The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-27

money called for. by the warrant. So In the
case Of Mr. Arthur. II. .:,g..-t.. Il n T. --.
| At the end. of each! month the banks
1 square their accounts. with the Treasurer
and the warrants and checks are returned
from the banks to the Treasury.
REPORT OF THE CoMMlTTEE.
The following was presented to the House
yesterday: ~. - .'..s-~
The Committee on House Expenses met
at the request OF the Auditor OF Public Ac-
counts in his Office at 81 O'Clock P. NJ on
Saturday, oath instant. ,..--. ~ =
The committee were informed that it is
| usual for the clerk in the Office OF the Au-
ditor of Public Accounts (who keeps in that
Office the pay-book OF members OF the House
OF Delegates) and the clerk Of. the House to
compare the books in which the accounts OF
the pay of members OF the House are kept
in each office. -.'-
That upon such comparison Saturday,
oath instant, 1t was discovered that discre-
pancies existed on the books in the accounts
Of J. W. Poindexter, delegate from the
county Of Louisa, and J. L.. Arthur, dele
gate from the county OF Bedford. The
committee ascertained the following facts ::
The account-book Of pay Of members of
the House, kept in the clerks Office thereof,
shows that on the 24th day Of February last
a certificate was issued from the Office Of the
clerk Of the House Of Delegates in favor of
J. w. Poindexter, delegate from the county
OF Louisa, for three days. pay, amounting
to S1S, being the full number OF days pay
Qncluding said Oath day of February
which said j. w. Poindexter was entitled
to draw. 5"
1t appears from the account-book of the
pay OF members OF the House kept in the
clerks Office thereof that on the 9th day of
the present month o certificate was issued
from the said clerks Office in favor OF j. l..
Arthur, delegate from the county OF Bed
ford, for three days. pay, amounting to
eighteen dollars, which was the full number
of days Gncluding said 9th day Of the pre-
sent month) which said j. L. Arthur was
entitled to draw. Upon examination OF
the certificates so issued upon the office
of the Auditor Of Public Accounts it up
pears, to the entire satisfaction OF the
committee. that each OF said certificates has
been altered since they were issued from
the office OF the clerk OF the House as fol-
lows: The figure has been inserted be-
fore the figure 3, making the certificate 13
days. and the figure before the figure OF
tbe s1S has been changed to I, making it
s7s in each case. That warrant was drawn.
on the Treasury in the Office Of the Auditor
Of public Accounts in favor OF j. W. Poin-
dexter in accordance with the certificate 50
altered. and such warrant was receipted
for on the certificate so altered as fol-
lows: Fl. J. Cabell above the name OF
J. ". Poindexter. Upon examination
~ the book in the Office Of the Treasu-
rer IL was found that check for S7S
on the Richmond Banking and Insurance
Comnany was issued in accordance with
said warrant (the No. Of the warrant, 52S9,
on which the check was issued from the
office of the Treasurer corresponding with
the No. $3.50 Of the warrant as entered in
the Warrant-book in the office of the Audi
tor OF Public AccountS.) Upon examine
tion of the certificate issud from the Office
of the clerk Of the House Of Delegates in
favor OF j. T.. Arthur, delegate from the
county OF Bedford, for three days pay,
amounting to SIS, and altered !as aforesaid,
it was found that said certificate was signed
on the back. of same as follows: "Criten-
den"; that warrant was issued from the
Office OF the Auditor Of Public Accounts
in accordance with said altered certificate,
and upon examination OF the book in the
office OF the Treasurer 1t was found that /
check for S7S on the First National Bank
was issued in accordance with said warrant,
the number Of the warrant (5S93) on which
the check was issued from the office OF the
Treasurer corresponding with the number
OF the warrant (5S93) as entered IN the war
rant-book in the office of the Auditor OF
Public Accounts.
The book in the office Of the Treasurer
shows that. check No. $3.50, in favor OF j. W..
PoindeXter, for SIS, was receipted 1or sepa-
rately, as follows: i" G. L. Crittenden." And
that the check No. $500, in favor OF j. l..
Arthur, was receipted for in the aggregate
of ten checks numbered from $3.50 to 5S9S,
both inclusive, amounting to S642, as fol-
lows: &C. #. Crittenden, P. NJ"
The committee deem it due to Fl. j. Ca
bell, courteous and accommodating page
of the House OF Delegates, to say that the
afixing of his signature on the certificate
issued on February "a, 1877, by the clerk OF
the House in favor OF j. W.. PolndeXter,
delepate from the county OF Louisa, Tor
three days pay, amounting to SIS, connects
him in no improper way with any lrregu-
larty or discrepancy that appears in this
matter, but such attiXing OF his signature
is an evidence only that Il warrant was OBJ
tanned by him from the office OF the Auditor
Of Public Accounts in accordance with the
certificate presented by him.
The committee, in consideration OF the
facts above rec:ted, respectfully recommend
that the following resolution he agreed to
by the House: -.
ResoLved, That G. T. Crittenden, door
keeper Of the House OF Delegates, be and is
hereby suspended, and the Committee on
House Expenses is authorized to send for
persons and papers il they decide to further
inypstioate the matter.
j. L. HOWARD,
Chairman Committee on House Expenses !;
III. B. KERRICK,
W. NJ. SIBERT,
Fl. Z. SMITH.
After considerable discussion as to
whether it would be right for the House to
preiudge the case by adopting the resolu-
tion OF the committee, the report was
passed by until to-day.
THE REcEIPT-BoOK.
1t appears from the receipt-book Kept by
Colonel Crittenden for his own protection
that Mr.. Arthur signed oil March 9Th (date
of the raised certiicate) for three days
pay-$1s. The figures Opposite Polndex-
| ter's name on February Gath appear to have
been tampered With. They look now ike
rs, On the line above the figures Colonel
Crittenden had occasion to use an eraser,
and the upper part Of the Z is somewha,
rubbed-may-be accidentally-but the out
lines of the entire figure can be plainly dis
cerned-7- On very casual examination the
figure might look like l.. Poindexter
however, declares that he received but SIS
Colonel Crittenden produced this boob
before the Committee on House Expenses
on Saturday. He never attempted to with
| hold il, and it has been examined by many
persons, and is now in the hands OF Carte
Harrison Zone OF the pagesl who is doing
the paymaster's duties at present The al