The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-24

MORNING..
LOCAI. MATTERS. S.. Is. Z.
tAABoRs OF THE LEGIsLATORs.
I - 2F - lTls !! y - - II - sl,'
REPORT OF THE ECLAYCoMsfITTEE ON TuE
| MANNER OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN
THE BASEMENT OFF1CEs-THE CLERKS.
! AND WHAT THEY ARE EPAID-TREAsuRY
>VAULT-sUPREME COURT PRINTING
CONSTITUTIONAL; AMENDMENTS THE
PRESENT SESSION UNLfMITED-cENTRAL
~LUNATlc ASYLUM. I5.s,,-.. ...
The speciaf committee 81 the Honse .,
Delegates consisting OF Messrs. Clay CHAIR
man( Page, McCauIl, Gibson, and McDal,-.
nald-after q laboriolls Investigation and
the examination OF many persons and ma
pers, yesterday submitted o report as to the
mode OF conducting business in the base
ment offices. The committee say, q in re-.
spect to the force employed in the Office Of
Auditor OF Public Accounts, it NAV appear
too large; but when we consider the vast
accumulation Of business in that Office. in.
creased as it has been BY, changes in our sys-
tenn under the new Constitution, your com.
mittee is satisfied that the number could nor
properly be reduced. The salaries of the
Auditor OF Public Accounts and his clerks
are as follows: Auditor, W.. F.. TAYLOR.
S2,876; Clerk of Accounts, G. W. Munford,
S1,9s6: two first; clerks, A. A. Lorentz and
w. R. Smith, 81 500; two second Clerks,
John q. Mosby and E.. Morris Norvell, each
Sl,293; three third clerks. Frank Binford,
NJ. Louisa Breeden, and j; G. Stanard,
each, S1,194; two fourth clerks, Thomas B.
Bigger and Mrs. NJ. B. Crouch, each 1906;
porter for the capitol, Isaac Newman,
$915."
The committee describes the duties per-
formed by each of these. and concludes:
"The messenger to this Office attends TO
all bank and other outdoor business, re-
ceives and files away all official bonds, and
enters the names of certified jurors" &c.
THE SECOND AUDITORS OFFICE.
"In the Office OF the Second Auditor,
while five clerks are allowed by law (hnding
that the funding of stock under the fund
ing act was chiefly done and the State not
paying interest on the public debit, the head
OF thai department reduced the number last
year to three, in the expectation that they
would be ample to conduct the business OF
the office under existing circumstances.
We are of opinion that three clerks are SUI
ficlent to discharge the duties OF said office,
and suggest that the law be SO amended as
not to allow but three clerks in SAID Of
ice --.-..---...
"The pay is as follows: Second Auditor,
Asa Rogers, $1,9S6; first clerk, John L.
shackleford, sl,5so; second clerk, James
H. Henry, 81, ,293; third clerk, F. G. Morri-
son, 81, 1874"
The duties Of these clerks are fully stated
by the committee.
TREAsURER's OFFICE.
Mr.. Clay's committee further say: "The
Treasurer is entitled by law to three clerks,
and in the opinion of your committee the
business of that Office can be done by them.
1t appears that temporary clerk has been
employed there by appointment Of the
Treasurer for some years past, and paid
S100 month, and charged to expenses Of
funding the public debt, under o clause in
that act which provides that all expenses
necessary for the execution of the law shall
be paid as aforesaid. AS was remarked be-
fore, little, comparatively, of the debt re-
mians to be funded, and believing that the
regular force in this Office can readily do the
work, your committee recommend that the
services OF the temporary clerk be discon-
tinued.
ssTreasurer and his clerks salaries: Trea-
surer, R. NJ. T. Hunter, s1,9s6; first clerk,
R. T.. Colston, S1,590; second clerk, John
II. Eustace, S1,293; third clerk, S1,194;
fourth clerk, w. N. Newman, 81, 194. Mr..
Eustace Is also clerk Of the Board Of Public
! Works, and recaives therefor $400. As in
the other cases, the committee proceeds to
state the duties the clerks perform. They
say the employment OF any temporary
clerk is illegal"
BONDS IN DANGER OF DESTRUCTION.
"Your committee beg leave to report that
they find in the Treasurer's Office large
number of coupon bonds and registered
bonds that were printed for the use OF the
Commonwealth under the provisions of the
act approved Both March, 1871, commonly
known as the funding act
"Fsr the saie-keeping Of the bonds your
committee are induced to recommend that
the bonds, except a sufficient number for
funding, be deposited in vault Of some
bank in Richmond city for safe-keeping, or
that vault be erect4d in the Office Of the
Treasurer of the State for them and other
valuable papers and documents deposited
in the basement Offices. We are Of the opin-
ion that q vault can be built for the sum Of
IS S2,000.'' as ......-
The report was ordered to be printed.
SUPREME COURT PRINTING.
A bill introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Penn, and now pending in the Committee
for Courts Of Justice, provides that in the
matter OF printing records for the Supreme
Court OF Appeals "any appellant may have
said records printed, If he elect SO to do, by
and with the consent of the appellee, or his
attorney, at his own costs, such costs to be
taTed, as costs in the case by the CLERK Of the
Eour5of Appeals"
| It Is further proposed (but not By this
billy that the clerks of the court, or the
couIt itself, shall prescribe the size Of the
recSrds, as they shall be printed (octEo),
siZe lot, type to be employed, and in Sene-
raj Way the character OF the paper to- be
used-something after the system Of the Su-
preme Court of 5he United States.
THE EFFEct OF THE AMENDMEkTs.
The Senate yesterday decided that ac-
cording to their understanding Q) this is the
first session under the constitutional amend
ments; !(2y that this session. fs unlimited as
to duration; (3) that there dan be q regular
session in 1877, and ahat slid session will be
the first biennial sessionI contemplated by
the said constitutional amendments Fur
ther, that this General Assembly ought not
to reapportion to take effect until 1870 a.. :;
The House has voted and sent to the Sem
ate aresolution that it is right to reapportio
to take effect In November next It also
resolved that the salary question does not
apply to this session. The Committee for
Courts OF Justice reported to the House a
Joint resolution that this is the first session
under the amendments. - That ,is on thf