Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-04


crisp. As it is, some OF them even aim
being rhetorical. The APPEAL gives th
substance OF the reports, and without turtle
comment lays the review before the publi
THE GENERAL REPORT.
To the Hon. L. 3. Horrigan. Judge OF the Crimini
Court OF shelby County, Tenn
Your committee of nineteen, whose name
are hereby subscribed, appointed at the Ma
term, 1882, of your honorable court as
special grand jury, and charged with III
duty OF examining the different public Office
OF this county, especially as 10 the safety
public funds and the manner OF conductin
the Offices, beg leave to submit the followin
report: That after being duly impanele
and sworn on the 9Th day OF May, your con
mittee met in the County Courtroom and
w. Fulmer, appointed chairman by you
honor, divided the committee into sui
committees, and allotted TO each sub-commi
tee certain Offices to examine, as follows: .
l.. Wexford, l.. ;. Lake and {. E. Oliver {
examine and report upon the county reai,
ter, public administrator, coroner. count
surveyor, superintendent public instructio
and Probate Court. Wexford was excuse
on the 10th OF June and Mr. T. H. Rice pu
in his place. David Bryson, W. E. Gates, J
L. Oliver and J. I. Williams, 10 examin
and report upon the chairman OF IN
| County Court and Circuit Court clerk
J. w. Fuimer, c. Z. Dobb and B. |
Coffin TO examine and report upon the clerI
and master OF Chancery Court and Mipo
| Meriwether receiver OF extinct municipality
OF Memphis. Samuel Jack, J. r. PepPel
and james e. Bell 10 examine snd repor
upon Criminal Court clerk and sheriff's of
! fee. J. c. Bell was excused and G.. NJ
| GueTrant was put in his place. John II
Lenow NJ. F. Emery and w. II. Atkinson tC
| examine and report upon the County Cour
| clerk and trustees Office, and Taxing District
register and secretary. Mr.. Emery was ex
cused, and K. w. Nicholson put in his place
J. d. Quigley, J. w. Richardson and N &.
Johnston to examine and report upon the
Board Of Education and bscktsx collector
The reports of the subcommittee hereto
attached have been adopted by your entire
committee and made its report.
The magnitude Of the work was much
greater than at first supposed. Beginning
where the committee left off last year, it was
thought the labors Of this committee would
be light; but we found it necessary in nearly
all Of the offices to 60 back OF that date
in order to make our examinations complete
ami reliable. For instance: Ia he Chancery
Court changes have been made in nearly
every case with the fund account book, and
the subcommittee had TO 90 through every
case TO arrive at the amount OF cash the
clerk and master should have on hand; also
had to examine every bond, etc. We refer
also to the report on the Probate Court, where
you will find the committee went over all
the ground traversed by your committee Of
last year. The other reports will show very
much the same work az the committees did
last year; as 10 how well we have done our
duty the different sub committee reports
will speak. There is too much matter OF
great importance in each cub committees
report to undertake to make direct reference
TO 1t in this general report but we desire 10
direct special attention 10 the report on Re-
ceiver Meriwelher's Office, showing the reck-
less and almost criminal carelessness on the
part OF city officials and certain courts, par
ticularly the unjust and arbitrary ruling of
Judge Baxter in the case of Meriwether u.s.
u arrett; also 10 the highly credita5le man
ner in which Meriwether has conducted the
office. We recommend that a committee be
appointed to destroy all the evidences of in
debtedness taken up by Meriwether and give
him proper certificate therefor. We would
also direct attention to the sub committees
report on the Criminal Court clerks Office,
where, by Comparison of the expensss of
running that Office and the Criminal Court
for the last year preceding this report, to
years previous TO the present incum bent's
term OF office, saving OF the larger SUN OF
S55, 0S3 81 to the State and county for one
year is shown. We also direct attention to
the sub committees report on the tax-col-
lector's office, where they recommend that
our Legislature create the office of poll-tax
assessor and collector, and collect when as
sessment is made.
Your committee would report that the
records, dockets and papers generally seem
to be well cared Tor and properly kept, but
have pretty much the same fault to find with
the inefficient system OF bookkeeping as
your committee reported last year. Iu some
instances, however, Improvements have been
made. Your committee would recommend
that the county and State furnish all the
books known in the various offices as private
books, to-wit: cash-book, journal, led ger and
fund account books, etc, and that these
books be declared the property of the State
and county, and that all retiring officers be
required 20 leave them in their Offices and
surrender them TO their successors; and that
all retiring officers be required TO file with
their successors a full and complete state
meut OF the affairs OF their Offices also that
they be required to turn over to their sue
all the funds on hand, and that
the succeeding officers be required to
execute a bond ample TO cover said
sums Tor theiE faithful keeping, distribution
etc. The custom now Is Tor each retiring
officer 10 take with him all books in his office
except original dockets and stub memoran-
dums, also all the money he has on hand,
and We nave vet to hear of any of said
moneys being returned. A great deal of
money goes into the haUds OF some OF the
officers that is never called for and should
escheat to the State or county. Your COM
mit'ee would submit that every public official
should give a good bond ample to cover all
the money he may have in hand at any time,
and be required to keep his public funds en-
tirely separate from his private, so that in
case OF his decease. they would not have 10
be administered Your committee can see
no good reason why the immense rub ic
business of this county could not be kept
and recorded in as systematic and perfect
manner as the business of any commercial
horse, yet it is far from it. In conclu ion
We would recommend yearly examinations
Of simple charactec to your committees,
and would state that our examinations
have been made with kind feelings to all and
preference for none, and that We have re-
ported nothing through favor or Partially,
all OF which is respectfully submitted, at
July 5, 1882.
J. W Fulmtr, C. B. Oliver J. R. PEPPER.
John II. Lanow, /. ). Lake, W. II. Atkinson,
!. Z Willins, NV Richardson, C. N. Guerrant,
y: b. Johnston, J. W. Quigley, c. T. Dabb,
SberiH's office,
Messrs. S. Jack, John r. Pepper and
George NJ. Guerrdnt reported having eX-
imined the sheriff's Office from May !, 1881,
o May l, 1882, except the general Taxing
District tax for 1882 and the liquidating tax
or 1882. The books are kept in very in-
elligent and satisfactory manner and are
entirely correct. Since the last committees |
export the sheriff has been made bsck-tax
collector by the Legislature. No bond was |
provided TO cover same. A proper bond |
hould be executed. Statement OF back taxes |
collected by the sheriff from May l, 1881, is |
~ follows:
state and county for 1850 662 70
state and county for ISL ... ........ 1913 y
General Taxing District and iquidating
4s4e4 81
The sheriff's bonds are entirely satisfac- |
DRY. The fees charged by the sheriff are |
correct.
BaeE-TSX Collector.
J. D. Quigley, J. W. Richardson and \. |
3. Johnston, the committee to examine the |
,sck-tax collectors office, reported that Mr..
Neatherford holds proper receipts for all |
moneys paid to the officers OF the county, |
md the moneys collected for the State have |
,een properly paid over. The back-taxes
collected for the county are S57 ,669 63, and |
or the State, S19,75I 20. The committee
ound Mr.. Weatheriord's charges to be ten
,er cent, of which four per cent. is paid by
he delinquent and six per cent. by the State
md county upon their respective collections
md deducted nv the collector th6refrOn1 OF