The Russellville Democrat., 1891-03-12

Mir Rhodes hoped the bill woui pass. He was opposed to the amend ment The state of Georgia has m
 lailrosd e mmission for years, au
 she pays her com nissioncrs S2500
 Mir. Coffman was willing to l. ay
 the question of salary to the goo'
 judgment ot the house. Those win
 wa t the salary reduced to Sl50'
 have q poor conception of the magpi
 tude ot the office. He regarded th'
 amendmt nit as repetition Of th'
 ta, tics of Inc enemies of the bill
 which have been resor'ed to al tn,
 past session.
 l Mir Williams, of Lincoln, though l $500 a year sufficient. He was il
 favor of regulating the "hansporta-
 tionn If irci hi as well as passen
 gers, hu he vas agaiust the bill, and
 hoped it would be tabled in
 iefinitely.u
 Mr. Otey was fric nd to the bill md opposed the amendment, but he l would support he bill unless it wa.
 amended bey yond the possibility ol doing what was intended under is
 provisions He was in favor Of ade. l qnste salaries. One cent on eaci
 bale of cotton produced in the state
 would defrsy the expense of this com | mission.
 Mir. Brundidge said he would not support the bill. IL would not ben.
 eft any tax psyer l cent. The rail-
 road system of Arkansas is nothing
 to compare with that of Georgia. He canvsssed several counties during le
 last campaign, and found the peopll 1 opposed to an increase of salarie ed
 officials. The people who are al- ready bearing heavy burdens will feel every cent added like beast ot bnrden that is already overloaded. Mr. Walker sent lp report from the joint committee on treasurer's s
 and auditors books, accompanied
 by tie following explanatory state
 ment, on the findings of the commit tee for the second term of ex-trea-
 surer Woodruff:
 Your joint special committee ap- pointed to Investigate the fiji ial ac- counts of the late treasurer, William E. Woodruff, Jr herewith report the completion of the investigation of said accounts for Mir. Woodruff s second term, beg inning January IS, 1883, and ending January IA, 1885 The exh bits accompanying this report arc marked as in cue report on the first term heretofore present. ed to the general assembly, and the suits arc shown in similar man ner.
 Thirty two coupons on each of 149 per cent Loughborough bonds, redeemed in the tbird quarter of 1884; twenty-eight coupons on each of six of the same class of bonds, re- deemed in the fourth quarter Cf 1884 also twenty -,even coupons on each of thirty of the same class of bonds, redeemed between January aud 14 1, 1885; also twenty-six coupons ol one bond, redeemed between January and IA, 1885, making a total of 5772 coupons of $50 each, were found uncancclled, aud the same were cancelled as required by law by your com mttee; also find that Mir. Woodruff issued S5 in scrip in redemption of auditors warrant No. 897 and erroneously took credit for the same and in the third quarter of 1883, on account of sales and redemption of land, we find an item of Sl,75 currency erroneously credited to 'tax due counties" fund that should have gone to account of general revenue fund. We therefore credit him in former and charge him in latter account with that amount. Your committee further finds that the general revenue fund was largely overdrawn at the beginning of the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 1884 aud the first quarter of 1885 and at the expiration of the tern January IA, 1885, the amount overdrawn was $l06 ,640.91. This overdraft could have been
 made in no other way than by re- deeming warrants drawn on the gem eral revenue fund out of funds of the I treasury at the time. This is with
 out authority of any lew and iu vi)- lation of the spirit of the constitu ton, and our committee feel they
 cannot too strongly condemn the practice.
 From the above it will be seen tha Mir. Woodruff was due the slate the
 sum of S8 % in currency more than
 what he receipted himself for, as his | own successor, at the close of bis | second term.
 Mir. Jones, of Pulaski, was op.
 posed to the pending bil, and ia | vored the amendment.
 Mir. Baker spoke again in favor of
 the amendment, closing the argu
 ment.
 The roll being called the amend
 ment failed. Ayes, 80; nays, 36.
 Pending the consideration of the
 amendment offered by Mir. Otey, tho
 house adjourned till o'clock Mon.
 day morning.
 Forenoon Session, March 0.