Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-10-11

ness OF the result, unless the vouchers are exam
ined in detail In order to ascertain in regard to
the receipts and disbursements, you must collate
and compare the reports of the treasurer, auditor
of accounts, and county clerks, examine the
vouchersand classify the items and be very care
full to add or deduct fIom the expenses Of the
different departments items which appear in
others. The classification in the auditors report
is very defective, thatlf, for example, II should
be desirable to ascertain the cost OF the board Of
insurance commissioners, 1t would be necessary
TO examine all the vouchers in detail, rs some
items are found in official expenses, some in
printing reports, and some In miscellaneous
and the same remarks will apply in respect to
other expenses" This difficulty may be further
illustrated by the fact that the court expenses for
1878 are given differently in official documents,
the lowest statement of them being $1,000,
while Judge Veazey's correct analysis shows
them to have been S178,027.
Thecassifcation in the later reports OF state ex-
penses has been much improved, but IL we look
Tor the items of which certain class of expenses
is made up, we still find IL a work OF great diff
Guilty. venture to suggest as an addition to the
present system of classification, that the auditor
be required to append to each heading a list OF
all orders drawn under II, and that any order em-
braced under more than one head should be 80
designated. 1t will tend to diminish taxation If
such light is thrown upon our expenditures that
both legislators and people can without the aid
Of an expert, ascertain exactly for what purpose
and to whom their money is paid.
1t is evident from the auditors report and from
for fees and expenses are paid under the head Of
court expenses that are not specifically author
lied by law. There is also another class of ac-
counts which have partly grown out OF legisla-
ton during the war, when the auditor was neces-
sary vested with great discretionary power, that
are paid without specific authority Of law, some
of which are classified among official expenses
The amount OF these claims will vary with differ
ent auditors and different officers. am Of the
opinion that section 2l9 of the revised laws
should be repealed, and that no state officers
should be allowed to approve, pay or draw orders
for any purpose not specially authorized by law
II any hardship arises under such a restriction, 1t
will soon come TO light and can be provided for.
! regard the saving Of money to the people, i'm
portant as that may be, as OF less consequence
than is the adoption OF system which will put q
stop to improper and illegal expenditures based
on custom, and which diminish with faithful
auditor, and when public attention is directed to
them, but increase again under different circum-
stances. We should not only remove abuses, but
prevent their recurrence.
In regard to the whole subject Of state expenses,
may observe that they are made up of small
items, and each one must be carefully scrutnzed,
or the aggregate is large. The largest single item
is the debentures Of the general assembly. By
resolutey refusing to act private bills, the OBJ
ect Of which can be accomplished under the pro-
visions of the general laws, by refusing TO adj
iourn unnecessarily, by refusing TO consider bills
not introduced early in the session, by refusing
to pass any bill not shown to be actually ben
efical and needful, by observing the clause of
the constitution which enioins that "previous to
any law being made 30 raise tax, the purpose
for which it is to be raised ought to appear evil
dent to the legislature to be of more service to the
community than the money would be IL not col
lected," you will earn the gratitude OF your con-
stituents and lessen their burdens
1t is gratifying to know that a considerable re-
duction has been made in the state expenses since
1873, when they reached their highest point.
This is owing to several causes not the least of
which is the faithful, fearless performance Of
duty by the present auditor.
| The total court ex uenses for the wear ending