Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-03-11
Auditors Statement.

In response 70 IesOluIiou VI tuo A7ktoiatuto
asking why a dividend hss been declared
among the States bondholders when there is
due the school fund several hundred thousand
dollars which is set aside by the constitution
for that purpose:
"The amount Of revenue in arrears reported
by me as due the school fund.- which has been
approximately ascertaiued only within the last
ten days, was as much q surprise to me as to
any one. I was fully aware that there were
balances due, arising from the uDadjusted ao
counts Of collecting officers, many OF which are
3sv. Hence arises one Of the difficulties in as
certaining the amount actually due. Another
difficulty arises from o practice of the General
Assembly, by no means an uncommon one, to
grant extensions of time to revenue officers lu
default within which to make their final set
Elements at this Office and still more embar-
raising one occurs whenever the sureteS OF
such officers are allowed to compound tor their
indebtedness to the State, as they frequently
are by paymsnt iu bonds at par, while the
market value ofsuch securities ranges at from
80 TO 80 cents 10 the dollar.
''But the question arises, why we're these
balances not sooner ascertd'ned and pad? |
ansper. mainly because the amounts paid up
on the clearly ascertasned balances were as
much az, 10 my opiuou, the Treasury could
bear, and hence that gave no such attention
to the unascertained balances as would other
wise have done. Whenever specific sum was
called for to be distributed per capita among
the schools 1t ,Uas dla0ays paid, though at
times with much dlstrust vi the wisdom otmy
action, 10 view of other interests, as binding
upon me under the law as those which related
T.. ] LII stok r-h &houo
is not currency balance iD the Treasury suf-
one class of claims, however mertorious,
should be allowed to absorb the whole
of that balance. In this connection |
invite special attention to that provision
of the Funding bill which authorizes the
paymept of all taxes and dues to the
Commonwealth in td1 receivable coupons while
by the frst section OF 40 ACT approved the 29 b
of March, 1873, the Auditor is required to pay
over to the school fund tn money lwhether the
revenue was received in money or notl what
ever is shown to be due to that fund. Now, |
submit that where the revenues of the State
are paid largely in coupons, as in fact they are,
and the currency balance in the treasury, as
before remarked, is not sufficient to meet all
the demands upon it, the claims OF the school
fund do not rise to higher degree OF dignity
than claims growing out appropriations made
by law for the support OF government, tor the
support of asylums, tor the expense OF General
Assemblies, and, in short, tor any and every
interest which affects the general prosperity of
the State, and for which specific appropriations
have been made.
IF. therefore, as already remarked, thecur-
renoy balance in the treasury is not sufficient to
meet iD full all lawful claims upon It,, l know
of 90 principal of law or justice which would
allow to the free schools more than their just
and fair proportion of the amount. do not
wish to be misunderstood. | claim to be as
good friend of our free schools as any one, but
| speak as al officer of the State, who's, sworn
duty it is to execute all laws which relate to my
department. Outside Of your statutes, l know
of no law to govern my official action. 1he
constitution does not control me an the perform.
ance ofney public duties the laao does; aud even
we're the law In NY opinion clearly uoconstiu-
tiopsl, still am bound to execute it, until some
competent judicial tribunal shall pronounce It
unconstitutional. Entertaining these vie US. l
do not hesitate to say that 10 my opinion, all
claims authorized and directed By la,o to be paid,
stand upon precisely the same platform and are
as matters Of law and right, equally entitled to
their proportionate part OF the currency 10 the
treasury where and whenever there Is not 90
sm uut sufficient to pay them Oft IN full.
Can see no reason Why the public free schools
Of the State should be 90 exception tothls prln-
ciplc"
The Auditor then states that 81 295, ,474.04
have bsep paid from the State treasury TOR
support of the free schools since 1870 IL; and
that if to this sum be added $36S OOO, to be
paid out of revenues to be received 10 June,
aud the $4Oe, 900 10 arrears, the total will be
no less than $3,072 474.04. About an equal
sum has been paid by the counties In the same
period.
Returning to the main question, as to the
payment of interest On the State debt, When
such arrearges we're due the schooEtund, the
Auditor says: "The payment of the interest
referred to was directed by board consisting
Of the Governor, the Treasurer, the Second
Auditor. the Attorney General, and myself.
The action of the board 10 the premises might
school fund been known at the time; but Of
this do not speak BY authority. As 40 i'm
preston has gotten abroad that the action OF
the board was not unanimous, and that the
Governor dissented, | insert the following
statement made by him 10 note to me, and
which be desires shall be embodied in this re-
port, to wit:
THAT it is not true, a. hiss been reported,
that he voted against the payment OF interest
as ordered BY tho board of which be was
member; that he concurred 10 the action OF
the board, which was unanimous, and that
whether said action was wise or unwise he To-
ssts upon bearing his full share Of RESPONSE
bility for it.'
Speaking OF the class of bonds known as
"peelers," the Auditor says: "The holders Of
these bonds had received no interest for about
eighteen months prior to the 23d OF June,
1875, and were very urgent, and naturally 80,
th, something sh oula be done for their relief.
The applications for interest at the Office Of
the Second Auditor were SO numerous and
pressing as greatly to embarrass that officer.
and at his request meeting Of the board was
called.
This meeting was held in the Office of the
Auditor of Public Accounts on the 23d of June,
1875, to determine the question whether it