Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-02-11
Cutting off PerUulSiteS.

A bill has passed the House of Rep
resentatives of Missouri, which requires
the State Treasurer to account for all
fees and perquisltes received by him.
The st. Louis Republican says that the
bill, if it becomes a law, will deprive
that officer of about $50, 900 hitherto
considered lawfully his. 1t requires
him to make monthly report Of the
fees received by him, for what and by
whom received; also all premiums and
interest on deposits of State moneys
received by him; and it provides that
the Auditor shall charge him with
these sums and exact the payment of
them into the Treasury. For years
past these fees and premiums have
been retained by the Treasurer as legi-
innate prequisites. There is no law
specifying depository for the State
moneys, and the Treasurer has been in
the habit Of selecting one at his discre
ton. The State moneys are worth
having on deposit, and banks readily
pay five to six per cent. interest on
them. This yields an amount va
riously estimated at SIS, 900 to $780,
900 per annum, and, added to
the salary and other fees of the Office,
makes the position altogether desira.
ble., A similar bill regarding the Sec
rotary of State, whose fees and per-
quisites are estimated at several thou
sand dollars over his stated salary, was
also passed. These two bills, if strictly
enforced, would save to the Treasury
probably not less than $780, year
and the Democrat thinks that if gen.
eral law could be passed and enforced
against all state and county officials,
requiring them to pay their fees, pre-
miums and other perquisites into the
State or County Treasury, another say
ing five tunes larger would be effected
Disappearing Vestiges of Antiquity.
A correspondent of the Levant Her
aid, writing from Messina, laments the
removal and destruction of those class
lie remains which some weDty-fve
years ago still adorned the site Of the
ancient town of Pompeyopolis. Visit
ing the site of Pompeyopolis about
ten years ago, the writer states that he
saw among other ruins still standing
the walls of the ancient city, the Acrop-
oils, and other edifces, and also the
remains of a small mole, which in the
course of centuries had been filled up
with sand. For some years past the
Inhabitants of Messina have utilized
these interesting remains of antiquity,
after fashion which cannot fail to ex-
cite horror among arch@ologists.
The site of the ancient town has
been resorted to as conve-
nient quarry for. building-stones,
and indeed, there is now scarcely
house in Messina of which the walls
are not built with the finely polished
marbles Of Pompeyopolis. The recent
erection at Messina Of lighthouse,
mosque, and of an agency for the
Messageries Maritimes, and the repair
ing of the streets, have absorbed every
vestige of the ancient town, with the
exception of marble colonnade, which
has hitherto been spared only because
it's columns were not so well adapted
for building purposes as the blocks of
stone and marble which were torn from
the surrounding edifces. The supply
of the latter materials, however, hav-
ing been exhausted, it will probably
not be long before these columns are
broken up and transported to another
spot. The last trace of the ancient
town of Pompeyopolis will thus have
ceased TO exist