New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-20

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STATE AUDITORS OFFICE.
New Orleans .aLuary -. 1874. }
EDiTot. REPUBLICANS:
In reply to your structures. in your issue
of Sunday morning, on my annual report.
permit me TO make the following state.
ment:
The discrepancy in one table between the
figures Ct my report and those OF the Treas.
urer, which you pronounce astounding, Is
simply clerical error as will appear by the
recommending statement of the first book
keeper of this Office. The error, If 1t had
been real one, being on the right side,
should not, it seems to me. give rise to the
alarm YOU profess to feel. Aside from this,
the books are properly balanced, and there
il no discrepancy except an overdratt OF
$3.50 on the Auditors contingent fund.
In answer to your statement, that 1.-THE
public has known for some months that the
State Auditor had departed from the forms
and mandates of the law in his management
of the finances" beg to say that the pub
lie has for some months been perslstently
msintormeG in regard to the transactions
of this office by agents over whom had no
control and whose hostility to the measures
inaugurated was greater than their love
for the State or for the truth. You do not
specify the particulars in which have de
parted from the forms and mandates OF
the law from which l infer that you
concur in the OpirlOn OF the brokers
that the forms" heretofore observed were
the forms of the law, and that departure
from them is a violation of law, which re-
spectfully, but emphatically deny. One OF
the most important of these changes was
the separation of the general fund; Here
tofore all taxes due the general fund,
whether current or delinquent, were placed
to the credit of one account and used lndls-
criminately to pay any demands (of what
ever year) that we're brought against 1t.
This was the leak through which SO much
of the insufficient revenues OF the state es-
caped into the hands of spectators. Ipro-
cured division of this fund into two parts,
viz: delinquent general fund to the credit
of which delinquent taxes were placed,
and which were used to pay liabilities OF
previous years, and general fund to pay
the current expenses OF the State, to the
credit of which current taxes were placed
and used to pay current expenses. Ihls
division l assert to have been not only
equitable and necessary, but sustained by
the express language of every approprla-
tiOn bill passed ior years anu ny lAany Ju-
dicial decisions.
Another important matter was the use
made of general funSs in the purchase OF
warrants, and upon chls point l DO not
agree with you that the public is in the
dark. The matter has been thoroughly
canyassed. nothing has been concealed, and
I am satisfied that all who really desired to
know the truth in regard to it have been
enabled to do so. l have only to reiterate
that have not intended nor do l believe l
have departed from the law ia the premises.
There were no forms of law applicable to
the case and /, therefore under the circum-
stances, complied as nearly as possible with
what l conceived to be the spirit OF the law,
being sustained therein by the other
branches of the administration Except the
Treasurer>, and by the best legal advice l
conld obtain. Believing these things to
have been right and legally justlfable,
did not see the necessity Of special legisla-
tive action and hence did not ask for it in
my report.
nension OF the banks, locking up OF con-
siderable amounts deposited by tax eollec.
tors. was the source of great confusion ana