Year: 1872

l!c and for the purpose OF protect.
ing the taxpayers Of this State
against a scheme which has been
gotten up by certain State Off,
claIs, by which certain men arc to
make a large amount Of money
by dcfrauding The people, | wish
! to address 10 you I few words. a
little more than one year ago |
vas supported TO the position Of
Auditor OF State, and since hat
! time | have cnuravored to do my
duty in that connection to the best
Of my judgment. How far l have
succeeded remains for the people
to decide The first action, which,
out Of my regular course Of duties,
deemed it incumbent upon me
to take, was the prevention Of the
circulation Of the Blue Ridge scrip.
| This, | was repeatedly told by the
Governor, some one was going TO
do; but after waiting until almost
TOO late: | learned that the action
Of the Governor was simply for
the purpose Of forcing John J.
Patterson, the President Of the
company, 10 pay certain claims
which he held against the road, in
the shape of note Of the compu-
ny, which lie procured in a way
not likely to add to the rcpula-
ton Of an homes; man. Waiting,
is | have heretofore said, until al
most too late, for some one to
take this matter into the courts,
| finally instituted the necessary
proceedings, with the sanction Of
the Governor. After proceedings
had been commenced and the usual
necessary Inducements been offer,
ed his ExceIIency, an effort was
made by himself and others inter-
cSted, to induce nc to withdraw
the suit. Ten thousand dollars in
cash was offered me by one party
the day that the case came into
court; and an indirect offer Of
S25, 900 in scrip was subsequently
made by another party, in case l
would consent to withdraw the
suit. This, |, Of course, refused;
and the matter has been i bone Of
contention between us ever since.


An effort was made soon after
the adjournment OF the Lcgisla-
ture, and continued for some two
or three months, to induce me to
levy special tax to pay the in
tercst upon the entire bonded debt
Of the State, legal and illegal, to
! be collected immediately. This l
refused, although an induccment
OF $4,000 in cash was offered me.
to either levy the tax or resign my
position for the purpose Of allow
ins DR.. Ncaglc to make the levy !;
and, at the same time, I was in
formed that Governor Scott had
promised DR.. Neayle to remove
me, in case ! refused to make the
levy. again declined to comply
with their wishes.


Now; q second effort has been


made to force me to levy u tax to
pay the interest upon the fraudu-
lent debt Of the State, and to in
clude a levy Of three mills upon
the dollar to redeem S450,000 Of
the Blue Ridge scrip-one quar-
ter Of he entire issuc-which has,
by decision Of his Honor Judge \.
J. Willard, Of the Supreme Court,
been decided unconstitutional and
invalid.


Now, while l deem it the duty
Of every good citizen to pay all


just and lawful taxes, | do not
consider it his duty to pay every
tax that may be imposed by un-
scrupulous men, who chance to be
in power. Nor do I consider it
the duty Of any officer who, thro'
the force Of circumstances, hap
pens to be thc appoinlce Of such


men, to bIindly follow their dicta-
ton, without regard TO right or


wrong. So thinking, and acting
as I consider it the duty Of a


good officer and an honest man, |


have again refused to comply with


their wishes and have this day


received an order removing NE


from Office. Its but just to my.


self to add, that | was informed


by his Excellency the Governor


that | might retain the office, pro


vidcd [ would make the levy. His


ENccllency, while insisting upon


the levy Of these taxes, informed


me that he knew the money, il


collected, would not be applied tc


the purpose for which it was lc
We'd, but that that was none OF


our business that it was our duty
to levy the tax; and he rased hi:
, argument on the ground thai


many outstanding claims were
now held against the State, 60
which he is the posscssor to th(
amount Of $4,000, as he himsel
informed me, and that the Trca
surer would have no funds to pay
them. His only other argument
was. that he had publicly pledged
) his word to Henry Clews \ Go.
that the tax would be levied, ant