The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-02
DOCUMENTS

lulu MEN Is
Accompanying the Report Of the Secretary of RE
"dcy' IN the case Of Degen, Pvviance {, Co.
A.
Inc secretary ofthe Navy TO General 9shu Str;ct-
er, Baltimore
-, December t6, 1905
power, bills on Leghorn, to the amour, of a on
oOo, ana remit them to Messrs Degen, Purvi-
ance q Co with directions to passtbem NJ ma,,,
r,ty 70 the credit ofthe Navy Department of The
united states. Purchase them at sight or not
exceeding 90 days. We will pay for them q, 6o
UT ~ Gays rom the day of purchase"
oigned X SMITH
ne secretary OF Me Macy 10 Messrs Deeen, PR.
cfance q Co.-Legho,n.
December Is, 1906
have this day directed general S,r;ceeu &c
na''more, 10 purchase and remit to YOU. on az
count OF this department, bills to the amour, of
oo'ooo coils which, at maturity, YOU will pass To-
s nu vi tiis department, for the use of eur
squadron IN the Mediterranean
Signed p sMtru
The Secretary efsAe Macy D. General syohn Ssr;.k.
ey, Baltimore
February s, 1906.
l have this day directed you a remittance of
20 $1,000 dolls for the purpose of paying for the
p.s On LeShorn, directed to be purchased by my
letter to you of the 10th December last"
Signed r. SMITH
The Accountant Of the Macy to .he Secretary of
Navy.
Dec OF. 1910
SlR-ln pursuance of the resolution of the
House OF Representatives ofthe u S calling for
certain explanations relative to the accounts 81
Degen, Purviance & Co have to inform Won
that, according to the established principles in
the adjustment ofpublic accounts. no debit mr.
credit can be made or admitted without sniff
Gent voucher; that consequently it is the ;nva
riaole praGtce' when bills ofexchange are pur
chased ana RENTED to foreign agents, to credit
the agents making the purchase bv a, arrnmn,
raised under the heads of bills of exchange
which account remains debited until the apents
acknowledge the receipt of the remittances
winch was the course pursued in the case of De
gen, PurvIance and Co. The agents who pur-
chased the piiis were credited, and as no &C
counts or acknowledgements were received fror,
Degen. Puryiance and Co. subseouen, to A.
gust, 1870, no charge tor the bills was mad a.
gaiHst them and as the pursers and other off
GERS returned from the Mediterranean. Their ac.
counts were adjusted, and they debited ON the
books OF the office to Degen, Purviance and Co.
tor the supplies acknowledged to be received
and hence balance appeared in their favor on
the 30th OF June 1903 and being requested bv
the comptroller, in pursuance to a resolution IL
Congress, to exhibit q statement of balances IN
that time, the statement No. 1. which was mere
ly a copy OF the account as it stood upon the
books OF this ofhc was made up and transmi,-
ted to The treasury with the general accounts of
the quarter ending on that day, at which time
had not the least suspicion that the House of De
gen, Purvisnce and Co were in arrears tn fine
public, or that there was any question as To their
solvency nor had any Information calculated
to excite suspicion until received a let,,, fy,m
the comptroller, dated the II,h March. 1909. ~
copy OF which you have enclose !, No. II which |
calico my immediate attention to the subject of
the account, ana induced me to cause an iayesti-
CATION, which necessarily br ought TO nv recol- /,
lection their not having Transmitted any accounts
subsequent to August, 1905, nor ackno wledged !
the receipt OF any of the bills. AnxIons boSse- |
yea, to avoid every thing ike delay in furnishing
such staten would enable the comptroI, /,
Ter to institute SUIT, and believing it possible
they might have acknowledged the bills TO gem /
eFai otrieKer, the agent who RENTED them, al /
though they had not done so to this Office, i'm
medlstely wrote him letter, a copy of which
you have herewith, No q and the next mail |
brought an answer covering the. acknowledge !
meet, and the statement No. 2 was that day ex-
hibited to the accounting officers of the treasure
j was aware, however, at the time, that they
would be entitled to further credits. Presiun,ng
IT might be material to the public interest that so
account should be forwarded by Mr.. Coles, then
nn the eve OF departure for France, FASTENED
he statement, knowing 1t would only remain
Tor the agents to shew by legal means what ex-
penditures made on account Of the navy had not
been credited. Herewith you will also receys
sn account Of tie purchase Oftbe bills, amount.
ng to 256,OOO dollars, made out ia tie form re-
quested.
your obedIent servant,
THOMAS TURNER 1