Daily Republican., 1882-09-11
the Use of the school MOney BIZ
the CIty OOunOII.
For the REPUBLICAN,.

lowing paragraph:
"If Mr.. Guthrie must "pay the pi
per" as the morning ORGAN puts It, wha
will become Of the genial ex-Treasure
Mr.. Vincent, under whose administrs
tion Republican Council stole $13,50
and expended 1t for their purposes? ]
Mr.. Guthrie is responsible in enc case
Mr.. Vincent is in the other"
have not the books Of the Treasurer
to refer to, and have been until Satur
day, the 9th inst, since the publication
of the paragraph, confined to my homt
by sickness. The following lette
which wrote to the Council, Angus
13, 1879, and which was published in
the Delaware REPUBLICAN August 10,
1879, explains my views in the matter al
the time. During the time 1 was
Treasurer, L religiOusly paid over to the
School Board their money, and declined
to pay 1t to the Council, but was in
formed by gentlemen Of the Council
that the Legislature had passed law
that the funds of the Board of Public
Education should be deposited to the
credit of the city.
Upon this information ordered
the tax collectors to deposit the money
to the credit Of the Mayor and Council
of Wilmington. But when l recei we'd
an official copy of the law, found (in
my opinion) that no change had been
made, but that the City Treasurer WAS
still required to pay the School funds
direct to the School Board. Accord
ingly l gave counter instructions to the
tax collectors to rG.deposit the School
funds to the credit of the City Treas
urer. THIS / think must be the $13, 800
alluded to. Deposited to the credit of
the Council under erroneous informa-
ton that law had been passed for that
purpose by the Legislature. The fol-
lowing is the letter:
WILMINGTON, Del, Aug. 10, 1879.
To the Honorable, the City Council of
Wilmington Respected Gentlemen-
l set in the report of your proceedings
that the Honorable John Guthrie,
Chairman Of the Finance Committee,
has stated: "That for some cause the
City Treasurer had only reported part
of the money on hand. There are
$44, ,264.07 of the Board Of Education's
money in bank, which should be added,
making the total amount in bank
$l21, ,044.49 instead of $40, 6,780.42 as ap.
pears from this report"
In reply would respectfully state to
your honorable body that the money OF
the Board of Public Education is kept
separate in the bank from the money of
the city. That this is done in accord
ance with the law, and that it never
has been customary for the City Trea-
surer to send to the City Council re-
port Of the money in bank belonging
to the School Board. But that he will
feel great pleasure in doing 30, and will
do so in the future, as he thinks it will
be useful information both to the Coun-
Gil and to the public.
The Treasurer however sends to the
Council duplicate receipts of the money
received from the Tax Collectors for
the Board of Public Education, which
are read in Council in the same manner
as other money received by the Treas
urer and these receipts show the
amount he has received from every
source.
There was, when the present Treas
urer came into office, great complaints
that the money received from the
School Board was used by the Council
for City purposes, and not paid to them
by the Treasurer at the time, and in
the manner specified by the law, where
by they suffered great inconvenience.
This was finally remedied by the
Treasurer having the money deposited
to his credit and paid to the School
Board by his checks, since which there
has been no complaint. This was in
strict compliance with the law. Again
there was great complaint that money
derived from bonds sold by the Treas
urer for the use or the Board of Public
Education was spent by the City Coun-
Gil for City purposes. The Treasurer is
bound by his oath of office to do his
duty both to the City Council and the
Board of Public Education.
Consulting the City Solicitor he was
informed that he had no right to allow
money devoted for one purpose by the
law, to be spent by the Council for
another. And again he was recently
called upon by those representing the
School Board and informed that they
should look to him for their money.
The Treasurer is liable TO suit if he does
not pay them in the manner and form
prescribed by the law.
The new law passed says "That the
City Treasurer shall pay on the first
Monday Of every month during the
year, upon orders drawn upon him by
the Board of Public Education under
the hand of their President, and attest
ed by their Secretary, the sum OF 81, l65.-
90. This money it is the duty of COun-
Gil to appropriate, and my wish is that
the Council should pass it every month,
and that should return the balance to
it from the funds of the Board of Public
Education to the City. | an ready to
do any just and lawful thing required
by the Council, but l am not willing
to do anything contrary to law, or that
shall in any manner jeopardize me or
my securities by suits at law in relation
to the funds of the Board of Public Ed
ucation.
According to my books there is $2O,-
283. 62 due by the Board of Pubic Edu.
cation, money advanced TO them by
the city, which think should at once
be returned to the city by the Treasurer.
1 respectfully beg leave to state to your
honorable body that the only safety to
the Treasurer and the people is strict
adherance to the law. This Is what l
have endeavored to do. All the trou-
BILE that have had in my Office has
arisen from violation of law, appar-
emily to benefit the city. Such as the
use of funds devoted by law for one
purpose and expended for another. l
have never done this willingly But l
have always demonstrated against it.
The arguments in its favor have been
the city's needs, and saving the city
money in the shape of interest.
l have therefore concluded here after
to adhere strictly to the law in my
office as my only safety. No one, no
body of gentlemen, however hig h or
influential their position have ri ght
to violate the laws of the State. And
as the use of School money by the
Council is against the Statues OF the
State, and as there has been already
trouble and danger to me from this
source, l have concluded TO have the
7 30 l1 hu