REPORT

OF THE

COMMITTEE OF FINANCE

IN RELATION TO

THE MISSING COUPONS IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, AND

IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE

TOUCHING THE SAME SUBJECT.

To the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Senate :

We, the undersigned, a sub-committee appointed to investigate and report touching the missing coupons in the treasurer's office, beg leave to submit the following:

First. That the information obtained by an examination of the transfer clerk of the second auditor's office from 1870 to 1876, Mr. Poitiaux, of two of the present regular clerks therein, Messrs. Shackelford and Morrison, proves that it never has been the custom of the second auditor's office to have the coupons filed or deposited therein, and that it has never been the rule or practice to have the coupons in that office, except when brought therein by some one from the treasurer's office for some special purpose; and that all agree that the missing coupons that were found recently in the second auditor's office must have been brought therein by some one in the treasurer's office and inadvertently or otherwise left, and for what purpose, if any, is unknown.

Second. We recommend that the subject be remitted to the next general assembly, as no harm can result to the public interest by such delay.

Third. This committee, after diligent effort, have been unable to get any further information touching this subject.

C. T. SMITH.

JOHN PAUL,

JAS. V. RROOKE,

Sub-Committee..

March 31, 1879.

REPORT

OF THE

JOINT COMMITTEE

TO EXAMINE THE OFFICES OF THE

Second Auditor and Treasurer

IN REGARD TO THE

DOUBLE FUNDING AND ABSTRACTION

OF

STATE BONDS.

REPORT.

the Senate and

House of Delegates of Virginia:

The undersigned committee, appointed under a joint resolution of the Cth of ecember last, in the following words—

"Resolved (the Senate concurring), That the communication of Asa Rogers, cond auditor of the state, made this day, touching the abstraction from the trearer's office and the refunding of certain bonds of the state, be referred to a joint mmittee of three members of the Senate and six members of the House of Deleites, who shall have power to send for persons and papers ”—

ould respectfully report, that they at once entered upon the investigation required 7 the resolution, and held almost daily meetings (except during the Christmas cess), until they completed the taking of the testimony, which is herewith reurned.

They find that ten coupon bonds, amounting to $9,500, issued under the act of th March, 1851, and exchanged for registered bonds under the act of 18th March, $56—the said exchanges taking place on and between the 6th January, 1858, and e 30th October, 1862-were again brought into the office of the second auditor ad funded under the act of 30th March, 1871, said funding taking place on and etween the 17th October, 1871, and the 28th September, 1875. (See deposition of ‚ L. Shackelford, pp. 5 and 6.) By the terms of the act of March 18th, 1856 (see ession Acts 1855-56, p. 21), it was provided that in making the exchanges authored, "and before signing the certificate, the treasurer shall, in the presence of the econd auditor, cancel and file the coupon bonds with the coupons attached thereto › returned, which cancelling shall be effected by drawing black lines across the ice of the coupon bonds and coupons, and writing across the face of the same the ord 'cancelled,' and the date at which the same was cancelled, in red ink, and the ame shall be verified by the signatures of the two officers who supervise the canelling;" and also "that the chairmen of the committees of finance of the Senate Ed House of Delegates shall, at each session of the general assembly of Virginia, xamine such cancelled coupon bonds and coupons, see that the cancelling has been airly and fully done, compare said cancelled bonds and coupons with the registers efore mentioned, and report their proceedings and the results of their examinaions to the general assembly.”

Notwithstanding the great precautions required by this act, it appears that $9,500 of the coupon bonds brought in and exchanged, and which should have been can