Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-02-27
From the Harrislurg Telegraph.
Attorney GcHerai---Encreas of
Salary and Duties.
! ours, &C.,
SPECTATOR.


Mr.. JoRDAs's bill relative to the office and
duties of the Attorney General passed see
ond reading in the Senate on Fri lay. This is
one Of the most important bills of the session.
II makes radical change In the whole mode Of
conducting business Ia the Auditor Generals
and State Treasarer's departments in regard to
the collection of the public revenue, and cuts
up by the roots the glaring abuses that
have prevailed in the collection of the public
funds from dcfaulters and their securities
In short il establishes system in the mode of
conducting the business Of thoSe departments
which cannot fail 10 prove most efficient for
the public good 1t makes tbs flee of At
torney Gen eral, which is now really sere
honorary Office an office of importance, and
imposes upon that officer the duty Of attend
ing to the collection of tue 2ahiic funds from
defsulting officers, ani in all ctsss where it is
in dlspate. The salary is raised from the sum
OF $500, now paid, to the or 5000.
One Of the crying evils under the present
loose system of doing business has been the
employment, by the Auditor General and
State Treasurer, OF Attorneys in different
parts of the State for the collection Of claims,
who have been paid enormous salaries for very
small services A system of favoritism has
thus prevailed. under which the State bled
proiusey. This is all to be remedied under
this bill. In the course Of very able speech
explanatory of the bill, and the evils il was
intended to remedy, Mr. JoRD-s stated that
the State Treasurer had assured him that, ''ir
all the bills pr cscnted during the ,st year, for
professional services alleged TO have been rem
dered the Commonwealth, had been paid, the
amount would not have fallen short Of ftrenty
thousand dollars. And this is no extraordinary
amount, but rather an ordinary annual occur
renee. The manner in which the Treasury Of
our good old Commonwealth has heretofore
been robbed according to law, can pethars be
best illustrated by giving few instances Of
recent date -
cit is no doubt pretty we'll known to the Ss-
nIte, that not long since the county Of Allie
gheny and city OF Pittsburg issued large
aInount Of bonds to aid in the construction OF
certain railroads. On these bonds the Law re-
quired a specified tax to be paid 10 the Com
munwealth. A question WAS raised whether
this tax should be raised by the county of Al
iegheny and the city Of P.ttslurg, by the rail-
road companies, or by the holders Of the bonds.
Now ii will be observed that the State had no
interest wbatev-T in this question, because il
made difference to her who paid the tax
But an action at law was got up about it, in
which the Commonwealth was used as CATS
paw, ly allowing her name to be placed on tie
record II party TO the suit; aud the result is
bill is presented of one fhoWIaHd dollar, for
professional services rendered the CoMmon-
wealth!
Take another case: A question was raised
with certain bank concerning the amount il
owed the State on dividends The Common
wealth claimed about three thousiLd dollars,
and the bank denied that il owed anything
Instead of putting the matter into the hands
Of the Attorney General, as would have been
done under the provisions of this bull had it
been the law, three olhar Attorneys We're EN-
Plnyed to bring suit against the 3snS. Pho
suit was accordingly brought, and the three
thousand dollars recovered; wherenpon the
Attorneys m Ike out their bills against the
Stite for tieo ttoasaaf 9otiIrs piece, thus
chirsing our poor Old Comm INV sllth ta. nice
little sum of sic fhousGni i5t.Grs for the c0liec-
ton Of three ihoasIai 20
Mr. JORDAN deserves the thanks Of the tax
payers Of the Commonwealth Tor his noble ef-
forts in the correction OF such glaring abuses.
He RANKS amongst the ablest men Of the boly
of which he is memser, and is untiring in
ferreting ont the abuses practised by our pub
lie officers, and Ievi.ing rem edss for their cor
rectiop. In the instance in question, he rs
succeeded 10 a charm. His term expires with
the present session, hut it is TO be hoped the
people will not be long deprived of his vaIul-
Bile public services. in the same or some other
public capacity lie would make sterling
Chief Executive of the Commonwealth.
The following is a synopeis Of the several
provisions OF the bill
The first section provides that this Attorney
General shall have his Office At Harrisburg;
that ne shall keep proper dockets duly iadexei,
showing the nature and condition OF the bust
LESS of his departments that he shlll annually
make rCport of the sUne 10 the Legislature,
and that at the ex xpiration of his term he shall
deliver over such dockets aud ali the books
and papers pert lining to the business 10 his
successor.
The second section requires the Auditor &C.
neral and and State Treasurer to place all
cltims due the Commonwealth, aud napsid for
Iei ullS OF upwards alter the tlfnS aliOT.l Tor
appeal, in the hands of the Attorney General
for collection, aud makes it his duty to pro.
eeed forthwith to collect the money by suit or
otherwise, as he may deem most conducive to
the interests Of the State, and to pay over all
moneys to the State rcasurer within ten days
of the receiptof the same.
The third section extends the jurisdictian of
the Courts II Common Pleas of Dauphin
county over the whole State in all civil actions
against public deiaultsrs, and provides for a
speedy triI in all cases.
The fourth section prescribes that the At
torney General, before entering upon the du-
ties Of his Office, shall take The usual offici.,
oath, and that re shall, also, give bond to the
Commonwealth, with rot less tlan two mfi-
cient sureties, in the sum OF thirty thousand
dollars, conditioned for the faithful discharge
OF his duties. r
The ffth section gives to the Attorney Cen
of the Auditor Generals office, the State
Treasurer's Office, and tie Office Of the Canal
Commissioners, and makes ii his duty 10 see
that the accounts of all dcfaulters are prompt
~ settled, AS required by law, and only coll
lcctcd.
Tho sixth section fixes his sslary at three
Thousand dollars per ananm, IN fun for all Of
fetal services rendered the State.
The scvsnth section requires of the Attorney
General = quarterly settlement Of Ills aecnunts,
aad payment Of moneys received. and makes
compliance by removal from Office, aud APP