Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-10-26
Reply Of Auditor yFnryc.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
OFFICE AUDITOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Richmond, Oct. 25th, 1856.
To John NJ. Johnson, esq
Dear Sir: have read with surprise your
letter of the 2lst inst, published in the
GAZETTE, ADDRESSED to me.
1t purports to be q reply to my answer to
air. Cooper; but it ia reply TO TO argu
:nents used by me.
did not say, as alleged by you that the
STATE would hold on to the money made
| out of the tax payers by the levies on their
property, or use it 10 pay the judgments
against the county treasures, and then
claim tho coupons too.
said this money would be used in set
tling these judgments, but not by the STATE.
The judgments were against the individuals
who made the levies and these individuals
| would so use it.
l stated expressly that the State must
abide by the decision Of the Court rendered
at the Instance ofthe tax payers, which de.
cision was that SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO THIS
MONEY; that the State did not take their prop.
crtH; that q person who was neither her
| ctlicer, her agent, nor her representative
took II; and | argued that the tax-payers
having attained decision from the court
that the State DID NOT take their property.
would not be permitted, by any court, to
plead that she DID.
la this may be mistaken. There is no
telling what court may do. But, what
ever lhe courts may hereafter decide, the
Attorney General, and Mr.. Tucker hold
That the right Of the State to the cnupops Is
clear. You broadly intimate that their
opinion is entitled to no respect, and conf
IDENTIFY assert the contrary.
Without meaning to disparge your ability
or legal attachments, / venture to suggest
! that 1t would be safer to act upon their
opinion rather than yours.
You say that declared it good policy for
the State to waste Or consume two thirds of
:l,oi3,4ei 81 in "a vain attempt to prevent
paying her debt. This is an astonishiua
aVermeat TO make with ny letrer before
you.
In reply to Mr.. Cooper's argument that
The State could not Stand the expenditures
made By the indemnity board, showed that
during the fiscal year ending September So b,
1856, the revenue collected was s2773. 437. ga
OF which only $50. 1SS so was paid in cou.
pons, forced into the treasury ; and that this
result had heen accomplished by an ey
pendltuie for attorneys fees and court coats
lincluding the costs in the cases recently
0ecidedl OF LESS THAN $4,000 I added thai
could see no reason Why the State could
not stand this
What resemblance is there between this
ard the sentiment you attributed to me?
The fact is, my esteemed friend. YOU we're
excited when you wrote, failed to under
stand my letter, and consequently to replv
to it with your usual forco and clearness.
You declare that the sooner the peope of
Virginia instruct her agents to take coupcus
Tor taxes the better it will be for them. Tn
al! sincerity ask, if this be done, where
Will the money come from to support the
goVernment-to pay tho judges, jurors and
witnesses, the fees of justices and sherifIs. to
leed the prisoners in the penitentiary and
the Jails, to care for unfortunate inmates of
the unatic asvlums, and to sustain the pub
lie schools?
DO you not see that none of these things
can oe done if the taxes are paid in COUPONS
anu That government will come to an end
Iae coupons cannot be paid until means
are devised 20 provide money for that pur-
pose. If you think it wise to ATTEMPT to
elect members of the legislature pledged 10
devise these means, then advocate that
cause, and IN the mean time cease to throw
obstacles IN the way OF the collection of the
revenue. Very respectfully,
MORTON MARYE,
Auditor of Public Accounts
I. S.-Since writing the above T have
learned, upon the hg hest authority. that
Judges Staples and Burks aud Major Rilev
the eminent jnrists engaged upon the revi.
sion of the Code, having carefully consider
ed the question, unanimously concnr with
the Attorney General and Mr.. Tucker that
the right of the State to the coupons is
e'esr. NJ. M.