The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-29

and my late associates IN tue cohuue' Va ~
second Auditors office from the assaults
that have been made upon the integrity OF
That office through the public prints and on
the stump. Upon my return from brooh,
Iyn on Saturday last, after an absence OF
nearly three months, was muc6 grat'ueu
to end In the Wing OF that day an editoriaI
calling upon the committee appointed oy
the House OF Delegates TO examine the eec,
ond Auditors Office for "a statement Oh
facts, not opinions" In respect 10 lrIegu'
larities, &C., which seemed to demand 'nat
IN Justice ID all parties the truth should DC
given TO the public. This Is Just what
have long desired.
In conformity with this suggestion, the
committee, Messrs. Turner. Cross, ana
| Loyenstein, published on the 18th instant q
carefully prepared and temperate statement
| In respect to certain cehpons wDicn hsu
| been received for revenue by the Seconu
| Auditor, but which had not been founu IN
the office, and which no doubt the commit
tee thought was sufficiently full for the puo.
| lie understanding. regret, however, tbat
the committee did not think proper 10 pro-
coed little farther in their statement.
| The comparatively few who are iamiiiar
with the laws In relation TO the use OF cou-
pons will readily comprehend that upon
the statement OF facts by the committee
Though the large amount OF some 500 Oo
OF coupons have not yet been fonDd ana
may have been distracted by some evil-ois-
posed persoDlthe State cannot lose dollar
by such abstraction. for the following rea'
! sons:
First. All coupons paid into the Treasury
must have an endorsement upon them, or
| H. al hr no before
can be received.
Second. When they are delivered to the
| clerk in the Second Auditors Office he eX-
amines each one, cancels them by punching,
notes them down on his register, jackets,
and files them away in order in their proper
place under lock and key.
| Lest false impression be made upon the
public on reading the statement OF the CON-
mittee / deem it proper to remind all who
NAV read that publication that even were
the $40, 900 worth OF coupons permanently
lost they can never be OF the slightest use
to any one into whose hands they
may fall, for the reason that they
are not only endorsed as having been once
used, but are also cancelled by punching,
and on this account they would only serve
for purposes OF reference, II necessary.
Nearly the whole amount seems to have
been received from Mr.. SeatOn Tinsley, col
lector OF the revenue Of the city OF Rich
mond, who aflirms that every coupon paid
| in by him was thus properly endorsed or
stamped in bis office. And Mr.. Shackeliord,
who has had charge OF the coupon depart
ment for years past. entertained no douot
| that all the coupons received by him were
duly cancelled by punching, according to
law, and regularly registered and filed away.
know that was his practice and his pur-
| pose.
1t is possible, however, that under the
pressure that existed at some PERIODS, when
Mr. Shackelford received in one day from
$4,000 TO $4,000 in amount OF these
coupons, he may have failed 10 apply the
punch to them all. But if such coupons
shall be fund not punched no loss could re-
suit thereby 10 the State. Having the en-
dorsement of the collector OF the revenue
(say Mr.. Tinsley, Of Richmond,) upon them
no broker would buy such coupons II alb
stracted from the office. Nor could they be
used a second time by any collector OF the
revenue, or il attempted to be used 1t
would be detected by tle coupon register
and the guilty party liable to prosecution
for the fraud.
Itis, therefore, obvious that the Common
wealth cannot be damaged ii such omission
has occurred.
A few OF those coupons missing were re-
ceived by the late Mr.. James III. Henry, an
officer noted for bis accuracy, who OCCASION
ally, though rarely, aided Mr.. Sbackelford
under heavy pressure OF official duties.
These were no doubt cancelled by him.
1t is proper in this connection to add that
| when the committee entered upon the dis
nf hot Infi IN
Shackelford, who till then was the custo-
dian OF the coupons, turned them all over
TO the committee, under whose charge they
have remained ever since.
And now, having disposed OF this sub
ject, / Will be pardoned, / trust, for calling
| attention to certain matters introduced
some weeks ago into the newspapers In re-
| lation to the office which was committed to
my charge by the General Assembly many
years ago, and held by me till the 1st OF last
January, which / did not intend TO notice
| at this time. Ii any delinquency appears in
| that office it affects me and my associates In
office, and it viii be readily seen that the
proceedings of this committee will be re-
garded by us with much interest, and will
plead my apology, II any is needed, for this
communication.
propose to state a few facts for the pub
lie judgment.
On the 10Th of June last an editorial ap-
peared in the Suffolk Examiner, edited by
Senator Rawles and Mr.. Causey. clerk OF
the Senate, headed by sensational Roman
capitals
| "Thieves and Robbers-Another $40, 900
Theft Found in the Funder Ranks-Th6
Second Auditors Office a Hot.Bed Of Cor
ruption."
| Among other things 1t was charged thai
$50 far the committee had discovered
many glaring frauds, and that package o.
coupons Of $4,000 had been found, which
had been twice used for taxes" And the
editors say farther that "this information
we have directly from member OF the
committee, ana of its correctness there l:
no doubt" Ii turned out that their inform
ant was the Hon. Mr.. Cross, member Of the
committee, and member Of the House from
Nansem0nd county.
This article very naturally excited some
sensation in the country. On the Monday
following it was noticed in the Richmond
papers. Representatives OF the press called
at the Office at once seeking information
Mr.. Cross was absent at his home. On the
23d, as the result OF the inquiries, the Dis
patch had an editorial as follows:
"Mr. LOvenstcin, member OF the House
committee employed for months past in The
examination OF the coupons filed away II
the Second Auditors Office, declares that bt
knows OF no foundation for the story OF the
Suffolk Examiner, that package OF $4,000
had been twice used for the payment o.
taxes. From several sources we learn tba
there is no evidence or indication OF an,
fraud whatever, and that Of the few error:
found. not one is of serious character oil
involves the State In loss. The examination