The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-21


s.eperal fund. tie current school fund. by tue
Auditors singular mode Of distribution, end
by his equally interesting method OF pay.n
ne asses. ors. ha, been diminished, hrst, S4|,'
!72l7, aud second, SIG, 744 3G-SG3, 9l6 63.
In like manner the interest fund for 1879
Jas olnndered to the amount OF So3o,5l1 ~,
mostly for the benefi. Of the general fund,
.hile Of the 100000 interest due by the
3Sate to tho 81 veral parishes for school pur.
aoses only S12 S7S II was paid, leaving inter.
g,t due the several parishes on account o.
.nrrent school fund more than S57, 900.
Your committee will remark tina. from IN.
brmation obtained, 1t is quito evident tina,
tae Auditor has on several OCCASIONS ss''ie'
Nth detaulting tax-coilectors on exc edihsy
accommodating terms, when ho could nave
occurred the inll sum due.
Exhibit V fully supports such beiie1'
1hch shows that
w. +. blanchard, Collector Of M,rehonse
parish, was defaulter in the sum OF SD lou
o. Ia settlement the Auditor received war
n,ts to the amount Of 5000 %. These war
s,uts were drawn in payment OF niesA,
,onchers vouchers the payment oftwlicn naa
been ebioined, and tie Injunction mas ho'
get been raised. This settlement was ."h,
amount to making Blanchard present o.
he sun Of 49, $50 50.
Il also appears that the Auditor settled Win
mas. +. Hnesman, def,u'ting Tax Col!ectol
II Avoyelle,, in March, 1874 tor dciaicaflons
Il 1873, by taking warrants; ana ne .,so SOL
sef,,ca.iops ia 1874, by taking warrants OF
A,s hondsman. who is fully responsible.
Tho )abors OF your committee are not yet
w,l.5 Int IA i: is deemed desirable that 1t
,honld report progress at this called session,
he result OF labors as far ~ performed arc
row presented for your confederation.
yonr committee has decided in connection
Nth this report to present paper, prepared
with much care by j. NJ. Weymouth, public
accountant, setting forth specially the origin,
condition, consideration, legality and constl-
mtionalty of the entire State debt. This
paper is III .rkea, exhibit w."
Accompanying this report are number OF
exhibits, marked with the letters of the al
,ha' e.. These contain ths testimony taken
by the committee aud other matter referred
10 in this report
In conclusion, your committee will OBJ
serve, til, this investigation consists natu-
slly OF two divisions First, an txamination
INTO the condition Of the books, accounts,
s,c., of the Auditor and Treasurer, and the
manner in which they are kept; and sec
ondly, All inquiry into tho fact whether these
,6icer, have or have not performed their du-
les as required by law.
The examination made has revealed the
nct that the manner in which tho books are
Sept in the Auditors Office is anything but
satisfactory, aud that the Auditor has not only
allied or neglected in many instances to COM
sly with the requirements of the Law, but
nat lie has seemingly with intention trans
shove, and has thereby brought distrust upon
Ae good faith Of the State.
Now follows nece ,sarily third division OF
.nis work Of tx ,mination; that il. the,
13ncly to be applied to the evils herein Gnu
1erated.
II is shown by TIE evidence taken in this
nyesig alton, and by observation, that tic
arrangement in the accounts in the Auditor
department. is chronic.
This arrangement is a complaint Of long
sanding. Now, no healthy condition oil
Mate finances can exist until this disease shall
hst be eradicated.
1t is the opinion OF your committee, that
lnder existing conditions, it IL quits i'm.
practicable to ascertain what tho nctus OF
s,nitable debt Of the State is-either bonded
VI floating. 1t is equally impraclicable to
ascertain how much is due the State.
No doubt but many illegal and fraudulent
l,ims against the State have been auditc
and paid for want of correct information.
Ynsre is reason to believe that decisions of
nur. have been rendered, detrimental TO the
interests of the State, and also to individuals,
'Nssed upon erroneous information, obtained
from the official reports and statements Of the
State Auditor.
There is strong probability in favor Of the
theory that the completion of the Now Or
aSSns, Mobile and Texas Railroad was defeated
through erroneous information furnished by
Tie State Auditor. This information was SEN
- the various moneyed centers Of the world,
Yroclaiming that the State debt exceeded the
constitutional limitation before the cons!itu
honal amendment limiting the debt to Is 600,
no was adopted. By a careful perusal o.
exhibit w, hero furnished, it will be made
apparent that the legitimate debt of the State
1as within the constitutional limitation aftel
Ill the bonds granted to the railroad had been
issued There can hardly be question as to
the fact that the credit OF the State aud pros
verify OF New Orleans has been materially
impaired from lack OF correct information a.
10 the real condition lot the finances of the
BATE.
The mysteries in which the moneyed af
airs Of the State have for a long time been
sEveloped, has attracted universal attention.
Every year joint or special committee has
seen appointed toiexamine the Auditors and
rreAsurers books. These committee. as Il
general thing. have failed to report. In
lS72. partial report was made to the House,
ret 10 action was taken in regard to it. The
same session, the Senate employed two OK
perss, ut an expense of $1,000, to ascertain
the real character OF the State debt, but no
rspor was published. In 1873 his Exc sllency
mad some four or more experts engaged fol-
Tor fully six months, ex mining warrants and
vouchers in the Auditors aud Treasures
office, ut an expense to the State of some four
or five thousand dollars, but the benefit de-
nyed therefrcm did not yield any valuable re.
suits The Governor also appointed com.
nittee of examiners Of prominent citizens to
ascertain what the public debt really was.
This committee employed experts, and after q
Abor OF six months and having incurred an
expense Of some $1,000, the public was but
atrfie if any better informed than before.
NE same trouble and uncertainty exists now
hat existed then.
In view Of these facts and the necessities o.
lhe case, your committee has inaugurated q
method Of investigation which, when com.
pieted. will constitute systematicsl digest Of
The whole financial affairs Of the State, com.
all Ga. Al. - A.