Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-06

m amharrass the present Council and Finance
Committee in the collection and dlsourselnSsn q
OF the resources of the city. neTS ~ tSuooS
my resignation of the ONCE OF lily ;ttss sbeli
have ascertained and Determined Wha nan ~ It
the Irregularities actually existing, Wlil Ue
at your service to do all IN my poneit ~ osd
plain and correct the same ana 10 haAe SVON
any errors properly ehargea9le 70 me- Cam
Very respectfully. JAMES T. NOR5.
The resignation was accepted and the 1ol-
lowing resolution adopted:
By the Finance Committee
ResoEged. That the Clerk Of Council DC anu
he is hereby directed to publish no5lce tor ~
election to I'LL the vacancy IN the once az SIe S
Treasurer at the next meeting OF Councll. anu
that the Finance Committee be ana they are
hereby authorized to employ such person as
they may select to act as Clty 1re1ssaaISar
until new Treasurer Is elected anu
His Honor the Mayor reported 10 Counell
that under the ordinances OF the Sl.y tne
Naval Stores Inspectors were required 70 PA Pay
an annual license of 500. ana that Tug VI vi
tors with the exception of c. ID. Ford VINO
had left the city, Whereup0n the following
resolution was adopted:
Rssolrsd. That fine Clerk of Council be and
he is hereby instructed to advertise an eIe oi1
tiOn to be held at the next meeting oI Oouncll
for an Inspector of Naval Stores 10 HI eAls'lns
vacancy. 49, 60.
An Invitation from the Washington steam
Fire Engine Company to Council to ATTEND tIle
annual ball of said company on the Sth ihst''
was read and accepted. $780,, .,..,o
s. P. Hamilton, and Col. X. ID. W alKer, C Gun
ty Commissioner, as Commissioners OF E9u-
cation, in accordance with the recommends
ton of the Board of Public Education.
The following report of the Finance COM
mittee, and report of E. F. Bryan, enclosed
Herewith, were read:
FINANCE COMMITTEES REPORT.
The Committee on Finance deem II !, proper Cs
at this time to bring to the attention OF COuh-
ell the result of the investigation OF the treas
ury OF the city, and submit herew w WY teI
port of K. f. Bryan, Esq, VINO was aPPolnIe s.
by the Finance Committee OF tRe lorIi it
board to make an investigation OF the Guy
treasury for the wears 1879, 1880, 1881 ana 1851
It will be seen that the investigation mas ue-
veloped such Irregularities in each OF the years
investigated by the expert, WnlCh nave IioV
been exnlained bv Mr.. Cope This committee
gave Mr.. Cope until last saturday 10 make an
explanation of the affairs OF MS once. Oh
Saturday evening ne handed IN VIA Puf +,
the coupon account, claiming that the former
count Of coupons was erroneous, put showing
a deficit of some s., 900 in this account:
In order to investigate for itself TINS mat
ter, your committee counted the coupons
again on last Monday, and practically verlneu
the count as made by the Finance Committee
of the former board. No explanation mas
been offered of any of the other Irregularities
and deficiencies brought to Mr.. Copes atten-
ton, and your committee are satisfied from an
examination of the books OF the treasurer
Office that none can be made.
In view of the facts developed in this lnves-
tigation, YOUR committee deem 1t proper TO
recommend to Council that this committee be
authorized to continue the investigation Oe-
gun nv the committee of the former Board.
SAMUEL =. HAMILTON,
Chairman Finance Committee.
THE EXPERTS REPORT.
SAVANNAH, GA, Jan. %, 1888.
Mr. s. p. Hamilton, Chairman Finance COM
N ajIO T
SIR-Under authority of the Finance Com
mlttee of the late City Council, of which COM
mittee Mr.. Geo. c. Freeman was Chairman,
was employed by the city of savannah. as an
expert accountant. to examine the books ana
accounts of the City Treasury for the years
1879, 1850, 1881 and 1882, and to report upon the
accuracy or inaccuracy of the same. Having
accepted the charge, l Immediately AFTER APP
pointment entered upon my duties, which was
earfy IN October last, and continued the eN,
animation up to the time the late board retlred
from Office At the commencement of the in
vestigation l divided the work into two
classes. .,
First That which properly might be termed
sssuperficial." That is to say, examining upon
the basis of the records as l found them in the
Office Of the Treasury.
Second. Confirming the correctness or IN
correctness of the data as il is found recorded
upon the stubs of the various books ana other
The examination is about complete so far as
it applies to the first class, and it remains for
YOU to say if it shall proceed further, under
INV direction, in the manner named in the
second division.
/ had hoped to have every detail complete
before the termination Of the official term OF
office of the late board, but found it impos-
sible TO do so, in consequence Of the large
volume of work which found II necessary to
examine and the desire to do full justice to
the city and the officer in charge of the Treas
ury,
Herewith present you with the facts as re-
CARDS the irregularities which have been
called to the attention OF the City Treasurer,
and for which, SO far as | am aware, no sat
isfactory explanation has been given.
a.
In the matter OF discounts for the prompt
payment of real estate, personals and stock in