Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-01-29
Northumberland and Dauphin conn

Treasur. The Adlutnnt General 's
authorized to certify military claims,
and they have been paid without war
rants. The heads OF Departments are
authorized to certify the amounts due
their employees at the end of each
month, and the said amounts arc also
paid without warrants. The.Co0s,ian-
ton abrogates all laws which author
ize the payment of money out of the
public Treasury without warrants, but
the laws which permit oil these differ
cnt officers to draw their warrants re-
main in full force. Ifa public account.
ing officer is of any use, it is manifest
that it would be to the public interest
to have this power Of drawing war
rants confined TO fewer persons.
There is also want of harmony in
regard to the termination of the fiscal
year and the appropriation year. The
former commences on the lst day Of
December and ends on the 30th day
Of November Of each year. The latter
commences on tho lst day of June and
ends on the 3lst day OF May in each
year. Then again, the appropriation
year is not the same in all bills, some
commence in June, some in July, and
some in other months. Much trouble
and confusion will be avoided if q
greater uniformity prevails in regard
TO tho commencement and end of the
appropriation year.
A custom, not sanctioned by the law,
has long prevailed OF paying money
out of the Treasury without approprla-
tons. The excuse for this course was
found in the fact that the Legislature
had, at some former time, ordered q
service to be done, for which certain
amount was to be paid. But subse.
quent Legislatures failed to make the
proper annual appropriation TO pay for
the service. A further continuance of
this unwarrantable custom would be
in clear violation of both law and the
Constitution. Article 3, section l6, of
the Constitution declares, "No money
shall be paid out of the Treasury ex-
cept upon appropriation made by law,
and on warrant drawn by the proper
officer in pursuance thereof The
9th section of the Act of 9th of May,
1874, also declares "All appropria-
tions shall be payable quarterly at The
State Treasury upon warrants properly
drawn in accordance with the law"
The Auditor General and the State
Treasurer have determined that here.
after not one dollar shall be paid in
NioihtiOH VI lnc law.
Heretofore, loans OF the Common
wealth, and the interest on the same,
have been paid by the State Treasurer
without the warrant OF the Auditor
General. Hereafter the loans and in.
terest should bepaid by warrant of the
Auditor General on the State Treas
urer to the order of the Farmers and
Mechanics Bank, OF Philadelphia, for
the several amounts as they become
due.
! desire to call your attention to the
fact that the sum of s47 900 is paid
annually on salaries and Department
expenses without any annual appropri-
alton therefore also fees, costs, and
shares of informers in escheated estates
and percentage OF stare Military Agent
at Washington. These sums have been
paid on the ground that the Acts erect
ing the offices or requiring the expendi-
lures were ipso tdcto appropriations.
If the Legislature wish to continue this
system ofpayments, without appropria-
tions, they will relieve me from much
embarrassment by so declaring their
The Revenue laws should be so
amended as to require the payment Of
reasonable license fee by foreign cor
porations which have no capital invest
ed in the Commonwealth, but have
offices within her limits for the con.
venienre of stockholders and directors
Of the companies.
All special laws which divert por.
ton of the public revenue for the bene-
fit OF certain cities or counties should
be repealed, especially the following
Acts, TO wit
The Act of 80 April, 1864 p. L., GA,
which grants one-halfoi certain licenses
TO the city of Erie. The sum thus re-
taincd last year by the city of Erie
amounted to IS, ,295.69
The Act OF Sd April, 1872 (P. L.,
si5), grants one-fourth of certain
licenses TO the county Of Allegheny.
rhcsum thus retained last year by this
county amounted TO s57, 7,979.79.
Many of the Judges have requested
his Department to pay their salaries
monthly, instead of quarterly, as now
required law. This / have declined TO
10 but can see no good reason why
he Legislature should not allow the
payment of the salaries of the Judges
monthly or quarterly, as they may
prefer.
The Act Of 18th June, 1878 (P. L.,
'age 1859, requires Sherifis to pay into
he State Treasury fifty per centum of
Ill fees received by them yearly, in
excess of $4,000, Clerk hire and sta
ionery, contains no provisions requir-
ng them to make quarterly reports of
ees received by them, and inflicts no
for iailuere to comply with
he law as in the case OF the other
ounty officers. They should be
'rought under the general law in re-
,ard to the penalties upon county off,
ers failing to make regular returns TO
his Office.
The penalties imposed by law upon
II corporations, officers, and others
I.