Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-12
From the National Inteliigeneer.
THE CA,EOF JOSEPH NOURSE.

=
noss,o blacken the charao ter Of the gentle
mar " hose name stands al The head OF this ar
,icie, and who has ever been considered man
Of he 2urrs. integrity, who had served MS
country faithfully and laboriousy for FIFTY years.
i, is due to virtue aud 10 justice TO expose the
calumny, and, {. ON the materials placed WITH
in our reach, TO correct the Misrepresentation.
With this view the following copy Of eommu-
mic alton from The late Register to the Hon
Samuel D ingham. Secretary of the Treasury
Department, in relation to the accounts OF the
former with the Government, Is laid before
the Public.
Letter from Joseph Nourse late Register, 10 me Sc
ereiary the Treasury.
HEIoHrs ABOVE GroReErowN,1
June S, 1929.
Sin: In preparing for the settlement OF my accounts
as Agent for paying the contingent expenses OF the Sc
yerai officers of the Treasury Department have charg'
ed commission upon my disbursements rs Agent aiore'
said of two and half per cent.
The detailed abstracts will show how multfarious
these disbursements have been how aborous has been
the agency and how great the responsibility attached
to it, and that the commission which have charged IS
but reasonable compensation for the services which
have been performed.
abstract of the dsburse ments under it, up to 1900
was presented to the Government with view to com.
pensaiion The subject was deferred at that me but
ment bears the certificate of the then Secretary OF the
Treasury that had received compensation for these
services
In the long course of this agency, many losses have
necessarily been incurred, not only from the mutpl-
CITY of the accounts, but from errors IN the vouchers;
and in one single year have been obliged to charge
myself from the above mentioned, with the loss
| of eight hundred dollars.
! The commission which have charged is upon the
adopted bv the ITSELF in relation
fh1I den mi uh
called upon, have been, to perform extra duties
not attaching to their regular appointments or Com
missions, and who have been, and are now, allowed
commissions upon disbursements made out Of the i'm
| mr diate line of their duty.
cannot allow m, self to suppose that the Govern
ment will refuse to a compensation for the extra
services have pertcrmed services entirely out OF the
line Of my duty Register of the Treasurywben il has
adopted principles and regulations making such com.
pensation for similar services to other officers; and
have therefore TO request respectfully that you will
cause directions TO be given TO the accounting officers
OF the Treasury to settle account upon the prlncl
pies OH which it has been stated.
! Very respectfully,
| have The honor to be,
JOSEPH NOURSE,
Late .2gent, and Reg of the Treasury.
| To the Hon s. d. lN6HAn,
Secretary ofthe Treasury
| Itmay be- added that Mr.. Nourse, immedi
ately on his removal from office, deposited two
| thousand dollars on account Of the con'ingen.
cies, that there might br no Inconvenience Ell
ther to private iDd:vidual> or to the public Ser.
vice; which amour, it may BE- thought he
should have retained, as an Offset 10 his Claims.
In relation TO the soundness Of those CLAIMS,
| il is we'll 20 STATE that they are supported by
| the foil" wing high legal opinion
case sratra NoCTsc, 7 have
always understood that it equally sanctioned bv
the practice of the Government and by judicial deci-
sons, II is unquestionsby q. the general principles
and snaogies Of the law, that, where officer of the
Government is employ ed in public service or DUTY
| out Of the line Of his regular and standing appoint
ment, he is just much entitled fair compensa-
ton for such extra services duties, if he had no
| other employment under the Government. When
these extra services consist in the dsburse
ment of public money, reasonable commission OH the
is the regular and established of com
pensation sanctioned by usage both commercial and
| official And have doubt that any officer, SO cir
Cumstanced, would be perfectly borne out in court
OF law IT he retained. agreesoly to general usage a
and reasonable commission out the money placed
in his hands for disbursement supposing there was no
definite compensation, of another Sort fixed by law or
| hqudatt BY contract.
June sth, 1879 W. JONES'
In addition to ibis authority, the late A,tor-
ncy Geucr raj OF he Uni cd States, being called
| upon by tie Government to say whether A. b.
& ing civil office, and receiving fixed salary,
was enIiled 10 compensation for services per-
formed nv direction of the Gpvernmen', but
whirp DID not grow out nor attach o his ap-
poin,men, gave Il; his peculiarly lucid man.
per, his opinion, sha the individual was clear
'y entitled o compensation. and lha, the ad.
| mission that sucn s rvic had been performed
Carried the conclusion with il THAI he should
re- Give a pro ,otn esmpeo saton therefor.
AFTER this l. is trusted that nothing more will
bt heard in relation - Mr.. Nourse's =, ounts,
until thy are settle by the proper tribunal.
L. 'ela,ion to The ground OF his removal from
fhcc, IT is authoria 'ively stated that the Presi-
den, Of The United States expressed to Mr.. N.
in an interview with him on ,ht soth ultimo,
distinctly aud literally, the following, as The
causes OF his di >missal:
That ne was aged and should be preparing himself
another word that he had permitted me Of his eIerEs
10 cert the registry Of ,carranis, instead of doing it
h,mseI' that ,cas understood he independent
circumstances: and Mat he lad gren a certificate in re-
tion to lr. adams and his aecounts -
Here was the head and front OF the offence