The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-04
CAPITOL GOSSIP.
TAX COLLECTORS sETTLEMENTs-A
HUGE SCHOOL FUND ITEM.

| A New wrinkle Which May Lead to tn,
Development Of school Land Frauds.
| Up to the close OF business at the State Hous
last evening, eleven country tax collectors hat
made their settlements at the Auditors Office. 81
had also two city collectors, one of whom paid il
something over 100000 for the quarter ending
| Juue 80. The limit OF the time for
TAX COLLECTORS SETTLEMENTS
| is limited to the 10th inst, by which time ths
Auditor expects TO hear from every tax collector
in the State.
| Although the taxes have been decreased the
settlements 80 far show 9 large increase ove1
those OF any previous year since the Warmott
administration worked itself into power, and The
indications point TO prompt settlement OF al
taxes collected during the year.
The settlements now being made keeps the
auditoria clerical force on the jump, they having
| but little time for breathing spells, and for q
week outside claims and outside matters gen.
orally will take q rest.
The Treasurers force is kept busy also, and
| for few DAYS will not be able to furnish infor.
nation desir ID by the various parish bodies rela-
tive to school funds and other matters.
| In this connection it Is asesrtained, from Of
| fetal records that sinoe AID commencing with
the year 1870 the ex-Radoal school officials, in
Guiding division superinteDdents, parish treas
urers eto., have drawn from the current and
| interest funds
OVER FIVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
for the purpose of free school education, onetenth
| OF which it is said cannot, nor never will be &C.
counted for, except through the parish courts.
| A complete and unimpeachable record of the &C.
| counts Of every ex school official that has per-
| formed the duties Of any office since the year
| named is completed, and within the next three
weeks the school boards OF each parish in the
State will be furnished with detailed statements
| Of the accounts OF officials who have acted Oh
officiated In their parishes and that done, they
| will call upon the e1 officials to
BALANCE ACCOUNTS IMMEDIATELY,
| or suffer the cons quences prescribed by law.
Another new dodge mas or is likely to spring
up in the Auditorial Investigation, which may
show crookedness in q quarter not yet touched
| upon, and which may throw some light also upon
| school land matters. From the records it seems
that during ths past few years large amounts Of
school lands have been entered, the parties 80
entering giving their notes to the State instea
OF paying cash. These notes were invariably
made payable to the Auditor, and nine-tenths of
them we're paid at maturity through various
DISTRICT attorneys. anu by tneW reunited 10 the
Auditor, but so far The records fail to show tull
account Of the moneys thus received.
By the time the Audiorial Committee meets
tomorrow, il will have further information re-
garding the missing books, which will throw new
light upon the manner in which the books were
''Hoo.DooED" FROM THE osPIToL,
and before the investigation is concluded, it lie
expected that the committee will have snoh evil
dence as will enable them to furnish the Attorney
General with facts sufficient to file informations
agsnst at least eight or ten persons as pnrticeps
cripinis.
Repeated offers have been m sds BY individuals
to turn MP the books for q stipulated sum, and
anonymous writer's have advised the Auditor
Chief OF Police and Governor that for q certain
amount OF sheke they could ave the books.
TWAS not in the power Of any, however, to
SUPPLY THE FUNDS,
az no provision has been made by the Legislature
for such purposes, and hence the officials were
unable to act.
The executive office ia in receipt of oommu-
nication from one Of the parishes to the effect
that justice Of the peace of the parish is q
fugitive from justice, and ask that the individual
he removed