Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-05-07
,,... $ll2y397,47
The expenses for l64l were S23y6O2. "a
is40 26,020 10
1859 20,409W
97O.O3l.56

|
exhibiting an average for 3 years Of S25
Ihese tables show general average for seven
years of S26, 55494. 1t thus appears that all the
Court expenses for the year 1916 were rs
less IMAM the general average for the seven years
next preceding. These tables also exhibit the am,
accountable fact OF an increase of court expenses
only fraction short of 33 per cent from 1899
10 1872 we say unaccountable, for it is not DOS.
sble to account for the fact from sudden rush of
business to that extent, to solve the problem by
Inc elements OF accountng-or the checks furnish
ed by the law anterior to 1912 We cannot dis
cover, whether the increment of Court orders for
the years 1923 were not the result of fraud or
that portion of those orders were not false and for
ged Tor all the checks, which the Treasurer had.
were abstracts OF orders furnished by Clerks. and
these were too imperfect to be relied upon Nor if
the abstracts had accounted for each order, could
IL De known Tor certainty, that the abstract and
orders too, had been drawn, by some other than
clerk and that fraud was in no way the occasion of
his extra ordinary fact 1t is not too much TO saw
that the public safety depended more upon the in
tegrity OF the Clerks, than upon any and all the
checks OF the law. When question shall arise
" W certain amount OF money disburs ed at
the Treasury has gone to pay for services honest
! ~ ana forly rendered, our system of accounting
ought TO be such, as 10 admit of the solution of The
question, without peradventure. That this could
not be done before the act of 1842, will aope,r
| from the following:
| Ireasurnr's mn.
dlted account, 1t was believed, that the public in
terest required an investigation of the cause of the
extraordinary Increase Of Court expenses and an
investigation was instituted by direction of the
Legislature. The examination extended to the
vouchers, audited at the Treasury for six wears be-
ginning with 1897 and ending with 1912 The re-
suit showed, that among the vouchers examined
there were drawn, during those wears. Court or
ders. to the amount of Sl20,35s34, giving year
ly average OF S20,059,72. The amount audited in
those years was Sl43,499 93-giving a yearly ay
erage of S33,9l6,65. This will give a yearly OK
cess OF orders paid, over orders drawn, of S3,856,
20, and an amount of excess of orders paid, in the
term OF SIX years, over orders drawn in that time
OF S23,l4l,5S
The report TO the Legislature on the subject of
mat lnvesligatlon stated that "the abstracts were
100 imperfect to be relied upon. In MANY cases
mere were found several orders drawn to The same
numbers, and at the same term of the Court. In
o'er cases, the amount only OF several orders was
returned IN the abstract. In other cases, and ibev
were OF frequent occurrence, the orders bore date
anterior to the date of any abstract to be found in
the of1ce OF the Treasurer or Secretary 1t is not
known, that an occasion has ever been presented
Tor an examination of the abstracts of Court orders
deposited in the Office of the Secretary of State |;
and It cannot very highly commend a system which
Tor nan century has been relied upon as a guard
about the funds Of the Treasury, when upon the
hrst call Tor their USE they have been found to be
utterly inadequate 10 the purpose for which they
were designed" Before the investigation could
proceed, several of the Clerks were called upon to
supply abstracts, which could not be found nor
about the Capital. In very many cases no abstract
or other check could be found for the orders and
all the evidence TO be found, that the order was
good voucher, was the signature of the Clerk
The old system OF Court orders, and the method of
accounting for them, was faithfully tested and
found to be wanting. And this is the system which
the delinquent Clerks have attempted to revive, or
rather nave revived TO answer as an apology for a
guard about the funds of the Treasury. "Sed cui
bono For what purpose is this revival of the
old law! Not for the better security Of The funds
OF the treasury, most surely for the complaint
has never been isped, as is known, that the funds
OF the people were not amply guarded by the act
OF 1912. The only complaint was of its strngen-
cy, that 1t gave no quarter to peculations but held
every one to an honest accounting. Under that
act such question would never ARISE for cash was
paid on the presentation OF every account and all
accounts were required TO be settled during the
year, in which the Indebtedness to the State COM
menced The expense, use, and embarrassments
OF abstracts were all dispensed with The old sys-
ten put an indefinite amount Of Court orders in
circulation, and by practice, States Attorneys and
other oficcrs-Slate debtors, not being compelled
TO settle yearly, although the law might have re-
quired this of them, would retain those orders in
their hands to meet their liabilities to the Treasu-
ny. In this way those orders would be outstand-
| ing for years. 1t is manifest that under such
system, the condition of the Treasury can never
be known. Money must be kept on hand to meet
an uncertain amount of Court orders, whenever
presented. 1t Is not, perhaps, generally known,
that these orders though bearing no interest often
lie in the hands OF State debtors, for long periods,
before being presented at the Treasury.
In 1913, the year in which cash payments were
substituted tor Court orders, ls,509,7S was taken
at the Treasury. Ia 1874 the amount paid was
I$l0576l, and in ls45 S5s0,0s, being mostly Or
ders drawn before March Ie43. II hence appears,
that those orders do not find their way forthwith 10