Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-09-29
I'm ADDRESS an lie JaJisR eff5e /" Re-
port ofa eommitfes of tbs Hsx/s ef Re-
5yjsnsativs5, BY OLIvER WoLcoTr,
late Jeerstay If The trselagy.
CONTINUED.

vanc.ug monies far tbs tu5he .isrvice:
fuch doubts could only have oeea {usgeit-
ed by ignorance, want of rcaeItion or a
deGre to aelude the public. 1t is certain,
that If no payments were TO be male at
the Trealary, bat of a/eerfaiaed balances,
II would be neeeaary Tor the piolic agents
60 draw from the com Hunily a capital
equal 10 the public expsniitare All tor
the rteafary to hoard another equivalent
capital, for the plrpofe Of beng enabled
10 make payments. The diloFdefs, which
fuch an attempt would occadon, need on
ly be imagined, to jualfy the practice,
which has obtained.
Advances Of money being indiipenlahle,
j, only remained for the Government to
adopt the beta meafurcs, for f-cuTing
faithful AID economical application Of the
public funds, aud a regular festlement OF
accounts, at convenient periods.
Ihought the COMMITTEES have criticized
particular sranfattions, yet they have not
fuggeited any doubts of the proPriety OF
the principles, by which the expenditures
have been governed, OF thar the officers
have not proceeded with all practicable
CELEBRITY, in adjuting the accounts; they
merely remark on the fatemeats of the
Accountants, that although they "ex-
i" hibn balances, apparently unaccounted
&c for, 10 alaFge amount, they likewiie
/" f,ew, that accounts have been render
" ed for eoxfdere5!e portion, which are
/" in a tran Of fefllemeat, but not finally
&c cloied.''
Such fate of things, as is defctibed,
mutt for ever exit in public office, for
the iettlement of accounts: there will be
accounts on hand, which have not been
examned; Others, which have been exa
mined, but not ttated, according to the
forms requihie for entry; Others, which
have been Rated bat not entered in tie
pubic books: even after all theie lorna.
lities aye complicated it remains for the
Accountants to prepare ieatements Of the
accounts, which have been adjutted in,
their offices, and TO t.anlmit them, with
the original accounts, to the Treafury,
for reviiion. The balances, reported by
the Committee, compriie all accounts,
which had not been s. rendered to The
Trsalary;" they mutt Of consfe comfriie
an amount OF accounts, which had been
fsnled in The aFces Of the accountants,
scbsa The Rsp7rt zvas made. This a..
mount cannon be conjettured, as the be
uod,, to qpbieb the 44eeouufa4ts haze
made their returns to the Treafury, are.
not aated in the Report.
The misconceptions of the public, from
we'll known cau.ss, In the iunmer of the
year 1900, in refpett to the tate of the
public accounts, before retired from Of
flee. The information then obtained,
ana the refult of inquiries at the feat of
government, during the lat winter, ena .
Die me TO make the following declarati-
ons:
That there exits no dellnqaincy, in the
Offices of the Ply Mgfsr General, or the
former or prefent Purvyor Of public SIP
plies, or the former or prefans Quarter
Mater General.
That the public will fuaain no lois. in
coniequence of the contracts for clothing:
this infer, from latement, in my poi
felton,, which exhibits only one balance
due 10 the public, of lets than two thou
fand dollars, AMI which is we'll fecured
by bond: - The contractor diicl.argei his /
duty faithfully bar was rendered iniolvent
by an unexpected rife of the prices Of
cloth. Ii it is Judged equitable, the
debt CAP be recovered of his iure,y.
All the principal eoufraf7s for luppyins
the army with provilions, TO the latter
part of the year 1900, have been finally
iesslei mott Of the /u5orairate contracts
for fupplies at recruiting pitts, have aio
been fe,sled