1870.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES. 601

BY THE SENATE,

March 4, 18TO.
Gentlemen of the House of Delegates:

We propose, with the concurrence of your Honorable Body,
the appointment of a Joint Special Committee of two on the
part of the Senate, and three on the part of the House, to
examine into the condition of the Land Office, and report
what legislation, if any, may be necessary, in connection there-
with.

We have appointed on the part of the Senate, Messrs.
Henkle and Malone.

By order,

AUGUSTUS GASSAWAY,

Secretary.
Which was read

Mr. Hardcastle, of Talbot, Chairman of a Select Commit-
tee, submitted the following

REPORT.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES,

March 3, 1870.
Gentlemen of the House of Delegates :

The Special Committee on Retrenchment of County Ex-
penses, appointed the 19th January, "with leave to report by
bill or otherwise, for the purpose of examining into county
expenditures, with the view of reducing and making the
same more uniform," have the honor to submit the follow-
ing report:

Some of the Boards of County Commissioners have not
been as prompt as they might have been in complying with
the order adopted by the House, January 20th, "to communi-
cate to this House, as soon as practicable, copies of" certain
accounts therein specified. Several of the reports made give
only the aggregate amounts of the different accounts, instead
of copies of the accounts in full, as called for. Whether,
and in what cases, this has been inadvertently, or purposely
done, your Committee will not undertake to say—the people
of the different counties can best determine when the reports
are printed.

From the reports that have been received, the Committee
has had prepared a tabular statement, herewith submitted
as a part of this report, showing in condensed form the
amount under each head, also the total- expenses of every
county, on account of the several items specified ; which, it
is believed, will be a matter of general interest to tax-payers.
In this statement is included a column, giving the assessed
value of property in each county, which by comparison
with the total expenses, ascertain the number of cents in