Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-01-14
ixvssrisAs,xs connuss,o.sns.

be laid before you.
Their examinations have embraced the transac-
.iois Of rsveral years, ard their reports contain
much valuable information and stasislics not ese-
where found Indeed, very cu,sory Inspection Of
IN II epor,s, viii show how iuli and satisfactory
and at the same time with what ability and thor
GU ghness the investigation has been conducted i
making 1t unnecessary, pcrhaps, ever to go back Of
these reror,s for additional Information, In regard
II the manner in which the business In these offices
has been conducted. They present, IN my juds
meat, many important suggestions respecting the
| executive administration, me of which may re
quire legislation, and TO which ] ask yoar careful
| attention Among the more important topics pre-
eented by them for consideration, l mention the
| following:
| OFFICE or SECRETARY or srArE.
!. ,.i. once are deposited most Of the bonds ex-
| recording them. Many of them secure the stae
against ma feasance in ofice in very large amounts
! some OF them being for over 500 coo The com.
ini.sioner- suggest that it should be required by
law that the officer charged with The custody Of any
such bot ds should immediately on fiIiny = In ~
Office deliver IL the Register of the Sia,e Land
once. to be recorded in a volume 10 be kent for
| that purpose, and that such copy and certified
transcripts from IT, should b. made pr ma face ey
idence Of the contents of the original in courts Of
justice in this State The original and the copy be
| ing thus kept in separate departments, would d.
| mlnish the hazards OF loss BY fire or otherwise.
STATE LAND OFFICE
Ii offers by their report tn Office that sun
dry books are still wanting, to comply with the
terms of he act establishing that Office and fully
to accomplish the o. ject of its establishment also
that no records or papers reepect ng the territorial
grant OF lands on which Iowa City is situated, Were
found in the Office.
Il further appears that many errors exist in the
patents Of lalds les led by the Secretary Of State
prior To the organization of this office, which de-
mand correction and adjustment. Other important
facts and suggestions contained in the report on
his office, to which it would be well to give aten-
ton.
OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT.
This department WAS found in q very unsai'sfac-
tory coni ion mainly Rtlr butable 10 the confusion
occurring during the superi tendency of Nj Eads
i lie comm sSl0Ders were unable To state the
counts Of that office from any reliable data found
among its papers or books. From data found else
where, they ascertained the amount of the per
cert fund received from the United States, up 10
the isi OF July. ls5s 10 be-- ----- s5s2 600 0s
And amount Of premiums on drafts there
Tor, by Col. Benton, to be------------ 81 IS
Making a to,sl of--..s55 $3.50 647 06
OF which Is only accounted for 403 612 81
Leaving balance unaccounted for sl4s 974 20
This amount represents the eum loaned 10 indi
vidua-. Retained. or otherwise disposed OF by Mr..
Eads the condition and security of which was
ported upon by j. NJ Beck, Eco. under tbs dirsc-
ton of = former General Assembly, but which is
more fully traced out in the reporI of the commis
sioneTs, who ind against Eads actual deficit Of
some ST. ss091 sub j-ct, however, a deduction OF
Waites note, sl0iV, since paid, and whae. else
may BE- realized from the coatcrals held BY the
state.
The commissioners found no account In this or
any other flee showing the amount Of scnool fund
chargeable to the several counties of thus State
five per cent fund distributed 10 them or rs pro
ceeds of sale Of lands held by them and enablin !,
them to ascertain reliably the present amount of the
school fund of this Stat.
Taking the figures furnished by the last report OF
the Superintendent OF Pub ic Instruction, aud
recting the computation made by him, the total
amount appeared to be - OIL PAL SO But they do
| not consider this sum as reliably ascertained.
The present constitution tAct sec 81 requires
that all losses 10 the permanent school or Uhiverti
~ Fund of this State. which cha have been DC
ca-ioned by the defacstion mi-managencnt or
fraud Of the agents officers controlling and
aging the same, shall rs the proper authorities OF
1 the State The amount audited. shall be a r.
manent funded de u against the state IN favor OF
tn respecii fund aining the loss upon which
not less than per cent annual interest sLall be
paid.
| The commissioners of opinion that no data
exists at this time IN any of The State Offices for the
discharge of this constitutional duty and that only
the particular examination BY a local or genera!
