Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-01
IRREGULARITIES IN THE OFFICE OF THE aU
pIIoR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTs.


Attorney General Blair of exacting illegal
fees from the State submitted q report on
Saturday, in which they disclose defalca-
ton in the Office Of the Auditor of Public
Accounts, during the administrations of Au.
ditors Taylor, Massey and Allen, the books
in that Office failing to show proper credits
for taxes paid by clerks Of county courts on
law processes. The amount Involved go
far is 81 100, but If thess irregularities show
up in the same proportion in all the 'couu-
ties the amount will reach it is estimated,
from $40 600 to $90,O00.
DR.. @. r. Hume, OF Greene county, clerk
in the Treasurer's Office, also clerk of the
County Court and Of the Circuit Court Of
Greene, in posting books kept by him iu the
Treasurer's Office observed that sum of
money which he had paid Through the
hands of his county treasurerJ into the Of
| flee Of the Auditor in December was moi
credited in the Treasury. The money WAS
Tor State taxes collected on law processes,
and having been paid in at the Auditors
office lin evidence whereof he held the re
ceipt Of w. K. Smith, esq, clerk,) should
have appeared credited to his account there
and should have been paid into the Treasury.
But the Ire asurers books do not show that
any such payment has been made through
the Auditors office. This fact was ascer-
tanned in January or February, aud Dr..
Hume went to Mr. Smith aud spoke of it ON
two or three different occasions. Mr. Smith
said that he hadn't had time to audit the
Il, count; weuld do so shortly, and that rs
they both were there ia The Capitol, it was
all right and could be attended to at any
| I ha i,,i "a
lorm We learn from the Richmond Dis
patch that recently some one picked up III II
uack room of the Da>ement-a room where
the land-books are examined-a letter in the
writing of DR.. Hume addressed to The Audi.
tor of Public Accounts. The letter was OF
date December, 1882 was written from the
county seat OF Greene; bore evidences OF
having been sent registered was open
at one end and contained Hume's state
meut of his acc unit, amounting to 5000
and spoke of funds enclosed to pay same
No money was found in this letter, but al
luwauces of the courts to Hume TO the
amount of about S35 were left in it. These
allowances and about STA in cash Hume
had forwarded from Greene TO Richmond to
pay bis indebtedness. There is no evi
dence or clue as 10 who opened this letter.
1t was turned over to Dr. Hume, and with
it in band he approached Mr.. Waddill, the
general book keeper in the Office Of the Au
ditor. No explanation of how the letter
came TO be ritled could be obtained: but it
was ascerlained from the books that SUNS OF
money certainly paid in and for which Mr..
Hume held receipts were not credited. Mr.
Waddill is q son of the clerk of Charles City
county aud brother of he county clerk OF
Henrco. He at once commenced making
injuries as TO whether all sums of money
paid il by these officers appeared on the
books. Large sums paid in 10y his father
and by Mr.. Carter, clerk of the Circuit Court
Of Henrico, were not credited and not ac-
counted for. Ofthese facts Auditor Marye
and Treasurer Barksdale were informed,
and the special committee of the House ap-
pointed to investigate Attorney General
Blair's accounts, and authorized TO go into
other such matters, took ilI:: thing in hand.
Yesterday they submitted the following lis
conjunction with their report in the invest.
gatou Of Messrs. Blair and Field:
irregularities appear to have existed il
the office Of the Auditor of Public Accounts
prior to January |, 1854, with respect TO
money paid into the otfice by the clerks o.
the various courts Of the Commonwealth.
It is the duty Of such clerks to collect tn.
tax upon civil process, deeds, &c, and 10
make report thereof to the Auditor and
cover the same into the treasury between
the lst day of September and the 18th day
Of December in each year, with very heavy
penalties UPON them for failure TO make
such report and payment within the time
specified.
From the examination Of Witnesses upon
bis subject (wbose testimony is herewith
returned) and from the records of the Au-
ditor's Office copies of which are filed with
such testimony, it appears that there were
| 113 clerks of county and corporation courts,
the same number of clerks of circuit courts,
and one clerk of Richmond City Chancery
Court, making in all 227 clerks, who ought
to have made such reports and payments
for the years ending September l. 1882, and
September /, 1883. But the records show
no report or payment from 1853 of these
clerks for the year ending Sept. /, 1882, and
none from l07 Of them for the year ending
Sept. l, 1888.
This state of facts can be explained in
but one of two ways: Either the clerks failed
to make these reports and payments, which
are not entered to their credit, or they
made them and were not credited by them
on the books of the office. Within the linn
| tied time at the disposal of your commit Ct
they could procure evidence as to only four
clerks--viz, @. h. Hume, clerk of the Cir
cult and County Courts Of Greene county
Edmund Waddill, clerk of the Circuit and
County Courts of Charles City county; Geo
w. Carter, clerk of the Cirruit Court of
Henrico county; and E. l.. Turner, clerk
of GreensviIle county.
From the deposition and vouchers of Q.
R. Hume, now clerk in the Treasurer's
Office, it appears that on different occasions
within the last four years he has paid into
the Auditors office sums aggrega.iug
$43S 72, which are not entered on the books
of either the Auditor or Treasurer The
last of these remittances he made Decem-
Der, 1882. by registered letter containing
currency and stamps sl7467, and claims
against the State to the amount of $35. No
receipt appears to have been given for this
remittance. The envelope in which these
enclosures were sent was lately found in |
the Auditors Office with the seal broken
and with his letter and claims against the
State still in it, but without the currency |