OF the Treasury during the fiscal year ending with
the 10th OF September last This sketch read TO the
Auditor, vino examined attentvely and after such
examination, expressed his entire appreciation If it.
Then and not until then, did ! venture TO incorporate
rough sketch which had been read and approved by the
Auditor himself
offer to the committee which you preside refer
cnce to this subject
| am, very respectfully
Your most ohcdient servant,
LITTN. w. TAZEWEL4L.
Thursday Ecening, January 18Th, 1885.
REPORT
Of The Minority Of tie Select Committee appointed to c,s-
qnre into the apparent dernce Getoeea the Message of
the Governor and The Report Of Tho .ldit0r Of Public
1fcomnfS at nc commencement 81 me present Session,
a. ret'tion to the pay'aent Of tic PuLiic Rerenuc
The undersigned minority of the committee TO whom
was referred resolution of the House of Delegates d
recng an enquiry into he apparent difference between
the Message of the Governor and report the Auditor
OF Public Accounts at the Of the present
To Tho il,a
nue. and To report the of said difference, have
had the under consideration and respectfully sub
mt the following
The fourth section of the fourth article of the amend
cd Constitution in designating the duties and powers of
the Governor, requires that - lac shall communicate to
the Legislature every session. the condition Of tin.
Commonwealth" And, acting under this provision he
IN his message TO the House of Delegates the FIRST
day OF December 1884, communicated II fact, that
the distress Of the country caused by the derange-
mcn of its circulation consequent the measures of the
Federal Government, necessarily accustomed the pay
ent oil le taxes to be made less promptly, and col
lection of them difficult than has usually happened
Hence much less amount of the of the pre-
sent year has been received The Treasury during the
last fiscal year than of the last year which received
during the year preceding. Thus ii has happencd
that although the sources of supply actually multi
Piled and augmented beyond what expected they
have not produced as yet I'm amount equal TO what
anticipated This effect, however ALARMING n its first
appearance, is OF little consequence at present, whce
the cause OF ~ ascertnncd The funds in the Trea
sury, although diminished have been found ample TO
satisfy promptly every charge to which they sub
jeotand The unpaid balance viii swell fh. re-
cepls of the current fiscal year. Although this is the
case now, however, calculation be relied on can be
made as to the future should the casting Of Mngs
continue The dminution like the accumulation of ca
pal, acts with force by proportonedt the
mere difference The reduction in the amount of re-
venue paid into the Treasury annually hereafter, must
greatly exceed the ability of Taxpayers satisfy every
demand upon them. If the same cause which ha.
accustomed their diminished ability continues so act in
the same way, and this cause the goverprncn
o no trol ftS cl.e
neither be foreseen nor countervailed by it."
These statements coming from the Chief Ecasutivc
Magistrate of Virginia, and circulated throIplou
ry portion of the Commonwealth, could not fail TO at
tract high degree OF public attention and to excite
surPrze and establishment If mistake had been
MADE and the iacts We're stated, other sensation
could have been experienced, but that of extreme epre
particularly when it asserted that the dcranpe
ment of the circulation of the country and the DIM
niShcd condition Of the revenue, is attributable TO M
measures of the Federal Government This surpris,
and astonislinent was greatly increased, when the Au
ditor OF Public Accounts who is by law required to 'd
gest, prepare and lay before the General Assembly a
The commencement OF every session, detailed repor
on the subject OF finance, communicated the sam
dug that the Governor Message was received the fac,
hat the Feecue OF Tie ycdr had Teen putt ,rM the uSt
! at gUrctuoiity"
These adverse statements coming from two of TN
highest Executive Officers OF the Government made to
at the same time, and bearing the date so wei cal
cuated TO agate and mslead the public mind at the DC
culOr crisis at which the communications were made
seemed 10 require some further information, which m1l
lead to perfect understanding of this extraordna
~ dscrepancyand the House of Delegates on the 1911
OF December by resolution called upon the Treasurer
report to that body statement, showing The amount
revenue paid into the Treasury up the ls day of De
cember, in the years 1890 1881 1852 1893 and 1884 Ii
compliance with that resolution, that officer made the fol
! lowing communication:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. Dec 9Th, 1894
| TO the SPe06or Of NE House If Dciogatcs.
SR:-ln compliance with a resolution of the Iouse o
Delegates of the 10th instant, "drectng the Treasure
oil TINS Commonwealth to lcport to that body a state
men showing the amount of revenue paid into the trea
snry ON (np to) the first day of December in the wear
le3o, 1881 1882, 1888, and 1884," make the follow
ing statement
lo6O-Received in May, SiG2s &c