The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-05
hi. 60. srrrrn SATrpnAY MAN.

Mr.. GOODS SPEECH SATURDAY MIGHT
III Coos, Esq, Al the Capitol MeetinI
on Saturday night delived an elOquen
and able address which we regret our in
ability to publish in full. In the cours,
Of his remarks he spoke as follows Of til,
dishonesty Of State officials:
aMr. Bennett, the State Auditor, AM
Mr.. Burdett, the State Treasurer, hay,
both been impeached in the House o
Delegates Of high crimes and misdemean
ors, standardization and corruption il
their respective Offices; and what Is unac
countable TO me ia that the citizens in tn
immediate vicinity Of Charleston, regard
less Of their party predictions, endorse
them and still do endorse them, and in
sisted upon their retention in Office
although as appears by the eyi
dence taken before the special commit
tee, and their own acknowledgements
they have received the one, Mr.. Bnrdett
81 900 from the KanaWa Bank OF Charles
Ion for securing for that bank q deposi
of State bonds for SIS, 900 for q specife'
time, and Mr.. Bennett $500 for securing
to the same bank alike favor, By Mr.
Bennett's own testimony it appears tina
he was collecting from every foreign Fir
and Marine Insurance Co., dOint
bushes in this State, $3.50 fol
every certificate that he should Is
sue to such insurance company for tn
purpose Of doing business in the State
The Code allows the Auditor s. for issu
ing these certificates, but in the Legisla
tuTe OF 1872 and 1873 there was an &c
passed which the Auditor terms the Re
taliatory Law, by which the Auditor o
this State was authorized to require III
payment OF a tax by such foreign Fir,
and Marine Insurance Companies a
would be equal to any tax tina
might be required Of any Fire ant
Marine Insurance Company organ
lied in this State, applying for certi
ficate to do business in any other State
In other words, suppose that the State o.
Ohio required the payment by IN insn
rance company doing business In this
State Of $3.50 before they would be allow
ed to do business in Ohio, then this State
in return would have the right to require
the payment Of the same amount Of ~
insurance company organized in the
State Of Ohio and applying for bust
ness in this State. This ! believe
to be correct. But Mr.. Bennett, afteI
having collected the amount prOvid
ed under this RetaliatOry Law, aPpro'
priated the whole to himself and called
Il the perauisites Of his office, whereas In
truth, and by law, he was only entitled tc
the S, rs prescribed In the Code for IS
surfing the certificate, and all over and
above that went TO the Treasury Of the
State. Assuming that there were twenty
foreign Fire and Marine Insurance Com
panies doing business in this State, and
ihe Auditor were to receive $3.50 from
each, It would figure up the very com
Portable salary Of 5000.
AIN regard to the Treasury Department
Mf. William +. Burdett, the son Of the
Treasurer, was and has been the chic
clerk ever since the date Of his father
first election, As appears in the testi
mony taken before the committee, he haC
the full management OF the books Of thu
office, Issued checks and orders in the
name Of his father, and exercised, un
restrained, all the functions Of the
Office, MS though he had been at the head
Of the department. The law regulating
the interest upon State departments I,
that the Treasurer shall not receive lesi
than 3 per cent. This il the minimum
no maximum amount being fixed by thu
statute. So far ~ the committee knew
Mr.. Burdett has received and accounted
for the 8 per cent on the State deposits
But that Is not all. Mr.. VIM. T. Birdett
his son and chief clerk, negotiated Will
two State repositories, the officers Of whicl
we examined, by which he effected an ar
rangement with these institutions that Il
the event he should secure to them GER
tain amount Of the State deposits the,
would allow him Gper cent. The arrange
rangement was made, and he drew the
per cent interest upon certain deposits In
certain bank in Charlestown and q Ger
tain other bank In Charleston. The exac
amount OF State depOsites that he secured
TO these banks ! have, forgotten. Suffice
II TO say, that after paying 10 the State
the 8 per cent amount Of interest
us required by the statute, lie appro.
the remaining 8 per cent ia
himself, by which he figured up the profit.
able Investment Of $500 arising out OF
these two institutions alone. What ar.
he may have made with other
like institutions In this State, the com.
mittee did not have the time or Opportu.
nifty 10 ascertain"
Mr.. Good argued that II the Capital
were located at Wheeling, where cor.
ruptions In Office could be more readily
ventilated, where the people Of the State
could be kept better informed by reason
Of the facilities afforded by the press, that
these unwarranted appropriations Of the
peoples money would not 90 into the
hands Of dishonest officials.
In speaking Of the question Of taxation,
Mr.. Good claimed that our taxes next
year will be even less than the present
year. The city proposes TO pay the debt
1T the rate Of $4,000 per year, and as no
iurther levy will be required by the Board
Of Education for building purposes, the
rate should not exceed one.half mill,
against mills last year. In proof OF
his he read the following communication
rom Superintendent Williams:
WHEELING, March 80, 1876.
lion. j. H. Good:
DEAR stR-In ortler that there may be
10 Misrepresentation with regard to the
natter Of which you inquired OF me this
afternoon, ! will state that in July Last
1874 the Wheeling Board Of Education
made levy for building purposes Of II
Mills, and for school purposes Of y mills.
This on the assessment Of $i6,63b,33O
would yield for building purposes rev.
mic Of $22,552 0g, and for school pur.
loses 37,6SS 81; total, 500, t4l 81. The
mount thus raised by taxation for build
ng purposes, viz, $22,b52 90, and bal.
nee to the credit Of The building fund at
he close Of the preceding year Of $3,SSs
9, together with the proceeds Of the sale
/ the High School lots and the old Third
Yard School property, will probably he
more thansulliCient TO defray all expenses
incurred in the erection Of the new school
uilding on tic corner Of 18th and Eofr
lreets and the addition To the Webster
ChOol house, and all incidental expenses
ayable from the building fund for the
tlrrent year. Hence no further levy
ill be required for these objects.