Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-30
TIE TEX7IMONY 1AKEN.
Evidence Cpe~ which the Report orihe Com
pstttee ~ Based.

| vstttee IL Based.
OfyIcE AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS,
FRIDAY, November %, 1884, 10P. NJ. !
Present: MessF~. Il. u. Moon and X. i
Barton.
| q. r. Hume, sw0In and examined.
by Mr.. Moon: q. What was your oceu
patton in 1851 and 1872
| A. Clerk OF the County and Circli
courts Of Greene county.
4 o. As such clerk did You remit to ID
| Auditor any taxes collected on suits, deeds
ETC., during the year 1892 II 80. state tb
amount RENTED and all the Circumstance
Of the transaction.
| A. Upon the 18th day Il December, 1892
Iwrote to the Auditor OF Virginia, enclos
ing bimla registered package Of STA in
| money, and sixty-seven cen!s I'm postage
| stamps, and $40 In accounts against th'
I State, allowances OF clerk Of said court; alst
my reports for the year ending the lst OF
l September, 1882; the amount aggregated
| S209.G7. Some time in the month OF No
| rember, 1884, all Of these papers were ionnd
| m one Of the back offices Of the Auditors
| Office. and upon examination OF the Urea.
| .ureT's books find ibst ! have no credit
| for any suaD paid for the year 1882 nj all.
| That about embraces 10 all. The reports and
aeeouEt.I ind ia the original envelope sent
| by me 20 the Auditor OF Public Accounts.
y. Did YOU md any money. currency,
or stamps In The original envelope!
A. did not.
o. Were these allowances for which certi-
fcates were sent down in tins envelope
ever made or entered on the books OF the
Auditors Office or Treasurer's Office?
A. Not that have been able 10 find, sir.
.skaI 10 IN a.
original envelope sent by me. unaudited,
and the money gone. You see, d TINS
amount had ever been audited II would be
found on The back OF them.
q. What is your occupation now?
A. am now second clerk in the Trea-
surcr's Office, and keep the accounts Of the
COmmonU cath.
q. Have you examined the books with
the view TO see whether any entry has been
made as 70 this remittance?
A. Yes, sir, have. in connection with
Mr.. Waddill, one Of the clerks OF the
Auditors Office.
q. Please state whether, as clerk in the
Treasures office, you have noticed any
failure or want Of interest as TO reports or
returns from the clerks OF the courts
throughout the State, who are reguired
~ INV w hiNht ltAulDN IiilO tllt
Treasury; II so, state rs 10 how many such
failures " want Of returns were shown for
lat ycar-lSSo .r,. hools
A. Ihave cXaminedthc Trcasm' poVAs,
and | find from, including the mdasu m
December, 1883, up TO the month OF sep
tember. 1884, there were only ll3 entrles
of amounts paid by clerks Of county anu
circuit courts, corporation courts, CORPORA
ton circuit courts, Chancery Court OF the
city Of Richmond. and court OF appeals.
mink there ought to he 230 entries.
There are 100 county courts, 100 circuit
courts, ID corporation courts, - corpora
ton circuit courts, l chaucery court, ana
courts Of appeals.
q. Where ought these entries 10 De
shown: on whose books!
A. They ought u be shown on the books
of the Auditor and Treasurer both.
q. state IL you have noticed any cases OF
failure or want Of credit OF clerks for other
wears than that OF September |, 1883; IL 20,
state what instances
A. have looked to the counties OF
Charles city. lienrico, and Madison. ana,
rs have stated before. my own county.
Greene. back to the year 1877. As TO The
counties Of Charles City and llenrico, |
have looked. with Mr.. Waddill, rs to
amount paid in by his brother, clerk Of
Henrico. and his father, clerk OF Charles
CITY, ana his receipts show on the book
what years are credited and what not. He
made a memorandum from the books OF
these receipts. And rs TO the county OF
Madison. | find only one credit since !S7!,
and that i, for the year 1879. only cX'
amned the Trcasurcr's books in reference
TO these cases.
Auditor Marys.
Colonel Morton Marye, sworn and eXa H.
ined. ,uo
Nv Mr.. Moon: q. You have heard Inc
testimony Of Mr.. Hume in reference to th'
absence Of returns from the various clerk
i'm the Commonwca Of taxes collected ny
ihem. state what your books show 4. &c
such entries. aud all you know IT, reference
to the salav:
4. Wien ] was elected Auditor there
! WAS committee of the House engaged II
] .uvc,tic,trnc the books OF this office. Ihe,
,yc,e engaged in that service iOr, lhihk
( may he six weeks after ] came III, ulirih'
which time did not pay any attention u
the ledger on which accounts Of CLERK
.hould he kept. | was much engaged 10
.ome months thereafter In constituting w
rious laws, tax laws, giving instruction, I
commissioners aud other parties VINO mau
inquiry as 10 that, looking into especiiil
the accounts presented ior payment al I'M
office. examining them personally, many
which were for allowances not authorize
by law, such H. Jail accounts, accounts
, justices Of the peace. ShcrilS, and othI
. officers. 4 was necessarily much occupie
during the session OF the Legislature wit
2 interviews with members oi that body O
/. various subjects, and had not the time
devote To the personal inspection OF II
}. books. Mr.. MOncure, the clerk who Keel
: the Treasures accounts. was engaged
: examining the TreSsurer's accounts,
o many Of which he pold me he found crro
z in additions and suhlractiOns. 80 that
e was unable for some time 10 give me
r. statement OF delinquent tressurcrs. Fin;
p " in the summer, about August, lss
l. | wss enabled to give NV attenti
a 10 the accounts OF such treasurers ~ we
~ behindhand i'm their payments. My nit
u was particularly directed to treasurer
% from whom one half Of the revenues OF {
aS s,ste are received, and commenced
III soon a. possible writing to those that wC
nd delinquent. In tae meantime | motto
h that the accounts Ofeitrks were not WRIT
ce NJ for several years. III had not been [
lie habit Of crediting even those who had p
on thclr accounts on the ledger, al
ne noticed that there were no accounts open
-. anywhere for AOtaries public. from who
H. considerable amounts were received. |
t. queetcd Mr.. William X. smith, the ii
- clerk. who Ia, charge 81 the clerks
he counts. to give me n statement OF the clei
ell whe were delinquent for this year uSS3.'
Ii never occurred 10 nv 10 look behi
Ii that: Wa. simply looking 30 c0lccti
~ the rcyenus~ of the state. and was not th
Is engaged in cNaaisns the books Of
10 predecessors Ia see il there were any
rors. had no reason % Suspect asythi
,e wrong in ths matter 20 far ~ paynent IL
NJ the Treasury WA concerned. Was .iml
~ looking towards ealing upon those clei
ot who had failed 10 make reports. il a
!. there might be. NJ. smith. from time
~ sas, promised 90 give ise this st&tcSe
and on ose occasion he called my at,cntl
NJ 10 the fact and gave me the name Of CID
ID Of Alcxspdlia ~ having been delinquf
OF for number Of years. had not the
10 hottest idea that In snY event there vol
Sc De more than few who had failed TO INA
,. these returns, ssd WAS not ~ urgeAt IN /
d mstier n possibly | should hsye be,
Nj. smith has been in this office
i twenty years. was recommended 10 me
- almost the unsninou. wish Of The memb,
4 OF the General Assembly a. being esscnt
= Ia the working Of this Office, aud on
h sides had heard 81 him az one Of the N,
e valuable men. had found bun we'll
) , aii.inttd with the general run Of the bx