Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-03-24
STATEFUNDS.

Excellency:-
4 brief examination of the report shows
that an explanatory supplement thereto may
not be altogether needless in the future The
Governor states, in his message accompanying
the report, that the "Civil Contingent Fund"
sis merely designated as a portion of the
Treasury that may be used, to meet expendi-
lures in the administration of the State Gov
eminent, the amount of which cannot be fore
seen or spscJtcalyprovided. for by the. Legis-
lature" Hence we take it that this Fund
cannot 6s-appled to any purpose for which
the Legislature has made specific and album
dant provision
\ comparison of the Governors report
with the Auditors report proves that the
theory of the first named official is not borne
out by the facts. The Auditor shows that the
Legislature of 1861, appropriated 81 900, to
pay ''cost Of serving notices, summoning wit
nesses, &c, under the Registration Act Of
1866" and that of this fund he paid out
s237.33, leaving S76267, to be applied to the
objects thus specifically provided for" The
| Governor reports that be expended $1,000
| in Jefferson county for the above named pur-
pose, and states several other items Of outlay
which although vague, yet seem to have been
/ incurred in the same way. BY his own show
/ ing the Fund in question is not to be used
for objects amply and specifically provided
| for" and yet if his report be correct he has
applied money from the Fund to an object
for which the Legislature had made full and
| specific appropriation. So far as We can
| gather from his obscure wording of some Of
! the items, he has used altogether for the OBJ
ject above named about S237.00. It is some
what singular az well as suggestive, that the
Auditor claims that he expended ON the same
account, the same sum ofS23E0O. Whether
the Governor is claiming credit for what the
| Auditor has expended, we shall not undertake
to decide
The Auditors report furthermore shows
that the Legislature Of 1867 appropriated
| $4,000 to pay counsel to defend the suit of
Virginia rs. West Virginia, in regard to ju-
risdction over the counties Of Berkeley and
Jefferson. The same report shows that this
officer paid.out 81 600 for this purpose, leav-
| ing IS, 800 Of that appropriation unexpended.
How the Governor could consoieutiously pay
out 81 900 to Reverdy johnson for the same
purpose when he claims that his Fund"
could only be used for objects not "specif-
cally provided for" we cannot exactly
understand. We can only explain it on the
idea before suggested, that possibly the Cow
ornor has inadvertently placed to his own
credit an item of 81 900 which the Auditor
had expended and limsol& charged against
the State. Certain it is, that according to
His Exccllcncy's own theory Of the " Fund"
he would never have used Intentionally any
portion Of it to pay counsel in the Berkeley
and Jefferson case, seeing that the pay Of such
counsel had clearly been otherwise and ''spc-
officially provided for"
The report of the Auditor shows that he
paid out $780, as the costs incurred in de-
Tending election suits, from an appropriation
Of 81 600 made by the Legislature Of 1867
for that purpose. 1t is a remarkable coinci~
dence that the Governor should have felt con-
strained to pay out $4,000 for similar if not
the same purpose, and to the same men.
Seeing that the cash had already been provi>
dcd by the Legislature to help Radical cleo
tion officers out Of their tribulation, the gen
crosby of the Governor is quite. astonishing,
especially as he applied that amount to
purpose to which by his own declarations it
was not applicable. We presume that both
he and the Auditor Wished to show their
zeal in behalf Of "the laws" and hence the
little confusion incident to the payment of
the same sum for single object by both
officials. 1t is presumable, however, that iG
both got credit for this money, the individu-
al who claimed to have paid it, and didn't
would Immediately and promptly return the
amount to the "Consciencc Fund" which, as
happy complement of the "Civil Contin-
gent Fund" would evidently not be an in
appropriate institution.