The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-13
Clerk County Commissioners and
Ex.Auditor.

Editor Press ana Banner.
The Grand Jury In the discharge OF their
duty imposed by the law to "examine and re-
port upon the condition and management OF
the various County offices appointed com
mittee of four Of their number at the Februa;
s b S respt at
nize the right as we'll as the bounden duty ol
the Grand Jury to make strict and impair.
tial in nyestigation of the official acts of every
a high high regard for this body we take this op
portunity to state that we are grateful for the
privilege 1t affords every County official to
make his defence. :,
After carefully reading the report find all
the charges against me are "errors of the
head and not OF the heart" There is nc
charge Of misappropriating County funds OF
In any wise rejecting upon my integrity OF
honesty. shall therefore make as short Q
statement of facts as the circumstances will
allow, and leave the verdict with that com.
mittee from whose judment there is no ap-
peal.
preferred necessarily connect me. as Auditor
with the County Treasurer and School Com
missioners, and upon examination or It's con-
rors in auditing the vouchers OF these officers
The first in 1883 In which the School Commits
sioner received three hundred and fifty dol
lars too much, and the second In 1884 In which
the County gained four hundred dollars.
suppose these two settlements and charges
will be fully explained by the Treasurer
and school Commissioner.
In the case Of the extra allowance to the old
School Commissioner, we presume he Will
give full and satisfactory explanation
AS to this case we give our statement sugges
tions in referance to a change In the law gov
erning salaried officers.
The Treasurer makes up his annual state
ment by charging himself With all balances
due from settlement, together With all cash
received during the fiscal year covered by the
settlement. The Auditor examines the
| ,,op ,b ar yypll nc oOy balances due Dra.
vious settlement, and II the vouchers present.
ed agree with the statement he approves 9th
erwise he returns 1t for correction. AT the
same time before the settlement sheet Is sign
ed BY the Auditor, he counts all the money
due the State and County on the various
claims, 80 that when the settlement Is made
there are vouchers or cash TO balance every
claim.
In making the settlement with the Treasur.
er in 1888, according to the report Of the com
mittee, there was three hundred and nfty
dollars too much paid to the Scho0l 100 C9mmtS ~ rs
an oversight on the part Of the Treasurer In
carrying forward his account, he overlooked q
mistake by which he lost four hundred dol.
voucher carefully checked of, but in some
way the mistake Was rot detected although
carefully reviewed by the Treasurer as we'll as
Mr.. T. G.. Perrin and myself There is, after 8
on School claims, a balance isdue by the Coun.
ty to the Treasurer Of twenty seven dollars,
The next charge connects me with the
Treasurer and County Commissioners, as
Clerk of the present Board. In reference to In.
formal orders. This charge the Treasurer
may answer as TO his common practice in the
years specified by the committee, when the
taxes were collected in the May ana October
installments. but never call upon him to
pay Informal orders except in cases OF emer-
gency. "The practice now Is the exception
and not the rule" and when drawn on for q
fraction OF the claim. am no apoogtst for
Informal orders, and when was appointed to
the Clerkship of the Board, l determined to
discontinue their pSe except in cases Of Luna
tics and other emergencies,
The charge of the committee that there are
on file In the County Commissioners Office
Jury and witness tickets uncancelled for the
years S0-S1 Is true, and no doubt the COM
mittee has reported not to reflect upon the
Clerk who was then in Office, but to show the
necessity for the enforcement Of the law OF
cancellation. did not know until these pro.
ceedings commenced that such package was
on file and shall not pending this investiga-
tion disturb them, but will cancel them at the
proper time, claim to have been cautious In
canceIling claims filed and audited during
my term Of office, and while there may be oc-
casionally an uncancelled certificate and Jury
ticket, all tue current and special accounts
have been paid In full. and 80 marked on tho
duplicate and receipted in full on each ac-
int with No. OF check, date, and TO whom