Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-10

! necessary iqhe Treasury Department l.
impaired, on.of ITS greatest securities Coz
ing in a copiro over all accounts, untiI a.
are audnrd or Iporied for suit
IN eonnexlohyth the foregoing ,iqw. ,
would suesrst, a'o, an inquiry whether =,
provisions OF The ct of Congress, aolho,,. n'
me discharge OF VI persons Of debtors Ia -
Government, froIn Imprisonment, NAV ~,
consistently with thepublc interest, be ~.
deo 10 The release q the Debt, where ~.
conauct oil the debtors wholly ex,mnt fms
The imputaioa Of fraui. Some more I,.."'
policy than that WHICH now prevails. in ra,
ence 10 this unfortunate class of citizen.
certainly due TO them, aud would Prov r.,
hcial 10 the country. lhe sontinuance off,
liability, after the means TO discharge il baa.
oeen exhausted, can. only serve 10 di.,5.
The debtor-or, " here his resources mr.. -
! partial, the want OF power in The Goyernr
10 compromise Il release The demand ,lns,,g,,a
10 fraud, as the only resource for secu, i5c
support 10 his family. lie thus sinks int
state OF apathy, q becomes useless dr,ns =,
society, OF a Vicious member OF II. # moi a t.,l
ing witness oil the rgor aud inhumantl, Of ~.
country. AL experience provost thai upur.ss,,
debt IS the baue OF enterprise and il shopi1h r.,
he care oil Republic MOTTO exert a etjnd,,s
power over misfortune aud poverty.
Since the last Session oi Congress, nnm,t
Gus frauds ontbe Treasur, have been di.c,,
cred, which thought II my duty ~ Lri.eu
der the cognizance OF me United States Cnu,,
for thIs district, by a cTluii0al prosecution H.
M my op,ninH and that Of able Counsel uLl
! !. re Consulted, that the casss rsme witb,n ~
peoalt.s II the act Of the 18th Congress n,
proved 81 of March 1923, providing fnr 49,
| punishment of frauds committed on m, Co..
! comment OF the Uaited States Either i,o,
some defect IA The law OF in It's administered,
| every etioII 10 bring the accused 10 iiial uud,e
| It's provisions proved Intellectual, aud The CIV
| ernment WAS driven 10 tue necessity of r..ar,.
| ing to the vague aud inadequate provision, or
| the Common Jaw II Is Therefore, my duly 10
call Your al eniIon 10 the laws with have Lec,
passed Tor the protection Of the Treasury. II
| indeed, there be no provision by which ,ho,,
who may be unworthiiy entrusted with its quar-
dI1nshIp, can be punished for tue most fla o,snt
violation OF duty, extending evento The nos
fraudulent appropriation ot The public funds 10
| then own nse, IT IS time to remedy so danger.
Jus az omission. Or, II the law has been ue5
verlcd from us original pu poses, and criminals
de serving TO be punished under us provisions
hay' been rescued by legal subtllles, il ouvht
| to be made SO PLAIN, by smendatosy provisions,
as TO battle thr arts perye, sion, and aeon
pIIsh the ends OF It's original enactment
In one OF the most fragrant cases, the Cour,
decided Thai the prosecution " as barred by The
statute which limits prosecution for fraud 10
Two years. In this Sase all the evidences of
fraud, and indeed all knowledge that fraud
mad been committed, were IN posses sion O ( The
party accused, until after The two years had
elapsed. Surely the statute ought mol 10 run
IN favor otAny man while he retains all the
esidences oil his crime in bis own possession
and leas, Of all, Ia favour Of public officer
wuo continues 10 detraud the 1leasary and
conceal the transaction for tue brief term Of
lwo years. | would therefore recommend
such an alteration Of the law, as will give The
injured party and the government two years
alter the enclosure Ut the fraud, or after the
accused is Out OF Office, TO Commence their
prosecution.
IL eonhexlon with gthis subject, l invite ,be
MT nlion of Congress, TO a genera and minute
lnq,lry into the condilion OF the Government.
whh view 10 ascertain whai Offices can be
dlsp nsed with, what expenses retTenched aud
Wal improvements muy he made in thr organ
zrtiun ri MS var Gus pa.is, IT, secure the proper
spobsihrHy II pu1iIc agents, and promote
efficiency aa! jusIlce IN ali ats operations.
The report OF the Seer .isry of War will make
y.u acquainted Nilh tue % d,tiou OF our Aim,.
fo'tlficalIons, Arsenols and Indian Attain.
The proper discipline of the Army, the rain.
ing nd equipment Of the Militia, the education
estowed al West Point, and the accumulation
vi the means OF defence, applicable toihe M.
va force, will lend 10 prolong the peace we now
enJoy and which eve good cIli1en-rnore
;pecially thos who have teh the miserles of
evtn successful wa.taIe-must oldeDly de.
sire 10 pe.petuate.
The returns IRON the subordinate branches
ofthis service exDibits regularity and order
highly creditable 10 its character, both Officers
and soldiers seem mbued with proper sense
OF duty, aud conform TO tue restraints ofeAact
discipline with that u eeriuntss which becomes
The profession OF arms There is need, howey
er, OF inrther legislation TO obyiate the iucon-
Venlences specified in the report under con
slderaton, 10 some ofwhIch ii is proper that |
should call your particular attention.
The act OF Congress OF tue ID March, 1921,
TO reduce and fix the military estab li,hmeDt,
remaining unexecuted las il regards the CON,
Inand OF one OF the regiments OF artillery, eau
not now be deemed guide 1.-THE Executive
IN making the proper appointment. An eI-
planatory act designating the class of Officers
out OF which tins grade is he flled-whttbcr
from the military list, as existing prior 10 the
act Of 1921, or tom il, as it has been fixed by
thai acI-"oold remove this difficulty. Its
also important that the laws regulating The pay
aud emoumens OF officers generally should
be more specific than they row are Those. Tor
example IN relation TO the Paymaser AID Sur
ston General, assign TO them an annua salary
or two thousand five hundred dollars bun are
silent as 10 allowances which, in certain exigen'
ces oil the service, may bo deem.d IndspenSI'
ble to the discharge other duties This cir.
constance n"s been the authority ior extending
10 mem various allowances, at Il ftrent times
under former admnistratio bu, no uniform
rule has been observed on the subject. Similar
lno onseniences exist 10 other cases. in which
.ne construction put upon the laws by the pub
nc accountants may operate uneqnally, pro
dace confusion and expose officers TO ne oaium
ol Claiming What is not cir due.
RECOMMEND to your fostering care, as one
81 our sairst means OF national deieuce, the
m""afy academy. This institution has alren
Nv exercised the happest influence upon the
moral and intellectual ~ h q ra,,.. ~ -, q nv