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

| al returns, rs He COulu HoG pOlub us w Oil.
law requiring it, was that they served a
a protection to the parties, as evidencinl
the fact that they had made their annua
returns. But this we regarded as of lit
tie force, knowing or believing as we do
that the best evidence of such return
having been made would be the return
itself, and the record thereof, both o
which he is required by law to keep or
file in his office. If then we are correc
in our view of this matter-if the Probate
Judge has no right to issue such certifi'
Gates and charge for them, unless said
certificates are applied for,-the amount
of such illegal charges made by this Of
Ger since he has been in office will aggre'
gate not less than one thousand dollars.
The Masters Office.
The affairs of this Office seem to ba well
administered and very satisfactory
showing was made by the incumbent
thereof as to the status of the several es.
tates in his hands as not yet fully settled
We examined his bank account and
found that he had to his credit officially
an amonnt equal to the aggregate sum ol
all the balances in his hands due the sew
eral estates as aforesaid. We suggested
what we thought would be an improve
ment in the manner of keeping his cash
book, in which he concurred with us, and
intends when he orders another book fol
this purpose to have it ruled off as sug-
gested.
The Auditors Office.
The County is to be congratulated on
having so jealous and so efficient an ofii-
Ger as is the incumbent of this office. Ii
is largely due to his perseverance, and
that too in the face Of the most persistent
opposition, (much of which being on the
part of some high in authority that an
amount approximating the sum of fif-
teen hundred dollars has been turned in
to the County Treasury. We say this be-
cause it was through his instrumentality
in large degree, and on account of GER
tain facts long since forgotten but by him
resurrected, that this investigation was
ordered, which has resulted, already, In
the recovery of the above mentioned sum
of money, after the same had been lost
sight of for years-but of this we speak
more fully elsewhere in this report.
The aggregate value of the real and
personal property of the County, as
entered on the tax duplicates, has been
greatly increased since he has been in
this office; and the duplicates are neatly
and correctly made up. We have only
one fact to allude to in connection with
the conduct of this official, wherein we
think he erred-and that is in the matter
of the last annual settlement with the
County Treasurer. In that settlement,
which was for the fiscal year beginning
on the lst day of November 1885 and end
ing on the 3lst day of October 1886, he al
lowed the Treasurer credit for some fif-
teen or sixteen hundred dollars for school
claims which originated after the close OF
the fiscal year for which the settlement
was being made. This Of course, will re-
suit in no pecuniary loss either to the
County or school fund, but serves to con-
fuse matters by mixing one years trans
actions with that of another.
The Sheriff's Office.
Sub Division 7 of Section 622 General
Statutes, states that all costs in criminal
proceedings shall be paid by the County
wherein.the offence shall have been COM
mitted-n notwithstanding this the Sheriff
has repeatedly collected costs from
Abbeville County when the same should
have been paid by other Counties.
He has, at least in one instance,
collected costs for services rem
dered another County from said other
County, and afterwards collected the
same from Abbeville County. This was
in the case of a party who committed
some offence in York County and fled to
this County where he was arrested. The
costs in this case amounting to Sls.55,
was paid by the County of York and was
also included in the Sheriff's account
against this County, and paid again.
He has also, in more than one instance,
collected costs from both the County and
Defendant in the same case. (See case Of
the State vs.. Tom Williams and others,
also County VS.. G. L. and S. Rail Road
But the matter to which we would
now call attention we regard as Of
much more importance than any
thing to which we have heretofore al
luded, and that is his construction of the
fee bill in the matter of the Sheriff's costs
for serving papers issued by Trial JUS
tice.
Section of an act entitled "An act
to amend Sections 2437 and A3S Of the
General Statutes of the State, relating to
the costs of Sheriffs and Constables'
passed at the regular Session of 1882
Provides that Sheriffs and their Deputies
executing papers issued by Trial JUS,
tice, shall be paid the same fees as are al
lowed Constables for the same work
Then Section of the same act, under the
head of pay of Constables, provides thai
for serving warrants in criminal cases
Constables shall be paid one dollar TO,
each person named i'll the warrant
except IN case of aUitnesses, besides
cents mile for each mile travelled
and for serving warrants for acitnesses il
criminal cases they shall he paid one dol.
lar for all the persons named in the war
rant, besides mileage. The obvious and