The recorder, or, Lady's and gentleman's miscellany. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1801-1802, 1802-05-19
No. III.
Elk RACT,
RESPECTING MR.. PscKERING,
From the Report of Committee of
Conrreis.

Congress.
The monies neceGary TO defray the
expen1es incident to the intercourie wirh
foreign narions, have, till lately, been
paid TO the Secretary Of State, who uled
10 diiburie the fame. The accounts OF
Mei1rs. JefFerion, Marfhall aad Madi1
fon, who have, at various periods, filled
that appointment, have been tcltltd and
no balance is due thereon. & fnt nor
yet decided, has been inltituted againtt
MIR. Randolph, FORMERLY Secretary of
State, Tor balance uhaccounrcd for by,
him. j he accounts Of Mir. Pickering.
are not yet finally iettlcd. lie rel1,ains
charged with fun Of 1899 dollars and
20 cents, erroneouily paid by him for the
freight of yedel tuppofed to have been
employed by the conluI 1t TripoE, and
with another fun Of $3.50 dollaLs and
50 cents, being rhc balance Of an adj
vance made 60 Samuel Hodgdon, for.
the purPoie Of being remieted 70 Mr..
Humphreys, at Madrid, in part of his
falary, which Mr.. Humphreys did nor
receive. Both thcie iuns it's believed
may, and will be recovered from the
perlons 20 whom they were respectfully
advanced. But the principal reaion
4hich appears to have prevented al III
tlinare lerrlemear With him, aries from
chs Circumstance Of his not having ap-
piled the whole OF the money drawn 5y
him from the rrealDry, TO the fpcciac
objects for which it was appropriated
by law. For the extent and refnt OF
this Multiplication, the committee refer
to the Placement (rlarked c. accom-
panying the communication Of the Sc
cretary OF the I'reafury, under date Of
the I'd OF March. From this ftaremsnt
It appears, that Mar. Pickering drew
from the Treaiury under the appropri-
ations made for detraying Gle cx
Penies incident TO the intrrc0mic with
foreign nations, Tor negociat;ns treaties
with the Barbary powers, and for tn,
contingent expeafes of government, .
the fun OF $1,000 dollars and y cents
more than he applied to thole tcveral
Objects, which, together with ttc fun
ofI4,588 dollars and 81 cents, gained by
him on the purcha1c of bills exchange
for the u1e Of tbs government, form an
aggregate Of 1883 dollars and II
cents. The fame ftatement (C)will thew
that the whole Of this fun was expended
by him on objects ola public nature as
far as the committee can atcertain the
fact but this expenditure having been
made from appropriations deligned for
Other objects by law, the Multiplication
frhe money has prevented 1.-The comp
troiler Of the treafury from fetfling bis
accounts.
Although the committee will not FAY
4here are no cafes in which a public
officer void Be quilted in applying
monies appropriated to one Object, 10
expenditures on another, YET they are
Of opinion thar in ever deviation the
necefity for the application ought to be
for (orne obvious benefit 70 the Unired
States, ard in every fuch cafe, a difclo-
fure thereof 20 Congrefs ought to be
made, at the next felton, which lhouid
Immediately thereafter enjue.
The monies which have becnadvan-
ced 60 the fcveral Secretaries of fate,
have been RENTED by them principally
70 miniiters, con(uls ard olhcr agents
abroad, whole accounts are not YET