Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-19
76,W4 ~

The four subjects just referred to have
fallen short of the estmates,- $744,772 W"
Upon these four subjects of the estimates alone,
there is error of $744772 81, snd the gentleman
under estimated the receipts from the property tax
and other sources, by come $66, 600. The aggregate
of his errors, in his last official estimates, exceed
SSO0000! In bis estimates of receipts from the Ii.
cense tax for those two years. he missed by 60O0
when the gross yield for the two years was about
$45U,OOO. Now the gross yield is doubled, and we
charge error Of some $50 0O0 upon the gentleman.
Mr. JOHNSTON here interrupted Hr. BARBOUR,
and spoke at some length in explanation and defence of
his estimates submitted to the Legislature at the ses
sion Of 1884.
Mr. BARBOUR resumed the floor, but, before pro-
ohedng,, gave way to Mr.; Chaplain, upon whose
motion the House adjourned.
Mr.. BARBOUR resumed the hoor, and said. when
the House adjourned yesterday evening had
nearly finished my inquiry into the relative claims
of the majority and minority Of the Finance Com
mttee TO the trust and confidence of the House.
had been invited, nay compelled BY the remarks Of
the gentleman from Harrison to scrutinise his pre-
tensions TO credence on the subject Of financial esti.
mates. | showed, from official documents, that in
every estimate submitted by him since the financial
system Of the new constitution went into operation
land have not looked beyond that periodl he has
committed blunders that have to be counted by the
half million and the million. | have made this ex
posure with no disposition to impeach his conduct
ss auditor. am ready to do him the justice to say
of his office with efficiency and deoorum that he
made sufficiently accurate settlements with the
shers and other public accountants in short that he
discharged in satisfactory manner all the routine
duties of Auditor OF Public Accounts. SIMPLY mean
TO show that whenever he departed from the routine OF
his plain duties, and endeavored to exercise those
higher faculties which enable men to infer The facts
of the future from those which psst or present.
whenever he undertook TO submit estimates, even for
as short period as eight months, he was utterly in
ltho nd n1f / 10 n.
ing, that according to the estimates of the Finance
Committee Of last session, upon which the gentle
man was placed next to the Chsirman,) all the def
cts would be- paid of, and the treasury made even
by the first of October, 1852 without the aid OF the
new assessment of real estate authorised after these
estimates were submitted. That new assessment adds
about $400 U0O per annum to the revenue as gross
addition to the estimates of the Committee, up to DC
tober, 1859, of about S80OOOO. II the estimates o
the Committee were right there ought to be surpui
10 the treasury of about $500 600 on October LIST
| 1859. The gentleman from Harrison undertakes tf
show that there will be deficit Of quarter OF q
million. II be is right now, be was wrong in 1880 ane
committed another blunder OF more than $l OOUOOu
But will not pursue the gentleman any further
come now to ask what titles to your confidence hai
the second gentleman Mr.. SEDDos,) who has follow
ed bis imprudent leader in provoking this unortu
nate scrutiny into their fnancial pretensiops IDS
gentleman has repeatedly called the attention OF tne
House to the fact, that am representing the OraoRe
sud Alexandra Rail Road interest That me mos
important interest Of my constituents in feIe.suee ,
to which any action here s proposed; and my uu.y
to represent it to the best Of my ability 90 no. 70
Of NV eonst,usnt,. But let me return an enquiry:
What local prejudice does this gentleman from Stat
ford INT. sroDos represent I am seeking to sd
vance the material interest. Of my constituents. h
sm.,l noriion Of his constituents. That membeDre
orsssnts county. within whose limits is the little city
| of Falmouth, / believe, which once enjoyed some o.
the drppings of the trade that 10 carried ove'
the Orange aud Alexandra Rail Road to the city o
cam that gave it once sufficient support, its repre-
sentative stands here wrtbing with envy at tn.
rich current which fuws by it, The city Of Fal
mouth, which is about az large the depot house o
the Orange and Alexandria Rail Road twhen IN.
Orange and Alexandra Rail Road collects it's freight
cnrs together 1t counts about a. many tenemenfs a.
th.re are in the gsntemans little city sisnds here II
the person Of ts representative, to Wrssk is revsns'