Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-10-06
WOULD IND|CT
 COUNTY CLERK Judge Grace Tells Clerk Shelby Not to Issue
 The Scrip. SAYS ITS ILLEGAL
Leyying Court Has No Authority to Permit Him to Spend Money of
 The Taxpayers.

Holding that the Jefferson County Levying Court exceeded it's authority Tuesday, when it appropriated $2,5OO for the purpose of permitting T. Hay IS Nixon, prosecuting attorney-elect to employ expert accounts to inspect the records of the county officials and ascertain if any of them are :r- debted to the county in fees taken oy them in excess of salaries allowed 5v law, and giving MT. Nixon the right 10 personally dispose of the appropria- ton, Judge A. B. Grace yesterday in- formed County Clerk J. H. Shelby that if he issues any scrip under the appropriation, he would instruct the grand Jury of this county to indict him. The instructions were given to County Clerk Shelby in person by the Circuit Judge and it is most likely that the county clerk will refuse to issue the scrip when a demand is made on him for same.
 Judge Grace in discussing the mat ter yesterday. said that he knows the County Levying Court has the author ity to make an appropriation for any purpose it deems proper, but it over stepped it's bound of authority when it adopted the resolution, giving MT. Nixon or anyone else excepting the county judge the right to spend the money of the taxpayers of this coun. ty
 If MT. Nixon has any information that would lead him to believe that any county official or officials are indebted to the county are if any oth- CT similar irregularities ex;sr a, the court house he should come into my court and inform me of them and I will act Immediately and order an in- vestigation. No official of this coun- ty has the authority to expend money from the county treasury but the county judge and I will enforce the law in that respect. I have annually appointed commissioners of accounts. expert accountants, who have gone over the records of the county off, cials thoroughly, as proyil.i by law, and they have made reports each year of their findings
 This action on the part of Judge Grace was what was expected by members of the legal profession, who defined the resolution adopted by the Levying Court Tuesday. It was ar gued on the floor of the Levying Court that that body had no legal authority to permit Mr. Nixon, even though he is to be the prosecuting at torney' to expcnd the county mo,r y. When asked for an opinion, Attorney W. F. Coleman informed the Levying Court that the resolution was poorly drawn; that while the Magistrates had the right to make any appropria- tion they saw fit, it was question ilt his mind as to whether or not they could give MT. Nixon authority to spend county funds.
 The Resolution.
 The resolution adopted by the Jefferson County uevying Court fol- lows:
 Be it resolved that there .,e and is hereby appropriated out of the Jeff ferson County General Revenue Fund the sum of Twenty-Five Hundred ($2,- 5O0.00) Dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary for the :surp, SC 1 of employing and paying for the SGT. vices of such expert accoln.en, Or accountants as may be necessary tc go over and check up such books ac- counts and settlements of present anJ < past county and township officials