Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-06-14
EDe Constitutional SsssIie.
REPORT ON RETKRN CHNIE,NT
CONTINUED
Cd. TREASURY DEpAR

40 introduce economy and despatch in this Depart,
"en VIII be necessary TO simplify the forms of bust
hess, ana 10 reorgaDise IFS subordinate branches
The various Offices of The Treasury were or,.,,a
on tner present plan by an act of the Ord March 1917
aooslirG the Accounting Officers and uhi;ehin, ~,
sddions Comptroller and four Auditors ,y;ti ~ s,Ie
' al ."hSeneht was temporary: III TO have been
Us continuance The was ;hcn inst then over AMI
40 "'o"rse'nef tie'aipwards of forty millions nj s,,s-
pGnded accounts into the Treasury for adjustments
"''cn amount has since been reduced to two millions:
YET The sau'e extensive soney a, corpca,,d ma,
Chinery Is still in existence as your committee be
ha as much depends the forms of doing bu ,l
ness as on the number Of agents empo,cd in any or
e departments, they would the tedious process
oi auct,ins AMI adjusting at the Treasury
~ '.e present system When claim is presented
on me treasury If Is l,Hnded TO tie auditor Who aided
oy MS CLERKS, examines aud reports il To the Comm
'roieF when decided ard passed hy him. one of ie
clerks enters 1t IN book in his Gice and il is then
1"' ~ 'ne heSsttr, 10 DC registered by OF his
c'erhs. he Register transmits certified, copy Of Le
report TO the Secretary Of the -r,e.sr,,. ,, =, L
clerks prepares warrant on the Treasurer fer the a
""''h Is entered ~ the office Of thu Secrea-
t' oy the warrant clerk; il is then handed to the Comp
uoer "ho counersgns IL il is then sent by Il mas.
sSnger 20 the Registers office, re il is registered nv
ahoeF Clerk when registered, and ibus cert fled by
e %'ster Is then presented ny the carnar to tie
fessne when another cle x takes his recent On The
pack OF OF the warrant, aud the same warrant an
thorl-es the bank to make payment and the CLAIMANT
receives his money. This process is neary upca,cd
when commences in either m, tvar -, NJ. n 49,
mRDt of
why Tor any purpose ofpublic sernrity an accoun,
,"u', MAKO Shch complicated various, and reiterated
our committee ale at loss perceive Tie
ueoH cHcct, however, IS 10 Increase the labor and
consequently the number of public officers These
extraordinary forms may have been considered as ne
cessary az years ago. but in the present age book
keeping has participated in colou;,orary improvements
""o greater simplicity and economy have been intro.
ouceu ID The management o both public and private
"us,"SsS' l! 'hcSe forms we're simpied your commit
Yea oeevc tat one-tourlh, If not td of the Off
uIfrit h.,, W
The existing odion forms of tranAacrn business they
think there are more cIehs than would be repnired
lhe labor OF the offices equally Distributed
The First ComprolieI,s Office eyLeuIlv snrcaroed
Win business, while is equally that some Of
me other Offices eCted With HE Treasury are al
most snec5es. portion OF the business of the Firs
1o,nproier might we'll DO assigned 10 The Treasurer
and REGISTERS Offices, where the clerks cannot DO fullv
employed
besdes simplifying the forms Of business and ds.ti-
outing The dnties of the Offices oquay your com
intee would recommend y organization of some
OF me departments; TO effect which, they would sue-
gest that the Second EoRp,rolers Office be abolished
ao '.a OF one oi The Auditors, they think Au-
dior or each Executive Department ainplv sufc,ent
and go soon as the First Comptroller is eey ed under
ne" dIs!rIt non from of the duties lie ;,oy dis
charges he VII he able TO supcrnead these now per
formed by Tue Second Comptroller.
lbey OF opinion ;ial, IN our sysfen The ya,e f
an officer who ought be SO h:rhiy acconpl,shed or
pubic business as the Attorney C:eGe al is not sutic,
emu! estimated, and that lie ought 10 DC dered as
government.
ills duties and increasing responsibilities by
putting under his charge all the ss IN which The D.
VerEi'cEt may he Interested! T0u 0ut the T. States
by attaching 10 h's Office, and by placing under bis i'm
mediate control, District AHo-neys md hIarshas-|
That IN addition these duties he should preside AT
Board, TO consist OF himself tbe Comptroller and four
other auditors for tie examination and sUditing all
contested Claims and accounts against iie u States
TO be, II necessary in daily The advantages
o! THIS plan you'd not only consist IN a uniform inter
probation OF the acts Ct Congress respecting claims bu
such an Interpretation would be cn,IgharC. by tic o.
PHion5 0' an officer OF first rate legal a,uGnen!s; and
standard, or G1iiar rule. tho allow ancc vi claims
would Obtain By those means, through all the Depart
hch,s' winch at present, is various, depending too
much on the discretion Of lhe different Auditors
The discharge Of these duties. together with those which,
were contemplated the ciiurt which was made IN
1917 to create on oEice to bayc bccu dnrominacd che
Solicitor OF the Treasury will produce the necessity
Of the Attorney General being prohibited from Dtacti
sing, except in the Supreme Court; to indemnify him
tor Whit. and Offset saving Which will accrue
10 the Government by his taking charge ~ The suits Of
The y. States, and acting board for the adjustment
OF CLAIMS, your committee think lis salary ought to be
on footing with that OF the heads of the Departments
We satisfied that by his legal skin in directing the
mode by which tie suits of Tive u. States are t. he CON
Quoted, and his vigilance and intelligence in adjusting
claims against the l.. States, he would save one hun
dred fold the amount of his increased compcnsation
rs Ut respects the contingent expenses OF the Trcasu-
~ Department the Secretary has advised It's that he
not aware that they be reduced In this opinion
your committee withhold their concurrence -
Iheyirink there has been most extraordinary expcn-
dltnre for newspapers most, II III all the Offices
In those connected with the Treasury there was pad
for this object IN 1925, 1851 So in 1896 1864 10;
in 1897, SI01l ~ stealiy progressive ADD rucxpli-
cably strange increase.
The expense for advertising has. also been much
augmented. This expenditure, for this Department,
generally, and the Land Office, was, in 1895 $500 III
ia 1896, S2,t64 Is; in 1927. SG5O33i. There wero,
perhaps casoDs why the expenditure should have been
greater in tie last aD III the two preceding years; but
the committee cannot understand why the advertising
| in 1927 should exceed by nearly thousand dollars,
tho whole expense for advertising in 1925 and 1876.
| The aggregate contingent expenses OF The Trcasu
rs Department, excluding the Laud Office, during
equal terms Of years, puder the late ADD present Adj
mni5Iratjon, are follows:
5 5ss5 s''.'o' . i rs; s'a''' c.
The contingent expenses OF the General Land Office.
during The periods (which are included among
the ar.cnrnfs Of lie Treaslrv nc