Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-01-14

the various courts, in connection with this de-
partment, but the Comptroller regrets to state
that the late clerk of the circuit court for Caro-
line county cannot be included in this number.
During the fiscal years 1856 and 1857, no
payments were made by him into the treasury.
His accounts properly certified, were from time
to time sent to the States attorney for that
county, with instructions to institute immediate
suit, and, in the language of the law, "to prose-
cute with diligence and effect" But these in
structions were not complied with, and the
promises of settlement repeatedly made the
States attorney on behalf of the clerk were not
verified, At length the comptroller deemed it
his duty, under the act of Assembly of 1854,
oh. 190 to bring the subject to the notice of the
grand jury of that county their action with re-
gard to the matter has not been authoritatively
learned.
1t is evident that the State would be benefit
ted by the passage of law authorizing the
comptroller in cases of this kind to place the &C
counts of defaulters in the bands of some other
member of the bar, otherwise the States attor-
neys may nullify the laws, in this particular,
with impunity.
REPEAL OF TIE STAMP DUTIES.
The law imposing stamp duties having an
" Ne
by assisting to relieve the State of her embar-
easements, and having become an inexcusable
burden upon the business enterprise of her citi-
sens, was at the legislative session of 1856 wise
~ and properly repealed. At the same time
the great landed interest of the State was con-
sidered and respected in the reduction of the di-
rect tax from Is to 10 cents in the 800. The
whole amount of revenue derived from the sale
of stamps from the passage of the law to the
date of its repeal March 10th, 1861 was $685.
TOT "a, of which the sum of $148,351 "a was
for stamps on lottery tickets.
1t will be necessary for the Legislature, at its
present session, to make an appropriation for
the redemption at the treasury of stamps re-
naming on hand at the time of the repeal of
the law. This was contemplated in the origi-
nal enactment, but was omitted in the repeal
ing act, and thus the Treasury Department was
left without the authority to afford the requisite
Z relief
REVENUE FROM REGISTERS OF WILLS.
The receipts into the treasury from the regis
tiers of wills in the year have been $68,877 SO,
which is an increase of S ,599 "a upon the year
preceding. .a,ss
Of the amount received, $s7,745 10 was for
tax on the commissions of executors and admin
istrators, and $31 ,075 "a was on account of the
tax on collateral 1nneTlCdnceS.
These officers almost without exertion, have
made their payments into the treasury with
commendable punctuality.
AUCTION DUTIES.
The receipts from auction duties amount, for
the fiscal year, to $16,232 "a.
The proceeds from these duties are placed to
the credit of the city of Baltimore under chap
t,r 266 of 1853, for the deepening of a channel
in the Chesapeake bay.
In accordance with the requirements Of the
act just mentioned, the mayor and city council
of Baltimore, on the oath ofDanuary, 1857, re-
ported to the comptroller a fair and distinct ac-
count of their disbursement in relation to the
deepening of the said channel, which report is
herewith presented to your honorable body.
The receipts from auctioneers' licenses during
the year were SIS, 900, being $500 less thap
fng-iafg6 REDUCTION which was made in the price
ofthese licenses by the Legislature at its session
of 1856.
lf MISCELLANEOUS.
The States claim against the federal govern
ne1nt Of the United States for money advanced
and for interest contracted by her in the prose
cution of the late war with England, has at
length been settled.
The sum received into the treasury on this
account was 1926, TO %, and upon which the
agents appointed to prosecute the claim on be-
half of the State received commission of ten
per cent.
By resolution SO of 1926, "the sum or sums
which may be received from the government Of
the United States for interest upon the money
advanced by the State of Maryland during the
late war for the use and benefit of the United
States, shall constitute fund for the establish
1nent and support Of common free schools
The amount thus devoted to the use of free
schools, as ascertained by the treasurer is $780,,
s2s 2e, the proper application Of which will be
a subject of legislative consideration