The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-20
THE FARMER AND MECHANIC

telluer d strict account of all monies
passing through their hands. The
paynlaster general of the army was
required to furnish a statement on
AN 70 the State Board of Auditors of
all monies paid over To him and tho
for which they were exnend-
eu. many officers who were guilty Of
iHisapply1ng the public money were
arrested Tor m~alfeasance in office.
here was no certain fixed time for
the sherlffs to collect the taxes and
tnelr ponds were entirely INADEQUATE.
for these reasons, there was an un-
usual amount Of fraud among this
Grass OF public officers. Special forms
VI nouces We're prepared for default
lhs sherlffs which read as follows:
late Sheriff or Collector
or Public Duties and Taxes in the
county of......
Sir:
1t appears by acct's filed in this
com. by the Southern Treasurer. that
you are a public Defaulter for Taxes
Cor Duties) by you collected in your
county for the year HI"
The large number Of persons en-
ployed in the collection Of the public
taxes, duties, etc, consumed a large
part or the State revenue before it
was turned over to the treasury, and
caused great Inconvenience and con-
fusion in their accounts with the pub
lie.
The administration of the commits
sary department Of the army seemed
especially inefficient and corrupt. It
sometimes happened that the officers
of this department could not be found
IN cases OF great emergency. When
large sums of money were turned
over to them for the of the
troops they were particularly liable
~ bof L.
known. The County Commissioners,
whose duty it was to collect supplies
for the army, were negligent and lazy,
and Oftentimes seriously hampered the
operations and effectiveness Of the
troops.
The administrative machinery of
the Continental Congress seemed, if
such a thing be possible. to be ven
more inefficient than hat of North
Carolina. Washington, in a letter to
Joseph Reed, in 1875, says, What an
astonishing thing it is, that those who
are employed to sign the Continental
bills should be able, or inclined to do
it as fast as they are wanted. They
will prove the destruction Of the army
if hey are not more attentive and
diligenr." From this apparent lax
ness in the treasury department, the
army was seriously handicapped in its
operations on several occasions. IN
doubtedly, the poor pay Of the officers
and soldiers of the army obliged many
to appropriate q great deal Of the
money which was entrusted to them to
supply their needs. When one con-
siders that there were times during
the Revolution when the q of a
colonel would not any more than ouy
oats for his horse, it comes eViden,
tina the officers were almost com
PEELED to resort to extremely question
able practices.
In 1777, Congress recommended to
the Genera Assembly of North Caro-
lima that an action be taken by the
State to prevent the officers Q t the
army from squandering money and to
put an end to gambling and lndo-
lence. During the same year, In a
communication from one of the Con
tinental to Governor Cas-
we'll. it was provided hat a strict
account should be rendered to the
governor by all the officers who had
charge of the recruiting service and
the funds set aside for the purpose OF
securing enliStmentS for the army. IN
the following year, Governor Morris,
who was a membe of the treasury
board, sent an order to Governor CAS-
we'll to the effect that all person:
holding office under the Continental
! Congress who were guilty Of engros'
sing were to be severely punished Bae
as these conditions were, they were
equally bad in England during the
same period. Meetings were being
held over the whole country to pro
test against the sQuandering OF large
sums of money by the King and his
ministers to corrupt Parliament. II
was estimated that three or four nun
dred thousand pounds were spent eV-
erv wear for his one purpose alone.
The general Decentralization ano
confusion in all the departments the
ineffectiveness and waste OF the ad'
ministration led Congress TO estabilsf
Tho office of superintendent Of FL
nance The unanimous choice Of &
person for this position fell upon ROD.
ert Morris. He commanded the re
snect of every one and great thing:
were expected from this appolntmnt
Morris soon instituted a new pohcs
und er which the treasury oepar.a1enI