The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-03-08

pointed 70 investigate grounds Of compliant
against the Offices Of auditor and Treasurer
beg leave respectfully to report:
lst. That neither the resolution which vac
under consideration At the time the commit
tee was appointed. or the resolution under
which the committee has been raised indi-
Gated any grounds og compIaintn against
these officers therefore your committee beg
leave respectfully ask to he excused from
making any report az = any alleged
j grounds Of complaint.
] Your committee respectfully state thai !,
has always been usual to appoint committees
to examine these offices. aud the oniv differ
| enee between the usual mode and the one
| proposed by the joint resolution now under
| consideration, Is that committees appointed
aud making examinati0ns during the session
Of the Legislature now pending, cannot give
that attention to the matter which its i'm
| portanee demands, while b. the mode pro
posed by the resolution, complete and safis-
factory examination can be hlA, aud the re-
snlt would be of benefit in enabling a future
lLegisls ture 10 correct abuses watch may have
! crept into any system Of collecting and dis.
bursting the public revenue, il there be any,
aud TO perfect our already admirable revenue
laws.
Your committee have deemed it Their duty 10
consider the propre,y Of favOring the original
! Joint resolution, aud after mature delibera-
tion recommend It's adoption.
Since the Legislature of 1876 an immense
purchase of State lands has been done in the
Auditors Office, besides the lands sold or re-
deemed on account of the liquidating levee
tax, n which latter lands, it has been said,
the State has no interest. Your committee
expresses no opinion on this point; but they
believe that the title OF the State 10 these lauds
ought to be Inquired into, and some wise aud
liberal legislation should be had by which
bona fide purchasers and actual settlers should
be protected as far as possible.
Your committee believe that since The cues
ton OF making examination into these
Offices, in the manner, and 10 the extent pro.
posed by the resolution has been SprGnC
that il would be uuwise now to refuse 10 do
H. Aud that Justice to the officers themselves
as we'll as to the people. demand that the ex-
animation be made. Your committee believe
that sufficient reason exists t. warrant the
passage of the resolution, reasons sufficiently
indicated by the foregoing statement; but in
saying this your committee wish expressly
10 state that they have no charges TO make
against the distinguished gentlemen who now
or have since 1876, filled the offices of Auditor
and Treasurer aud Liquidating Levee Com
mSsioners; and SO far as they have been able
10 make inquiries they have heard nothing
which reflects in the slightest degree upon
heir integrity.
Your Committee believe that such irregular
aties as may be found 10 exist il any in the
Auditors office or n the office OF the Liqui Ia
ting Levee Commissioners are due TO theeom-
plex system Of cur Revenue and Leyee laws.
Your Committee further state that to the
lreasurers' Office, they have heard no reason
for an examination, except that he Offices Of
Auditor and Treasurer are So intimately con-
uectea that an examination of one. necessarily
involves an examination Of the other
Respectfully submitted,
L. A NOLAN
+. A. MONTGOMERY