The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-11
ROBBERY OF THE TREASURY.

ROBBERY OF THE TREASURY.
A meeting was held in Baltimore, at
Masonic Temple, on Tuesday night, COM
posed of merchants and business men of
the city, which was addressed among other
speakers, by Judge Maulsby, strong
Democrat. The Judge read the following
paper as part of his speech:
"Iinvite your attention" said the Judge,
''to the following figures, taken from the
official documents, by way of illustrating
how far our trusted agents have acted in
good faith towards the State, and towards
maintaining the honors of the party which
entrusted them with its power, and whether
reform is required. The report of the
Comptroller for 1864 shows that the amount
disbursed for and on account of the expenses
of the Legislature was S9S, $3.50. The
report of the Comptroller for 1874 shows
that the amount disbursed for and on
account of the expenses of the Legislature
was $191, 152.67. The same report shows
that there was disbursed in addition for
the same year under the head "various
acts" sos, 443.72. That report contains
one hundred and thirty-six items of dis
bursements, and refers to each act of
Assembly, by year and chapter which
authorized each item of disbursement, ex-
cept only this sum of 500, 443.72. Many
of the one hundred and thirty-five items
the authority for which is so specified. are
less in amount than $500; one so small as
$l4792. The single item for which author
ity is not specified is this of 800, 443. r.
The same report shows an estimated prob
able disbursement for the year 1875 on
account of Legislature of $4,000. As no
Legislature was to sit during 1875, it is a
necessary inference that this last sum was
estimated to be required to pay expenses
of the Legislature of 1874 remaining un.
paid.
The sum of sos, 443. 70 could not have
embraced any appropriation for educa-
tional or charitable institutions; because
the very liberal, not to say profuse appro-
priations, made to institutions of that class
are set out seriatim in the same report.
The above figures will all be found on
pages to inclusive, and page 10 of the
State Comptroller report for 1874.
The report Of A. Lingan Jarrett, then
Comptroller, shows that the expenses of
the Legislature for the year 1S00-61, the
of 1864, was $5s, 060.06. That report also
shows that there were disbursed for public
printing the sum of $12,922.75, part of
which was probably on account of ex-
penses of Legislature, and ought to be
added to above to show the full amount
This is stated for comparison:
1S60-61 s5s. O6O. OG
Add the whole cost of printing
for the State 1892. rs
so, 9ss. 81
1864 SS,51790
1874 191, 152.67
Estimated by Comptroller in adj
dition 100000
Expended in addition under head
"various acts" 95,44372
1t might suffice here to say that the
Comptroller's report for 1874 shows gener-
ally the same or an approximate ratio of
literally increased expenditure of public
moneys on all the various accounts to
which they were applied. The object is to
invite public attention to the subject, and
to awake an investigation by every citizen
of the. expenditure of State moneys, the
of the people, and in many cases
wrung by hard taxation from citizens, who
can ill afford to supply it for other than
strictly necessary purposes. The object
being only to arrest public attention, it is
not believed desirable to risk encum boring
it by multiplication of facts and figures
here. 1t may be added profitably perhaps
to the objects in view that for the year
1874 there were disbursed under the head
of "militia $50, sOS.77. The law author
izing this expenditure has been looked for,
perhaps imperfectly, and not found. If
there be law authorizing it, it is not the
less wasteful and reckless. The expend-
ture under the same head for 1878 was
$23, S16.72. The military arm of our State
would appear therefore to have required
an increased expenditure in one year of
$40, 992. O5.
The cost and expenses paid for conducting
the Comptroller and Treasurer offices for
the year 1874 will appear to be larger than
were the cost and expenses paid for the
same officers for the year 1864 and for the
salaries of the civil officers of the State
combined. The amount disbursed under
the head "oyster fund.-" for the year 1874,
was $50, SS2.97. The authority of law for
this expenditure has never been found
[ Laughter and applause Possibly the
search has been imperfect. The statement
of receipts into the treasury contains no
such head as "oyster fund.-" as the law is
believed to require. Taking all items of
receipts for licenses to catch oysters, fines
may amount to the sum of s36, 27S. IS, a
less sum than that disbursed.
The amount received into the treasury
on the same accounts for the year 1878 was
$65, 490.55, and the amount disbursed for
the same year under the same head-oyster
fund-was $24, 770.75. The receipts for
1874 were 500, 211. 80 less than for 1878, the
$12, 112.22 more than for
1878, the difference against the State
Treasury SAL, 324.12. A continued investi-
CATION will develop the same character of
results. 1t is submitted that reform is
demanded by such facts as these. Zap
plause.