The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-14
Legisatfve Proceedings,

upon, contract but without contract, only
six per cent. The proposition, after various
amendments were proposed, and a lengthy
debate, was finally laid before the table. A
proposition was made to raise a committee
to inquire into the expediency of amending
the practice of courts so as to provide for
making up issues of law in vacation.
The reolution of inquiry in reference to
altering the practice of courts SO as to
bring suits in vacation, was passed and re-
ferrred to committee to consist of Sena-
tors Weir, Heffren, Wallace, Gooding, and
Anthony. One sheet of red stamps, and
one of blue was allowed to members to
distribute necessary documents. A bill was
| offered proposing certain amendments to
the divorce law, which was passed to
second reading The consideration of the
| Governors message was postponed until
| Thursday next, two P NJ A bill regulat-
| ing the choosing of United States Senators,
and providing for the designation of said
officers by the people, was read and passed
to reading No. 2.
A bill to provide for the taxation of real
and personal estate every five years was
passed to second reading. Bills allowing
ten per cent. interest on contracts; to pro-
vide for the safe keeping and disbursement
/ of the public revenues of counties and
State !; to prohibit the use of unauthorized
paper currency, were severally read and
| passed to second reading.
| A bill to amend act concerning the alien
alton Of real estate was read three times
and passed, yeas Al, nays O. This bill pro-
vides that any alien may acquire and hold
real estate, and may convey, mortgage aud
devise the same, and if he die intestate, the
1 same shall descend to his heirs in like man
ner as if such alien was a native citizen Z
Bills providing for the formation Of town
ships; regulating and restricting the sale of
intoxicating liquors to organize a Board
of Commissioners of the Sinking Fund ;
declaring the taking of unlawful interest a
misdemeanor and prescribing punishments !;
reg ulating the sale of swamp lands; mode
| of doing township business change in
criminal practice; licensing pedlars, were
severally read and passed to second read
ing. The committee appointed to inquire
into the expediency of employing an official
Reporter, reported on accounted the nom
concurrence of the House Committee that
it was inexpedient.
H. In the House a resolution was passed to
]. furnish each member with three copies OF
the Daily Sentinel and Journal and also
with the weekly German papers and the
Indiana american. A resolution was
adopted authorizing the Committee OF
2 Ways and Means to employ three clerks to
make a most thorough examination ofothe
books and accounts of the Offices of the State
4 Auditor and Treasurer Mr.. Smith, in intro
'ducing the resolution, said
| am obliged to say we find it impossible
to make a satisfactory examination of the
books in the various State offices at Indian
apolis without this aid | ought, perhaps
to say that the root of all this evil is in the
reports made in the office of the State Au-
ditor So far as have been able to com
pare the reports of the Auditors of the
State of Indiana with the reports of Other
. State Auditors, ours has been certainly fan
the most imperfect. ] doubt whether there
can be found any report emanating from
any public officer of the country SO imper.
feet aud unsatisfactory as that of the Indi-
ana State Auditor which is presented to Us
f here from year to year. The desire of the
, committee is to remedy this evil and to be.
gin as far back as necessary to find out
where these errors were first introduced II
is impossible for the committee, or for any
ordinary clerk, to do this. r-HH
+ 10 show the difficulties under which we
have labored, I.have here statement drawn
! from the reports of the Auditorof State of the
condition of the State Debt Sinking Fund
} This fund was created in l852-intendeC
for the reduction of the State debt, by pur-
chasing and returning the bonds of the
State, of which he alleged there had beer
no full report; the present Auditor having
informed him that neither himself or hi:
predecessors had noticed the directions OF
the statute. Butin looking at the report he
found discrepancies; there was difference
between the balance due the fund of Novem-
f Der |, 1858, by one statement, and the
amount of the balance shown by the Audi
tors report, of So, 4S0 4S. This difference i.
caused by the Auditor not including the
balance which find in the report of 1854
: have not yet been able to find in the book!
/. of the office any credit or entry of these So.
+ $50 AZ reported in 1854, or the amount or
hand at the beginning of that financial year
The amount of interest cannot be ascertain
ed precisely from the data within our reach
but as near as the Committee can estimate, il
is SAB, 246 IS. The interest upon the bond;
9 purchased by this fund is not reported
except 1884 65 reported and added in
1854, and $2,S48 % on book January
1885, and $6,6O2 80 on book January Is
e 1857, supposed to be interest added in will
e the principal-in all $lO,294 65. Thu
> amount reported by Auditor Dunn is $685.
81 50, and the sum of these, from tn,
e $43,246 IS leaves $4,l33 81 wholly IN
, accounted for. These large amounts being
: thus vaguely accounted for in this particular
fund, 4 would seem that there is necessity
: for full examination, and that these erro
8 neous entries should be corrected 1t viii
be certainly necessary to go back as far a.
1852, and require all the clerical force call
e ed for in the resolution-to examine no
J, only the Auditors office but all the office.
: ofthe Benevolent Institutions, 50 that W,
= may be able to act Understandings in thu
$ premises .a-
c A large number of bills were introduced
# among them, a bill to provide for the re-or
: ganization of the Circuit Courts, for tn,
: election of the Judges thereof, defining thei
$ powers duties and jurisdiction, fixing thei
q salaries, and the number of the terms O
said court, providing for adjourned term
thereof for transferring to said courts tn,
: probate business OF the Courts of Common
Pleas and repeating conflicting laws. a
a.