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1876] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES. 1573
propriation to the public schools; interest on public debt;
payments to pensioners; to civil and judicial offices, &c.,
when these payments are pending or approaching, it is neces-
sary to retain funds to provide for them, and other demands
must bide their time. This coarse interfered with the ability
of the Treasury Department to pay any part of the subscrip-
tion to the Southern Maryland Railroad Company, imme-
diately upon its being payable, and before the month of June,
1873. By reference to the Treasury Department, it will be
ascertained that although there was a balance to the credit
of the State prior to April 30th, yet at that time the State
had about $14,000 in two of its depositaries, and was in-
debted to the third in the sum of nearly $57,000. And
further, that the heavy payments into the Treasury occur in
the months of May, June and July, being receipts from li-
censes and State taxes.
I would add that the Treasury Department was further
delayed in making payments to the Southern Maryland Rail-
road Company, by the possibility of its being called on to
pay the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad Company the
money to which it was entitled by priority of subscription.
It was not until December 10th, 1873, (at which time the
sum of $13,000 of the $60,000, which they expected to be in
condition to demand was paid, and it was ascertained that
this was all they would require during the year 1873,) that
the State could pay further instalments to the first named
road, and thus pay over the balance of the $125,090, author-
thorized to be paid in any ono year.
In respect to the faet that the claims of the Company upon
the Treasury, under the State subscriptions, were made pay-
able or assigned to third parties, I have nothing to say, be-
cause I knew nothing except that the assignments were made,
and the Treasury Department, notified of them. The war-
rants of the Comptroller were in favor of the assignees, and
I paid them. On inquiry at the Comptroller's office, it will
be ascertained that the greater portion of the claims upon the
Treasury are not paid to the original parties, and that nearly
all are endorsed or transferred to banks or other parties, either
for value or for collection. The fact, therefore, that these
claims were presented by others than the officers of the Com-
pany, was but in the ordinary course of busmen.
I am, very respectfully yours &c.
Signed,
JOHN W. DAVIS
Which was read.
The question recurring upon the adoption of the report,
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