The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-10-20
Henry NJ Holladay

ilIt Ut iNI hI if.i 'H
70 the Honorable John T. Mason. Judge
Of the Circuit Court for Spotsyl,ania
County, Va.
Pursuant to the order OF the Honor
able County Court Of Spotsylyania com
ty. Virginia. entered az its August term,
1903. on the Bird day Of August. 1908. a
certified copy Of which is returned here
with. ~ u part Of this report marked TX
hibit 4. the undersigned. constituting -
quorum OF -aid committee, did on the
18th. 1Sth. 2gth and 81 Il OF August nnd
lst September, al the court house ol
Spotsy lvania county proceei. % the % -
ol their ability. % perform the duties by
said order enioined upon them and beg
beg leave respectfully 10 report ~ toll
lows:
| The clerk oi your hOnOr's court. j.
/ T. II Crismond. -O far ~ the records id
/ hooks in his office show. failed 10 i,rp
/ the tax and fee book. or books A. requir
/ ed by law 10 be kept. or II he did keep It
or them. your committee could hnd
neither in the said Office.
,. The Chancery Rule Book Of your
honor's court was not and has not lref
kept "a the law requires. A number o.
causes instituted ~ various times be
tween July lst. 1851. when the said rIs
mond became Clerk. and February 2~th
1909. the ultimate date 10 which yuul
committees examination extended wcr'
not entered at all on the said Rule Book
and Others were entered without th'
given names OF the parties being stated
and the Rule Book, in many otthe causel
entered Jailed. and now fails. 10 show
the orders entered at rules, or any actor
AT rules whatsoever Few II any snow
the appointment OF guardians ad liten
by the clerk. nor are such appointment
noted in the Chancery Order Book be
tween the terms Of your honor's courts
3. SO far ~ applicable, from the sim
ilarity Of the two SYSTEMS OF pleadinI
and procedure. matters set out above i.
parapraph ,. in reference to the Chan
'ery Rule Book are true with reference 4
the Common Law Rule Book.
4. Few, il any, vacation DEGREES d
your IIonor's a. spread upon the Chhn
cery Order Book bear any certificate. o
enforcement. by the Clerk ~ To the tm
the said vacation orders or decrees Wer
received by him or entered OF record a
the law directs.
; Few. il any, OF the said vaca'io
orders or DEGREES, bear any certificate {
the Clerk that the same were examined:
and some have been copied by han
D other than the Clerks or deputy Gle
- without even the "teste" Of the Clerk. q
: the Clerks name by himself or his d pl
ty. being signed TO the DEGREES or orderI
Nothing appears to give them the STAN
OF oficiality save alone the position the
occupy on your Honor's Chancery Ord'
Book following your Honors signstul
closing term Of court and preceedin
the opening Of another term Ot court.
q Causes have been started at rule
no mention OF which appears on Il
Chancery Rule Book, and the same ha
ing been dismissed subsequently, and b
fore term. appear not on the Cou
Docket nor on the Order Book, thoul
some OF the papers in the causes ha
been flied away in the Clerks Ollie
and counsel in other instances have
pers. The same il true Of actions at la
and the Law Order Book and 'COu
Decker. 49,.
: In view OF the above condition
II the records OF your hOnOrs court, 81
u nv reason OF the absbnce 0i the tax
~ fee book properly sept. it is impossil
10 for your committee tO say that tn
u have correctly ascertained and report
. all OF the money, in taxes and fees, whi
Nd 4 4 ..lI..f.A l.r lfIorE |
be n. Crismond and reported aud paid oy
We 10 the Auditor OF Public Accounts. n
er does your committee say they have n
ascertaibed nor have reported oil su
money! they simply report what, irC
the Rule Books. Order Books. papers
~ caus. 4. "a. d Clerks receipts and ledg'
found in the Clerks ofiice, they thi
10 should have been reported, and ,
properly chargeabla to and against
90 SAID Clerk Crismondi and with this ini
nation, tsbulated into periods conc
"a rent with those required by law to
reported by the Clerk to the Auditor
Public Accounts, your committee
.o' dili0ently compared the reports OF
said Crismond made to the Audit
80 aioresaid. certified copies OF which
rorts were furnished your Committee
~ ,be sa;d Auditor, and In Exhibits a.
pC ID f. f. filed herewith a. a part
,b;s report. set ont the number Of III
a,d actions. the tax on the same,
20 oumber reported by the Clerk ana
on the same and the dn:rence betw'
|. - ,he finding Of your committee and the
oorts Of the said Clerk Crismond- Exhit
q "a q. ID. & Z. show shortages In the repo