Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-09-23
Investigation of State Affairs.
REPORT
IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 18th. 1856.

REPORT
IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER l2th, 1856.
The Joint Committee CT the Senate, and
Assembly, appointed to examine the
books III the offices of the State Treas
urer, tic Secretary of State, and School
and University Land Commissioners,
and to carry such examination back 10
the commencement, Of our State Gov
ernment, respectfully
REPORT:
That they have made q full, thorough
and careful examination Of the books and
papers of the several offices above mon
uoaed, relating to all transactions prior to
January lst, 1854, and have taken such
testimony as they could obtaira r.Iative to
the subj ct matter of the investigation.
From the time of the appointment of
the Committee In February, to the Gloss.
of the SESSION of the Legislature, the last
of March, bul little progress was made in
The investigation, on account of the incou-
vCnlence arising from the fact tha,
the books of the School Land Office were
required to be kept most of the time in
the office during the hurry of business;
and, also, from the fact that no conveu-
lent room could be obtained for the ac-
commodation of the Committee, until the
adlournmen, of the Legislature. As soon,
however, as the session closed, the Com
mittee employed as many clerks as could
be employed 10 advantage on the work,
with The view to prosecute the inyestiga-
ton with as much dispatch as would be-
consistent with the proper discharge of
the responsible dury imposed upon them
by the Legislature. The amount of me-
chanical labor required to be performed
to enable Your COMMITTEE TO examine full
Is all the books of the several depart
nents, has been very great. twas found
necessary TO transcribe all the sales books
III the School Land Office, in order that
we should have our own books 4, work
from; and it was also found necessary to
recaSt the interest on all sales of lands
for each year from the time of the pur-
chase TO January, 1856, In order to as
certain, with some degree of certaintv.
the amount of money paid into the ,reasit-
ry, arising from the sale of School and
inlsers.,y Lands.
Owing the loose and careless manner
in which the books in the offices of Treas
urer and School Land Commissioners
have heretofore been kept, the prosecu-
uon of this investigation has been greatly
retarded, the labors of the Committee
much more onerous, and the time neces-
sarly expended much more extended than
it would have been, had the books been
kept In correct and systematic manner.
In the School Land Office, in particular,
the books are disfgurcd and defaced with
erasures OF names and figures and other
names aud figures substituted, with inter-
poIations, remarks and alterations which
III many instances rendered ii impossible
to ascertain either the original entries,
dates or the amount of principal and in
teres, originally paid.
The entries IN the Journal Of the Treas
urcr were made withou: any regularity of
date; entries being made for instance, as
late as July or August and then going
back 10 January of the same year. This
confusion of dates increased to great
extent the amount Of labor necessary to
Be performed. The vouchers of the Treas
urer were found in great confusion
There was no arrangement either of name
or date, hut they were thrown into one
confused mass. These, extending through
a period Of eight years, had to be arrang-
cd and compared with the corresponding
entries on the Journal of the treasurer.
Many of the vouchers are missing, and
many of those laid before the committee
rs vouchers were rejected because they
afford no evidence of the payment of mon
ey to any person. A list OF missing and
rejected vouchers is hereto annexed
marked "B."
The rule adopted by the comnittce in
relation TO these vouchers in connection
with the settlement of the Treasur cr's &C.
count was, TO allow the Treasurer credit
for az appropriations which have been
made by the Legislature, even though
there should be no voucher. or only de-
fective one for the payment. Il may hn
proper here to call the attention of the
legislature TO practice which has pre-.
vailed TO some extent, arising out of the
present defective system of auditing ac.
counts against the State. The practice
alluded to is that OF the auditing officers
the Secretary of State or his assistant,
after auditing and allowing accounts,-
drawing and receipting the amour, of the
same. for the persons to whom il purports
to belong. This practice is liable TO gross
abuse and should be corrected at once
It appears that money has been drawn
from the Treasury IN several instances
without authority of law.
The Legislature of 1855 refused 10
make any appropriation for the paymcn,
of clerks IN the school land Office. I.seems
bv the testimony of nIessrs. Jansen and
Seaver, that after the adjournment Of the