Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-07-15

mat 'his CiiicrSECc Is wCN understood, and tile
manner o! liz operation caac;ly considered is evil
dent from this; that the estimates mud appropriations
Tor one Office dii,er liom those Tor another, quite
as much as the expenditures. Ia The years Is2 i-5
they were as follows:
lS2t 1925.
Second Auditor, GOD 600
Third Auditor, 1000 1909
Fourth Auditor, iS0O 1000
Fifth Auditor; 200 i2Oo
The whole question is there fore, question Of
details, and tot Of comparison Of one year with
mother, or u one Office with another. 1t requires
al examination CT the items and OF the vouchers
aud as hat has been done III preparing the es.i-
mates ana III settling the accounts the eHpen-
eiluFes have been annually presented and the
vouchers remained open to the inspection of the
committees of the House for that purpose appon ted
! and Us, witiIal the service has been efficiently
performed; The minority of the Committee see no
/ ground Tor doubt They think the explanation of
the Forth Auditor, il: his letter laid before the
Committee, entirely satisfactory. As the neces-
sty oil annual estimates, they fully agree to it, and
u would lac neKcnsa5ic iii Congress, il they were
! not required But they are required, AID .hey arc
; furnished
; 1t may be be thought that the minority of the
Committee have d,vcit too long and too infinitely
upon This part OF the inquiry. But il seemed due
TO the officer, who might appear TO be inplicated
anu 1t was due 10 House and the country that eve
ry suggestion OF extravaganza should be thoiou gI-
~ investigated, III order that ii found 20 exist il
:. public mind might be informed and Guietet
] There will be necessity 10 go into an inyes-
ugation OF similar kind TO the Second Auditor,
or any other OF the oiiicess. Their accounts were
/ before the Committee. The pinciplcsof inyesti
/ CATION are the same, and the results would be the
1 same. oi this the minority of the Committee are
wen satisfied, and II would be useless erle.tdi-
| fure oil time aud trouble 10 go through them
They will only add, therefore, that by the net
OF 10Th February, 1919, the Second Auditor in adj
dition 10 his former duties charged with the
examination of all unsettled accounts arisnr out OF
| Indian Affairs
! While upon thc subject of the Treasury, it may
; be proper 10 advert To occurrence III the Office
oil the late Treasurer of the United States one Of
! The Oldest and most approve, officers of the Co.
Vernment, and most esti:na5e Citizen. 1t ap-
pearea, from the examination OF witnesses, that
Tie Chei Clerk oil the Treasurer, Samuel Brooks
VINO had been, tor thirty years, employed in that
service, became n.1n from age, and his STRENGTH
and faculties declining. lie was at length rather
! hindTance than help to the business His sa,a-
ry was 81 100 year. That the growth of his in
! lriiities was known TO Congress- is very evident.
| Tor, in the year 1924, an assistant was bv
( law, allowed TO the 50 Chief Cierl<'' with \ COM
| Pensailon OF 400 dollars year, which has
since been provided Tor by the representation laws
! The intrIniiy OF this aged servant of the public
haVing' at last arrived at the point of incapacty
| above stated, and he being in very poor circun.
/ Stances as appears from the testimony of Mr..
! N9ursc, an arrangement was made, By ,yIc,, she
salaries Of the other clerks were respectively nd .
! vanccd, in the whole, 5000, and he was reduced
10 the salary oil $780, being. the lowest in the office
except oil cie assistant CLERK. by this arrangement,
1t viii be seen that the whole amount of cIeri, bi,e
! vas not increased. The other clerks did more
. WORK than they had done before, or otherwise
would have done. Theirpay was as follows:
| i. T. Ddshiel received li00 added 300 I7CO
q. w. Dashici 1850 do 35O Itn0
b. H. Zeal! 1000 4, I5o 11e0
q. Beaii San - ano ~
Samuel Brooks, who had
before received I-C0 eo0
james Moore 400
Beng The same as was pa;3 befre Df5g
: Du'Eir. Efooks continued to receive Che salary
ior year a.tcr he became incapacitatcd Coy SER
wee, cunnS the first quarter, the rate of s;IT0o
$500. " ''' '''S -
This, 1T will he seen. IS precisely one Of those
cases, which will sometimes but ver,- rarely Or
cur, presenting difficulties not easily disposed OF.
Congress seem TO have felt their full force: In an
instance gated. incidentally, in the Ict,er of fLa
four'h auditor, his predecessor appears 10 have
reported the fact, that ofliis clerks who had
been more than twenty five years in the office had
OceOhe onhd anu superannus.cd, and unable 10
render any service; yet, Congress Lad continued
the annual appropriation FOR his compensation. j.
further appears, that Congress allowed cor,,sf,
sauon TO E!r. ellis for his services durin the me-
uacted last illness OF tie late Fourth auditor
AND, IN the very case now under consideration
they allowed an extra clerk To assist The chief crl
IN Tie performance Of the duties which age and in
auihi'y rendered him unable TO pefforfu That
uucF These circumstances, and with this iuii,n,-
ION oil tAe opinion oi Congress- il was the dus,, NJ
VIC il'e treasurer TO turn out the aged scrYa:. to
starve. Is what the minority of tie co,,r,;f. .1
would be sorry 10 be obliged TO affirm TLprn l.
something in II which shocks the feelings Of evcrv
.ii.!i; tet, ,hers IS strong objection to allowing
much discretion ~ such cases. I; is not ir, Accord,
ance with the spirit Of our Government. pr
maps, tien II Is best 90 leave the matter a. If nov
STANDS, each instance (and they will be yerv rarc,
10 DC determined upon its own circumstances Con-
STess having the power to lay down a rule when.
ever II may seem necessary and practicable. In
The mean time, Of the late Treasurer rnadn H.
arrangement above stated it is due 10 his f,erorv
W say u,at ne dd 1t with the knowledge Of Con-
'ess' ana 'hat IL seems equitable and Just and that
u ought not 10 be alluded 10 reproachfullv
There was an examination of v,ifpcssss st,o
before the COMMITTEE, with respect to clcr; in
the ONCE OF Tie Register Of the Treasury: but a.
u did not establish any thing calculated TO disuar
age me services Of tho individual in question and
inc Register, an old and valuable public servaot
ana good Judge, estimated them highly. las viii
appear ron his evidence it is unnecessary 20
make any remark upon the subject
Anu hcre The minority of the Committee will
conclude their observations upon the eSpotditorc
OF The Treasury, satisfied that the facts tfov 80.
staiea arc sufficient 10 shcw that there is no roun
Whatever Tor su9posing extravaganza or want Of
lha organization ofthc accounting branches oil
ulat department, and the forms OF pToceedj,r aod
"he'her in these particulars, greater efEsicnrv
"isn eeOlfoiny might be attained are cuesfions Of
S'"' 'Wport,upoh which the minority Of Tie Com
w., we arc hSI prepared to express an opinion-l
! ne i9fms approaching, or what NAV be forr,o,
Il he