Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-11-28
REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE
AND INVESTIGATE THE ACCOUNTS
AND EXPENDITURES OF THE
GOVERNOR.

TO tie House Of Representatives no,c in session
Your Committee "apponted to examine and
investigate the accounts and expenditures made
by the Governor, Adjutant and Inspector Cen
eral and Quarter Master General, ia rdising.
sudsisttng unDorming eqHppiRg, transport
ing. and paying the Volunteer Militia" have
performed the duty of examination and inves-
tigation that was assigned them, and find that
the accounts of the Adjutant and Inspector
General have been allowed and paid by the
Governor, and filed with his own. The expen-
ditures made in this branch of the service
amounted to 81 ,2i9 81, and consisted chiefly
of office and Geographic expenses, travelling
and hotel bills, clerk hire, and the expenses of
the Ulcers of the uniformed mill ia of the State,
vino, on the reception of the first requiSition of
the President for troops, were assembled by or
der of the Governor at Burlington for the pur-
poses of consultation.
The Quarermaser Generals Report having
been printed and laid before the House, the
Committee do not EN- it necessary to refer to
ii any further than to say that they examined
those of the bills particuarizcd therein which
are among the vouchers of the Governor, The
ing nearly the whole) and found them, with n
few unimportant exceptions, correctly extended,
added and receiptcd. That part of his account
which is contained in statement "B" of his re-
port, from and after the date of September %,
1861, has not been submitted to the inspection
of the Committee, nor have they received from
him any explanations in regard to the balance
that has been reported from year to year as re-
naming in his hands.
The Committee examined with great care
and minuteness the books and accounts of the
Governor, looking over every bill of every de-
scrption, and, in nearly all cases, in all its de-
n n fni its pbar nd
to form an opinion as far as they could of its
necessity, as well as to see that it was correctly
extended added, and receipted. In few cases
they found slight clerical errors, in bills certi-
fed by various military officers, which had, at
the time of their payment, escaped notice, or
were not deemed of sufficient importance under
the circumstances to be corrected.
The Committee did not make minute ex-
animation of the Regmenal pay rolls, that had
been certified by the Auditor of this State, the
drawing his warrants for their payment being
simply an executive duty of the Governor, in
volying no other responsibility on his part.
As far as the Committee could Judge, they
are Of the opinion that the expenditures made
by the Governor were judicious, and made with
a proper regard to economy and that the ac-
counts, as submitted to the Governor for pay.
ment, were carefully scrutinized with view to
seeing that no undue advantage was taken of
the State Treasury.
Your Committee intended to have presented
comparative statement of the expenses of each
regiment, but time has failed them for this, and
they can only say that in their opinion there
was gradual diminution of expenses, and that
the 9th Regiment, though in all the particulars
of its equipment equal, il not superior to its
predec 'ssors, was raised, equipped and dispatch
ed, under the sole direction Of the Governor, at
an expense to the State of thousands of dollars
less than any other that was fully equipped by
the State.
1t appears by statement, obtained from the
Treasurer of the State. that the En- Governor
drew warrants on him to the amount of $685.
79j 9S, including few warrants drawn by Gov
ernor Holbrook, at Governor Fairbanks re-
quest, all of which warrants have been paid by
the Treasurer.
The Committee find on footing up the ledger
kept by Gov. fairbanks Secretary and max
ing trial balance that this sum corresponds
exactly with the Governors books, and the
Committee having previously checked off on the
book all the vouchers, they are able to certify
that the Ex-Governor has exhibited receipts for
the whole of this amount, except 1882 10, which
is in cash, and which the Committee counted and
found TO be now on hand.
The condition of the books and vouchers and
their classification having been correctly de-
scribed by another Committee, that has already
reported TO the House, this Committee deemed
It unnecessary TO 60 over the same ground with
similar details but would express their entire
concurrence in the commentator therein ex-
pressed of the neat and systematic manner in
which the vouchers and hooks have been kept
by the late Secretary of Civil and Military AZ
fairs, and of the vast amount of labor perform
ed by him.
As, however, a large additional number of
accounts have been settled since that report
was made, they deem it proper to give new
recapitula,ion, as follows:-
Incidental Expenses, SS,7O6 II
Recruiting Stations, 9,355 SO
Commissarat of Subsistence 1877 "a