This amount has not actually been paid 'out of the treasury, as there must be deducted from it the sum received in, ENTRANCE MONEY AND POOL PRIVILEGES, Which was paid into the funds of the society previous to the payment of the purses, and which was used for that purpose. The money thus realized is as follows: $8,075 00 9,750 00 9,945 00 $28,470.00 Deducting this amount from the total amount expended for purses-forty-three thousand four hundred and eighty dollars and it will be found that the society has only actually spent in purses, for the space of three years, the sum of fifteen thousand and ten dollars. PREMIUMS AND PURSES. It will be seen from the foregoing statement that there has been expended in premiums in the last three years twenty-seven thousand seven hundred and sixty-three dollars and sixty cents; less five thousand dollars appropriation from the State, would leave twenty-two thousand seven hundred and sixty-three dollars and sixty cents, which has been paid out of the funds of the society for premiums, while fifteen thousand and ten dollars has been paid for purses. Thus, in the space of three years, the society, has paid out seven thousand seven hundred and fifty-three dollars and sixty cents more for premiums than for purses. During the past few years there has been almost a general complaint among the agricultural community, that too great attention is paid to horse-racing at our agricultural fairs, and that it is made their leading feature, overshadowing all else by its prominence. While this is true to a great extent, it will be seen that the receipts at the park are nearly three times greater than at the pavilion, which shows the public preference, and throws the responsibilities upon the shoulders of the people, rather than on the managers of these institutions. It is too much the custom of the people to come to our fairs emptyhanded, preferring the leisure and freedom of a visitor to the care and trouble of an exhibitor. To this thoughtless and unwarrantable. custom among our industrial classes must be attributed, more than to any other cause, the lack of interest manifested in our agricultural and mechanical exhibitions. To this custom must also be attributed the reason why the agricultural fairs throughout the country, as well as this State, have, for years, been leaning too much to the trials of speed on the race-course rather than to the more useful and interesting exhibitions of the general products of the country. But until the time comes when the people will attend these exhibitions in prefer COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE Contingent Expenses of the Legislature, , FOR THE NINETEENTH, TWENTIETH, AND TWENTY-FIRST SESSIONS, FROM THE OPENING OF THE SAME TO AND INCLUDING JANUARY EIGHTH OF EACH SESSION. [REPORT OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EXPENDITURES AND ACCOUNTS.] REPORT. ASSEMBLY CHAMBER, January 10th, 1876. Mr. SPEAKER: The Committee on Public Expenditures and Accounts beg leave to report that they have procured a comparative statement of the contingent expenses of the two Houses of the Legislature for the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first sessions, from the opening of the same to and including January eighth of each session. It will be seen that the expenses of the Assembly for the nineteenth session were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three dollars and five cents; that of the twentieth session, three thousand and ninety-nine dollars and ten cents, exclusive of the reporters account, which for both Houses was two hundred and eighty-three dollars and twenty-two cents; the account of this session is one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five dollars and three cents, and for reporters, thirty-five dollars and twenty-two cents. It will be seen that the difference in favor of the House for this session, as compared with the nineteenth session, is one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two dollars and eighty cents; and the balance in favor of this session, as against the twentieth session, is one thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight dollars and two cents. We would call attention to the fact that during the two previous sessions the demands of the attachés of this House, as well as of the Senate, for stationery, and all that word includes, have been largely in excess of the members. This session their desires have not been very exorbitant, but we would urgently advise the strictest economy among them, as there is much room for great saving in their accounts. This committee will, from time to time, make strict investigațion into the various clerk and committee rooms, and render exact returns of all requisitions on the Secretary of State, with a viow to stop all useless or extravagant demands. HENSHAW, Chairman. SESSION OF 1871–2. Statement of the amount of stationery, etc., furnished the members of the Legislature, committees, secretaries, clerks, and other attachés, from the opening of the session to and including the 8th day of January, 1872. To the Senate and attachés.. To the Assembly and attachés Grand total.. The accounts of this session of the Legislature were not kept separate. SESSION OF 1873–4. REPORTS Statement of the amount of stationery, etc., furnished the members of the Legislature; committees; secretaries, clerks, Sergeant-at-Arms, and other attachés, from the opening of the session to and including January 8th, 1874. OF THE To the Senate To the attachés $951 30 1,235 10 To the Assembly To the attachés $1,495 23 1,603 87 SPECIAL COMMITTEE To the reporters, both Houses ON THE CONTINGENT EXPENSES OF THE ASSEMBLY. Statement of the amount of stationery, etc., furnished the members of the Legislature, Sergeant-at-Arms, secretaries, clerks, committees, and other attachés, from the opening of the session to and including the 8th day of January, A. D. 1876. To the Senatet $656 58 To the attachés 933 13 $1,589 72 To the Assembly $1,137 50 To the attachés 757 53 REPORT. ASSEMBLY CHAMBER, February 3d, 1876. Mr. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed under resolution of February second, beg leave to make the following report: $886 00 5,996 69 First-That the contingent expenses of the Assembly for the month of December amounted to the sum of_ seven traveling committees, and their clerks, which have 1,500 00 Showing the total contingent expenses of the Assembly, for $7,496 69 6,610 69 An increase over the last session, for the same month, of.. 2,070 17 Your committee finds that this increase is, in a great measure, due to the increased number of assistant and committee clerks appointed during the last month. Second-Your committee finds that the duties of Postmaster and the duties of Paper-folder could be easily, conveniently, and effectually performed by one and the same person, and therefore recommend that the office of Paper-folder be abolished, and that the Postmaster be required to perform those duties. Third-Your committee finds that the duties of Post-office Page could, and should be performed by the regular Pages of the Assembly, and therefore recommend that said office be abolished, COPYING CLERKS. Fourth-The office of Copying Clerk for the Assembly was established at a time when all State printing was performed by contract with private parties, and it was at that time very properly thought necessary to retain the original bills in the Capitol building, and send only a copy out into the city to the printer. |