ag ut in each county, together with special
ina ion in the State land tiicns of lands cold per
tanning to this fund and federation therefor,
| rs shown by certificates - 'urch are and payment,
aud on examination In the auditors Ollie, of vouch-
of five per cent fund distributed to the coun-
ties, will render II possible TO audit this constitu
tional claim
IL did not endorse and specially invite your
ton to some cog mt reasons which III also offer
for partial change in the manag # this fund
| While the people OF the whole state are liable for
losses to the fund it IL ony the people Of the
y who designate and elect the officers managing IL
in it's counties. They suggest that The couutls
prnci pals, should be responsible 10 the Stale for
the conduct of their own several agents that the
respons oity of loss may upon those only who
control IL. management This principle i. one OF
universal application in law, is just, and is we il
worthy of your considera n, likely to increase
the and vigilance of the people protecting
| this important fund from loss This fund IL dedt-
| Gated to the support OF common schools. The I'll.
cheney OF the system vii. depend much upon e
promptn with which tho annual interest upon
the u-i il paid. learn that interest 10 the amount
of 100000 is row due, that -hould have been paid
| year more. The annual payment of interest
due this month, il il expected will greatly add to
this IL il believed that If the counties were
| made corporatey responsible Tor The payment OF
the interest OF tneil uefau citizens
| eject would be to stimulate the loanees pay more
promptly their interest, inasmuch a. they would be
lee. willing that their neghb ors should pay for
| their lache. than the State ut large.
| Again, ii is suggested whether the annual pay
| ment, by the counties, of nine per cent iDtei eet
they loanig 1t at ten per cent, would not realize n
larger revenue to the fund and 10 much more reia-
bic for the support Of common &C. ools than he IT.
regular payments of iuterest at ten per cent, de
| pendent upon the promptitude OF indis idnals.
The LIABILITY for the principal or the interest Of
this fund, cannot be forced upon The oouttles But
il IL supposed that the state has the power with.
draw the funds from them, unless undei au,ht riiy
OF your legislation they would assume the liability
proposed for the conduct Of their officers an
agents, in the management IF the fund. For Other
important suggestions bearing Oh these questions,
| the report upon this office Also, 10 reso. ut on
passed by the Board of Education IA its late SEES
| sion expressing similar views
| TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
| The very fun repor, of the commissioners upon
the Treasurer's office, presents several important
| tables and a, cosnts The ate Treasurer ha- dur
4,
| ceived Tor general purposes 500, 5t0y2 Tabular
| atements nished showing the sources from
| which this amount was derived After reviewing
this entire account, tn find a balance aganst the
Stae Treasurer larger than that fixed by the Audi
tor by the sum Of 1915 ., and ascertaned by actual
count, on that day the of $50 GO, n. wanting
In the Treasury. of which :3l5 IS called tor
by the Auditors sett emsnt , d of the RENAL nder
partial PLANTATION il given In the report. that
date portion of the funds called for represent
ed by certificates Of deposit which were afterwards
| redeemed, and the money placed in the Treasury
they found In the Ifeasurer's Office, an account
which has been lost sight of for many years past,
relating to the sales Of lots Ia Iowa City, and the
rayme.t to the Tr, asury of a small ual salary
therefor, under the supposed authority of Terri
toria act. / call your attention to the facts there.
presented, and TO the proprety Of transfer Of the
books aid papers reat ng thereto, from the Office .
OF the Secretary and Treasurer Of State 10 that
the State Register, and the transfer Of the coaro
Of any bonds or lots there remaining un,od TO the
same office, with Instructions 10 report your next
regular se-sion the con tion Of said property how
much yet remains 10 b. sold whether there have
been any lots lands sold. the purchase money Of
which las not been paid, &c.
Since the date Of their report, the system Of book
| keeping in this office has been changed and many
of their suggestions adopted the incoming Treas-
| system Of accounts.
They urge, however, the Importance of more fire.
qucnt settlements with the Auditor, than those
required by law. l commend the various sugges.
tons touching this department of state admins.
| iration 70 your sound consideration
AUDITORS OFFICE
The report upon this Office shows some diGaren.
ces In amount Of warrants ssusd, from that indica
ted by the various Auditors reports since Noyem-
Der, 1852 After examining every warrant entry On
the register from that date up the first Of jam.
AIRY, 1850, they were posted TO certain schedules
shown in their report the total of which should
balance the total amount Of warrants reported by
the several Auditors as i.sued during that period
There 10, however, discrepancy, partial expana.
tions Of which are suggested BY the report
| The dimcuitcs in the way of their examination
and Of satisfactory results from it, have led them to
recommend radical change in the system of keep