I would respectfully suggest that the office
may be continued in its present form, and
the evil growing out of the influence of the
commissioner's decisions upon his emoluments
corrected, by fixing a salary to be
paid out of the treasury of the State, the
fees of register and examiner general to be
charged and received by the commissioner,
to be paid by him into' the treasury, after
deducting necessary office expenses. This
would also relieve the office from the embar-
rassment necessarily arising from the uncer-
tain and unsettled state of his compensation.
I would also suggest that the chancery
records be made part of the records of the
land office, subject to the removal of unfin-
ished cases to such courts as the parties may
direct
Hereto appended please find an approxi-
mate estimate of the receipts or emoluments
of the commissioner from all sources, for the
six years ending January 1, 1864.
Respectfully your ob't serv't,
WM. L. W. SEABROOK,
Commissioner Land Office.
Estimate of the Salary and Emoluments of the
Commissioner of the Land Office for Six
fears, ending January 1st, 1864.
1858......... $200 $50 $2,590....$2,840
1859......... 200 50 2,370...... 2,620
I860......... 200' 50 2,680...... 2,930
1861......... 200 50 1,380...... 1,630
1862......... 200 50 900 $500 1,650
1863......... 200 SO 1,200 500 1,950
G.total.. ......... ......... ........ ...... 13,620
Average. ......... ......... ......... ...... $2,270
The committee thought these suggestions
very judicious, and that it was wrong that
his fees should be dependent upon his de-
cision. They thought that it was proper
to make it a salaried office, and they fixed
upon the sum of $1,800. I think the
committee were very equally divided, and
I know that several of them preferred
$2,000, which would be really a less amount
than he has received for the last six years.
He received for the first year $2,840, for
the last year $1,950, and on the average
$2,270. I think it would be very proper,
and nothing beyond the value of the services
performed, to make his salary $2,000.
Mr. THOMAS, One of the objects I have in
view is to secure a good man for commissioner
of the land office. There is no gentle- |
man of the condition of Mr. Seabrook who
wants to live down here at Annapolis for
$1.800 a year. If you take the fees of his
office from him, $2,000 is little enough for any
man who will stay down at Annapolis from
one year's end to another. Give him a good
salary, and you can always have a good
commissioner of the land office. The duties
of the office are important; and it is import-
ant that the office should be given to a man
entirely competent, a man who understands
technicalities, and knows how to decide
these cases when brought before him. 1
think the convention ought to make the salary
at least $2,000.
Mr. DANIEL. In fixing this salary, if I re-
collect right, the two amounts before the
committee were $1,500 and $2,000. Some
wanted it to be $1,500, and thought that was
sufficient. Others thought that $2,000 would
be about right. I think that the compromise
upon $1,800 was unanimous among the
committee. Every member of the committee
agreed that that was about a fair salary.
The committee could not have agreed upon
$2,000. I think that under the circumstances,
that is about a fair compensation for the
office of commissioner of the land office. 1
should be very unwilling to vote for more.
1 do not see that this office requires more
skill and management, or as much labor as
the office of librarian; certainly not any
more. Therefore, as we have got the salary
of the librarian fixed at $1,500, I think that
certainly $300 more is sufficient; and it is
as much as I am willing to vote for.
Mr. BOND. I shall vote with pleasure for
the amendment offered by the gentleman from
Baltimore city (Mr. Thomas.) I think that
$2,000 is certainly not too great a compen-
sation for any judicial officer; and even that
is less than the average of his fees. His fees
last year amounted to $1,980, so that allow-
ing '$2,000, the State would have lost but
$50; while the average of his fees is greater.
1 am in favor of good salaries; and I cer-
tainly think that no judicial officer is entitled
to less than $2,000. I shall therefore vote
for the amendment with pleasure.
Mr, THOMAS, I wish to suggest that the
commissioner of the land office has nobody
to assist him at all, but his. duties are per-
formed by himself. It appears to me a very
little thing to give him $2.000 a year. A
salary of $2,000 for a judicial officer, like the
commissioner of the land office, is a great
deal less than $1,500 for the State librarian
in proportion to the duties and responsibility
of the office. The commissioner of the land
office has a great responsibility upon him,
while the State librarian has none, except to
keep the books together and perform the du-
ties laid down in that section, and he is al-
lowed an assistant.
Mr. DANIEL, I would state that the $1,950
received by the commissioner of the land |
