Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1860-08-03

\ MEAae nEA EUllh VIII UE 0uHIeA 10 GAsLUmEEHs
CONDITION o P THE Cry OFFIcEs.-One OF
the most useful committees ever appointed By
a city council in Memphis, is the committee Of
which AID. Martin is chairman, appointed on
the I7th ult. to ascertain the condition o. the
various city Offices. That i has been mat
ter Of the utmost difficulty at any time 10 Oh
tain information with respect to the financial
Affairs Of the city, and that the periodical re-
ports called for BY the city charter and ordi-
nsBces have not been duly made, are facts
that ought long ag0t 10 have arrested the attsn-
ton Of former city councils, and led to inVes.
tigation. Instead Of instituting invsstigs-
tons, however, councils have directly and per-
sonslly interfered to prevent them, and have
refused information when called for by the
press and demanded BY the people. This re-
fusal las been accompanied by gross attacks
upon the motives and character Of those who
have been asking for light upon the subject.
AID. Milton, in 1889, applied for information;
such was the spirit in which the demand was
received, that be found it impossible to remain
in the board with comfort 70 himself, and he
resigned. 10 the organ OF these opponents to
giving information upon city matters to the
people, the writer Of the present article was,
IN February last, charged with m0nomania for
bis opposition TO darkness and mystery. We
must in justice, however, acknowledge that an
the aldermen were not Of this way Of think
ing; AID. Nelson boldly called the attention OF
council to TIE state Of things the investigating
COMMITTEES are bringing TO light, and some
members Of the board were IN entire ignorance
Of The actual state Of things. Two years ago
a very intelligent member OF the Fifth ward, in
a communication published in this paper,
assured the public that full reports and
statements respecting the financial condi-
ton Of the city were regularly made, and
that the records were always open At the
city Offices to tie inspection Of every citizen.
On Tuesday night the investigating commit
tee made their 6rst report, and il amply iusti-
fss all the AFPEAL has said upon the subject
1t does more it shows tshy the secrecy con-
planned OF existed; why the periodical reports
were withheld from month TO month and year
to year. The reasons were bad bookkeeping,
" an imperfect system OF management Of &C
counts, +" "a great want Of system through
out The whole . o. The departments Of the city
government. TIE investigating Committees
report makes the following statements: The
taX-books for the years 1857, 1858 and 1859
have not been added up-thers is no evidence
that the tax collectors book has been correctly
made out-the tsx-collector lie responsible for
collections to the amount Of s4Os, 023, Of which
sI70,s13 Is reported collected up to The lst Of
July 1S60-no separate accounts have been
kept Of the collections Of each year. The tax
collector being absent, further investigation
was suspended until bis return. No blame is
attached to him the faul, lies in a system
which was not OF bis making.
The COMMITTEES, "from an insight they have
obtained into al tho departments o. the city
government, are satisfied there is a great sazf
Of sysfsa Throughout The uhoL, as viii be more
especially shown as each separate department
is reported upon at The sam time there is an
frrssponsiBaify. "a uanf o. cheeks aud c~oaufsr-
essek, upon the various officers connected with
the revenue departments, thasplaess in their
power, under the system Of reports and exam
nations we now have. 70 e0mma frasds -
70 fraud is suspected, but il none have been
committed il has been because the officers
were men Of integrity, not that facilities have
been wanting.
These statements are Of the utmost imP5r-
lance; they show that the whole system on
which hey report is uns0snd. We believe the
COMMITTEES would have come nearer the fact
If they had reported that no system at all sx-
lists; thatthe city general fund, the police fund,
The Interest fund, the public school fund, the
lighting department fund, etc, are all min
gled, Instead Of each having its separate ae-
count. The navy yard fund, We believe, is
kept separate, in consequences OF an X
press requirement Of council to that effect.
We shall loOk to the future developments Of
the COMMITTEES with much interest. It's mem
bsrs, Messrsr. Martin, Robinson, Crews, Nor
gan and Vollintine, deserve great credit for
the spirited manner in which they are perform
ing the important duty committed to then.