The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-17

Elements could be had. He supporteoa
Judge Quarles' amendment, saying thai
treasurers ought to be allowed to re-
main in office just as long as the people-s
desired to elect them.
INTERESTING COLLOQUY
A coIloquy between Messrs. BraSton,
Quarles ana Keezell as TO settlements I,sa
suited in Mr.. Keezell again TAXING 'nS
floor and the whole matter OF g1Vlns u
fetal bonds was discussed and comment
ed on
Mr.. Braxton resumed his argument a1Isr
| Mr., Keezeu's and commended the pest way
out Of the difficulty with treasurers
Elements was TO amend the law anu NJ.
abolish or cripple all treasurers because
a few were careless, incompetent OF us
honest
Judge Epes here read the law T san M %
the treasurer to su .o1fisx, q with tie
Board of Supervisors to tile JUS - .to
County Court for inspection.
Judge Garrett said the law dlu no. Pc! ~.
vent cooking accounts; ma ma MT i in HE
| bank and get a certificate OF deposit to
show to the judge.
Mr. Lindsay said there was not an. ny
detailed examination made Ply eltief ti'e
Judges or the Board of Supervisors
Mr.. r. Walton Moore Salo III , ms sec .io i
| the county treasurers We're as hoiigst I I,u
| efficient as anywhere IN tHs "oitu. ! -.
| fault was not in the law. Ehere is Picnt!
| of law to punish an official for not dong
! his duty. In China, they hung a hank
| president for defalcation and there mas
| not been another in four hundred Years.
! He favored Judge Quarles' amendment:
The hour of O'Clock having arrived
| the committee arose and the Convention
| took a recess until 5 O'CLOCK.
Afternoon Session.
| The convention resumed its session at
| o'clock Mr.. Ayers presiding. 1udge
! Quarles introduced a resolution proNld-
| ing that whel yer the Committee Oh the
! Whole finds itself without quorum the
| chairman shall cause the roll 10 De caiieu
| and thereupon the committee shall rise
and the chairman shall report the names
| of the absentees to the convention, which
| shall be entered on the journal; but If on
! such call quorum shall appear, the COM
| mittee shall thereupon resume its sitting
! without further order Of the convention"
A resolution will lie on the table for two
| days under the rule.
The convention then went unto Commit
| tee of the Whole, Mr.. Wise in the chair.
Mr.. Watson's amendment. that treasurers
be elected for eight years and
be ineligible for a succeeding term was
called up.
Mr.. Keezell raised the point that the
IiiiiloiitS IepOi submitted Ny hi. w III
ers should have precedence over amend
ments offered by those who We're not
members OF the committee. The chair
ruled that Mr.. Withers had a right to
offer his report as a substitute.
Mr.. Withers then offered the following
substitute for all the amendments:
There shall be elected by the quail
fed voters of each county one Sheriff,
who shall, in addition to his duties as
sheriff. perform the duties of the treas
urer as now prescribed by law; provided,
that in counties Of more than thirty thou
sand inhabitants the Office of treasurer
may be created by law
Mr. Withers said he was aware that
the word economical was met too often
with hilaritv and laughter, but did
not think it CreGitable to the special
Committee on Reduction of Expenses
to fail to show the reason why it recon-
nended q merging of the offices Of sher-
III and treasurer.
He said the recommendation was fol-
lowing 81 good old Virginia precedent,
where for so many years the sheriff
performed all the .uties and did it well.
CONDuCES TO INEFFICIENCY
Nothing conduced to netficiency more
than extravaganza. On the other hand
the most efficient system of government,
State or county. was often secured by
economy of administration. The same
might he said of individual officeholders.
He then commended that office ought to
LAY enough to justify a capable and
ccmretent man to take it. An office
tni;: had to be supplemented by bounties
from tho State or county to keep the
ircl!nEent from starving ought to be
either abolished or consolidated with one
TAFT would insure a good living ana
plenty .. work The offices of treas
rY.o al che 1I.r l.. rI%I.r
duties were not inconsistent ana could
be better performed BY one man than
BY two men. The speaker here sum-
married. the duties Of the sheriff and
treasurer to show that they could easily
be performed by one 0.-lcer He read
from carefully prepared anu complete
i:ihuiation Of all the requirements of the
law relating TO the duties OF the treas
rrer and of the sheriff, and commented
as he proceeded on the similarity of the
requirements concerning each officer.
Mr.. Nithcrs said prior to the conven-
ton Of 1863 the duties OF both offices
were performed by the sheriff. He con-
tended that Il sheriff could collect taxes
better than the treasurer because of the
nainrc of his office. He was willing to
compare the record OF tax collecting
since the Underwood Constitution ant
before. He had intended getting up a
cable showing defalcatioas OF treasurers
N Virginia for the past twenty years
but he concluded it would be too great
| rejection on the State to publish and
expose such q condition Of affairs He
proposed to allow the sheriff the same
ices now allowed him aIll the treasurer
ard to break UP forever the supplement
tai allowances made hy counties to sher-
ms. which, in $3.50, amounted to $50 .i74.335.
lie contendcd that besides saving every
year the sum of $4,000 the increased
value of the office would insure the SER
vices Of Il more efficient and intelligent
class of officers AT The conclusion; Of
his argument Mr.. Withcrs was loudly
aprlauded.
MOVED TO STRIKE OUT.
Judge Harrison moved to strike out the
proviso allowing d treasurer TO counties
OF over 30000 Inhabitants. Mr. KeezelI
opposed this amendment. Judge Harri-
son said it ought to apply to All counties
alike The larger counties could easily
have additional deputies TO assist the
Sheriff.
AIR. Thornton opposed the substitute
offered by Mr.. Withers. and made a
strong speech against continuing the Of
fees. He said the taxes collected before
the Constitution Of 1869 were nothing