The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-30

'.illustrious predecessor" until the close OF the
session of 1870 and 1871. OF his administra-
tion little can be said, for little is known, and
his report being the only intelligence gained
Of It's transactions, must be referred TO
for its history. With this condition of al
fairs, and the books of the land commission
! as blank as the knowledge of Its transactions.
I the committee, as an initial step in the inves-
tigation Of the same, addressed circulars to
the clerks OF the county courts and all persons
who were supposed TO have any Information
concerning the sale of land to the State, re-
questiDg answers to questions therein con.
tanned, a copy of which will be appended, and
large number of the replies will be found In
an appropriate place.
THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES.
In the examination of the books of the State
treasurer. or the vouchers to the charges
made against the land commission. but little
trace Of the operations, and a small proper
tion OF the amount expended by the commits
sion, could be found. There seemed to be a
studied silence on the whole subject, and had
the investigation ended with the treasurer's
or comptroller's office, no more information
would have been gained than was already
given, viz: that less than ninety thousand dol
lars had been expended by the land commits.
sion at the close of the fiscal year ending Oc-
tober 81, 1870 Suspicious were aroused that
a full record OF all its transactions had not
been made, and the subsequent examination
Of the books of the financial agent justified
these suspicious, for in them It was found
that, from the appointment of the first land
commissioner to the 3lst of October, 1870,
according 10 the financial agents charges,
there HAD been paid out by him 10 cash, for
the land commission, FIVE hundred and sixty
Two thousand siXty-three 40.l00 dollars,
(s562, ,063 4Oj which, added to the amount
on the State treasurer,s books. make max,
mission, up to that time, six hundred and fifty.
one thousand six hundred and twenty-one
65.lOO dollars, (s65l, ,G2l 65) instead of eighty
nine thousand FIVE hundred and flfty-eiyht 25-
100 dollars 1889, 55S 25) appears by the treas
urer's accounts md the reports Of the comp
troller-ceneral the fiscal years ending Octo.
Der 81, 1869 and iS7O,or sSt7 ,329 s5:as per Hon.
careful were all parties concerned, that the
financial agent has nowhere in his reports.
except that of September, 1869, made refer.
ence to drafts honored or cash paid on ac-
count OF the land commission, which had
already more than exhausted the amount
realized on the bonds Issued and sold ior
land commission purposes. And 1t Is found,
after the various reports Of the State officials
for the fiscal year OF 1870 had been submitted
to the General Assembly there was paid out by
the State treasurer, but not charged on his
books, twenty-three thousand and thirty one
92-1O0 dollars, $3.50 92l and by the financial
agent, sixty thousand seven hundred and forty
dollars, (s60, 740) making seven hundred aud
thirty-fye thousand three hundred and nine.
ty-three 57-lOO dollars, (s735,393 57) which,
added to the only item appearing in the f1nan-
cial agents reports September, 1859, relative
to the commission, viz, eleven thousand three
hundred and thirty 50l00 dollars ISL $3.50 SOY
swe!ls the aggregate expended for and on ac-
count of the said land commission. as far rs
L.. bt,r raI md rft. "
and seven hundred and twenty-four 7-l00 dol
lars (S746,724 OIL