The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
encies.
$500 81.

IL IS readily seen by these estimates
mat a certain amount of system had
Deen evolved out of the chaos which
obtained up to the beginning Of the
revolution, but by the m in
come of 1886 being more than $4,000
Tess than the estimated expenditures
Tor 1897. il IS highly probable that
the annual revenues We're not yet suf-
iiclent 10 meet the various expendi-
lures of the State.
North Carolina in common with the
other colonies. procured most of her
military stores during the Revolution
by way Of the West Indies. The nego-
tiatlons with the French agent. the
MARQUIS de Britaigne were carried on
by means OF committees which was
appointed by the Legislature for that
particular Arms were sent
from France to the West Indies under
the Spanish firm name of HortaIes &
Company. The munitions of war We're
exchanged for produce. The articles
used most frequently in exchange was
tobacco. of which it took 40 hogs
heads to pay for % pieces of cannon
In 1880 a Board of Commissioners
was appointed for the purpose of en-
couraging the trade of the State which
would dOun to its financial well-be-
ing. The board was given wide dis
cretlOnary powers but it was to make
regular reports to the General Assem-
bly,. 1t could build ships, purchase
warehouses for the use of the public
and do all things which it deemed
necessary for the advancement OF
mmerce The board was made up
Of three commissioners, who were al
lowed a salary of $1,000 a year.
In the same year that the commits
siOners for the encouragement Of COM
merce were appointed, a Board Of War
was established. 1t was to superin-
tend the operation of the military
forces of the State, and were also en-
powered to draw on any person en-
trusted with the keeping of public
monies. AS the acquisitions of Con-
gress at this time were in specific
supplies, this board supervised the
building of the public s~torehouses and
appointed some one. usually an army
officer, who was to act as q sort OF SUI
perintendent Of the county commits
sioners. These officials gathered the
provision supplies into the ware
houses, which were built for this es-
pecial purpose Invoices of these store
houses were made from time to time,
in which the divers articles that had
Haen paid in, were listed in the form
Of a report which was made to the
Board Of War.
The disbursement of all monies for
the troops, was made in the first in
stance, by the paymaSter OF the prov
ince, who was appointed by the Gen
eral Assembly. He was placed under
a DOnC OF tlCO,UOV do "a - etS
faithful performance Of b duties OF
the office His salary was fixed at fifty
dollars per month.
In April, 1916. several persons were
appointed to purchase small fire arms
for the use OF the troops In the early
part of the struggle the lack Of these
necessary articles was felt very keeniy.
There was q committee created by
the General Assembly whose duty 1t
was 70 make an estimate Of the
amounts of paper money which should
be issued Whenever it vas thought
conditions warranted the adoption OF
this expedient. This committee also
supervised the printing and signing OF
the money which was emitted
The settlement and adjustment or
public accounts We're at lirSt IN the
hands af a single individual. 1t was
his duty to satisfy all the claims Of in
divioual citizens against the State and
in addition to this. he was to ADJUST
the accounts OF North Carolina against
the Continental Congress or the
United States. This latter duty does
not seem to have been performed very
punctiliously lefore 1879 as many or
the vouchers bad been either lost or
DESTROYED. Ia mis- year provision was
made for the appointment OF an offlcer
whose sole dutr was to ADJUST the &C
commits Of the stat e against the United
States. The rule to be followed in al
fecting a settlement was, that expenses
which were incurred for the exclusive
benefit of the State were to be borne
by the state itself, bat the obligations
assumed in behalf of all the people
OF the continent should be met and
Maid out of the ammo treasury. tor
some reason or other this official was
no more efficient than his predecessor
whom he displaced for Governor
Burke in 1871 says. Il find upon en-
curry that no office is kept wherein
tho General State OF Pubic ACC Us.
is entered, and it is impossible to
do ~i,,stice to the State, with regard to
its expenditures and advances. without
regular and clear facts and entries
Of the publ acc'ts. a State which
has borne so great a par OF the
burden of the war. which has sup
plied SO much of it's property to the
uses Of the General Confederacy. and
which must Lear SO considerable a
nroDortion of the Common expences,