Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-12


The law does not allow the employ
ment of clerks by the heads of Depart
ments at the expense Of the State, and
therefore, accordingto Secretary Fletcher,
it was right that the Governor should
assign a portion of his staff to actual
service in some of these departments.
For instance, Gen. H. H. Thomas has
served as private secretary TO the Gov
ernor, and Col Ed Maynard was as
signed to clerk desk in the Office of
the Secretary of State, and when he left
that position, was succeeded by Col Ad.
NJ Hehebower, but it does not appear
that any members of the Governors staff
were assigned to duty in the Comp
trollers and Treasurer's Offices. They
had to employ clerks, and at their own
expense too But the Secretary of State
was not favored by the Governor alone
with a clerk free of charge BY the act
Of June TO- 1865, the Comptroller was
directed to issue his GYarrant to A. u
Fletcher, Secretary of State, for ninety
dollars for clerk hire By the act of
May 26, 1866, the Comptroller was
directed to tissue his warrant to A. J.
Fletcher, Secretary of State, for two hun
dred and fifty dollars for clerk hire, to be
employed in getting the acts of the Gen
eral Assembly ready for the public
printer By the act of March 8, 1867,
the Comptroller was directed to tissue
his warrant to Clay Newland for seventy
FIVE dollars, for work done in copying
two hundred and fifty pages Of the acts
Of 1865 and 1896, and preparing the same
for printing
BY section 1917 Of the Code, it is made
the duty Of the Secretary of SGate ito
make out and deliver to the printer, for
publication, attested copies" of the orig
inal acts and resolutions of the General
Assembly" "as soon after receiving them
as conveniently may be, and collate the
printed copies with the originals" Not
withstanding this very plain designation
of the duty of the Secretary of State,
we find that the Legislature appropriated
three hundred and twenty-five dollars to
pay for this service required at the hands
Of thot funofinparv IL - rorv- ,zroIo Ilo
that he had other duties to perform at
that time which paid him handsomely, as
it is well known to those familiar with our
laws, that the fees allowed the Secretary
of State have, at least in the case of the
present incumbent, yielded very hand
some income.
Adding to the appropriations for clerk
hire legitimately attaching to the office
of the Secretary of State, the salaries
paid to the members of the Governors
staff who were acting in the capacity of
clerks to the Secretary of State, we find
that the State has had 10 pay over $4,000
for clerk hire for that officer, for which
the Secretary of State himself admits
there was no provision made by law
Now, bear in mind that, while the Secre-
tary of State has been thus favored, the
Comptroller and Treasurer have had to
pay their own clerk hire 1t would be
indeed if, under such circum-
stances, the Office has not yielded to the
present incumbent an income far beyond
that enjoyed by any of his predecessors.
BY virtue Of his office the Secretary of
State is made Internal Improvement Com
for which he receives a salary
Of five hundred dollars, and among the
duties attaching to this branch of his
Office, is to make quarterly settlements
with the railroad companies in which the
State owns stock BY the act of May &c,
1866, the Comptroller was directed to
tissue his warrant to A. J. Fletcher for
one hundred dollars for services rendered
as Commissioner to settle with the Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad Company"
It thus appears that this man performs
no labor for the State or individuals that
is not made to pay handsomely If there
ire acts to be prepared for the public
printer, clerk is employed to do the
work and the Legislature is wheedled into
making an appropriation to pay for it
{ settlement is to be made with a rail-
'oad company, the Internal Improvement
Commissioner does it. and the Legisla-
ure makes an appropriation to pay him
or the service outside Of his salary If
Jerk is needed in the Office of the Secre>
airy of State, the Governor details one of
MS staff to perform the duty and the
State ioOts the bill and all this that the
secretary of State may put money in his
,urse. The taxpayers will learn from
has statement why it is that their taxes
ave been so enorm ously increased, and
yhy it is that this man Fletcher is so
eady to defend the acts Of his puppet