The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-03-23

thoroughly informed. as to how it is man
aged in the clerks Office, and We would
recommend in addition to enforcing the
| laws relating thereto, referred to in anoth-
er part Of this report, that your honor
able board instruct aud authorize the
clerk to publish list Of al redemptions
made IN this Office up to the first day of
each month; the first publication of such
list to be made up to the first OF April
next, commencing when the list hereto
annexed leaves of. and thereafter said
| publications. to contain the number Of
each certificate. the year of sale. town
and range or name Of city or village, and
amount Of redemption paid on each lot
or parcel of hand redeemed not publish
ed IN any prior list. 1t is believed that
something Of this kind Is due to hoiders
Of certificates living at distance from
the CITY OF NTanitowoc, and would serve
as notice to the Treasurer holding such
certificate, to present the same and secure
to the County the 25 per cent fund ac-
cruing thereon, and would be a check
| upon the clerk, inasmuch as any one, hold
| ING a redemption certificate, could ascer-
tain from the published list if the same
| had been included Such lists TO be
published in the Manitowoc Tribune,
under contract to do the County print
ing and in one German newspapers.
to be designated by the board said last
mentioned paper to- receive the same
compensation already fixed in contract
with the Manitowoc Tribune. We also
desire to call your attention to certain
discoveries we have made. il regard to
tax deeds issued by the clerk upon afii-
davit Of non-occupancy or possession.
We find that deeds have been issued
upon a number OF affidavits filled out
and dated in 1869, apparently in the abb
sence Of the clerk, In another hand writ
ing, subscribed by affiant as II sworn TO
and the iurat not yet subscribed IN 1871.
It seems to us that if it is desirable to
leave any virtue whatever in tax titles,
this practice should be ef'ectualy stopped
Your committee find that the Clerk Of
I the Board gave bonds running to the
County Treasurer in the sum Of $1,000
for his first term, which bond was ap-
proved by Henry Betz, the then County
Treasurer. In 1864 the County Board Of
Supervisors fixed by resolution the penal
sum Of Clerk's bond at So, 900 90, since
which, no change has been made in the
amount. When your committee ascer-
tanned this fact, they called the attention
OF i. p. Fuessenich to it, and he imme-
diately made and fled bond with the
present County Treasurer, In the penal
sum Of $12, 900, 90, which has been APP
proved by said Treasurer. Your COM
nlittec haye seen Mr.. Betz and have be-
come satisfied that neither he nor the
Clerk had any knowledge Of the action OF
. the County Board in this behalf, and
that the bond was given and approved IN
good faith on the part Of both officers.
We would suggest the propriety In a mat
| hot II
fixing penalties in official bonds, of taking
, action as often as elections of such officers
occur.
Ia examining the books CT the late
I Treasurer we find that he has credited
himself $345.S5 paid to John Franz,
| Register CT Deeds, for recording marriage
} certificates; also births and deaths and
7 reporting the same to the Secretary OF
State. Further examination shows, that
t the REGISTER had charged the same for
7 births and deaths that he had for record
: ipg marriage certificates. One Of the
: committee being also member OF the
: LEGISLATURE, knew that at the present ses-
SION bill had been introduced-and de
feated-eiving to the Register the same
CONDENSATION for recording and certifying
births and deaths, that is allowed fol
} marriages, the fee now being 10 cts, each
= for the former, and % cts, each for the
f latter. though the lab0ris about ahe same.
) Though not strictly within the line Of our
duties, as prescribed by the resolution oil
J appointment, we called Mr.. Franz az
tention to ii,e law. together VII h the facts
"a above detailed. in relation 70 tho at
tempt to make the compensation the
same, and after convincing himself BY
7 thorough examination that we were
\ l, }fJ,r,
i ty Treasury, and has since exhibited TO
: this committee the Trcasurer's receipt for
SIGI,70, being the amount Of overchargc.
The promptness with which he has acted
in this matter, Notwithstanding his con
struction Of the law, was as he has been
' informed, identical with the views and
: practices of other Registers throughout
J the State, does the Register ofshia tonn
7 ty great credit, and lie is outiiled to and
: ought to receive the commentator OF
the public generally.
The committee would also call atten-
ton to order No. 466 for $4,000, mark
ed salary, also to order No. 1872, Nov.
18th 1870 for $500 marked salary,
which said orders cover nearly the whole
Z amount over drawn by the Clerk Of the
Board for salary. With regard to the
first of these, the Clerk claims, that it was
: issued for the purchase Of safe, the evil
dence of which will be found in another
part of this report. The other order for
$3.50, 05 was drawn as the Clerk claims by
: mistake and the Committe take pleasure
in stating, that Immediately upon the
Clerk S attention haying'been called to 1t,
he with most commendable promptness,
paid the cash to the Treasurer, q. Even,
For the order, which he has destroyed
and cancelled on record book and stub.
In further justice to the Clerk, IL Is prop
er to state, that at the time the order
No 1872 was drawn, he supposed that
there was a considerable balance Of his
salary still due or soon to become due,
whereas an assistant in the Office had I'LL
ed out orders, which as he states he had
not taken into account when order No.
1872 was drawn.
Your committee found it a very easy
matter to investigate the affairs of the
Clerk of the Circuit Court, owing in part
tc the fact, that when the present lncum-
bent, A. Piening took the office, the
} Board of Supervisors ordered an investl-
CATION, which was made, and which left
nothing for this committee to do;- prior
to 1870, the first year Of the present in
cumbents term. Your committee take
pleasure in testifying to the admirable,
systematic and orderly manner in which
the books, and files have been kept and
arranged in that office, for the last year.
We have found that this ofiiceris always
) in attendance at his office, ready and
willing to perform, promptly and eff
ciently all the duties connected there
with. and, though obliging and curteous
to all, exactIng every cent that is due to
, the county, and paying the same over to
the county Treasurer, to a cent. His
l.nr.i.- nrn ,,,ndelS of sim lnlicitv and or