Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-07-21


Just and heterogeneous ave Confess" says the ed
itor, "we have gone through Mr Kings defcnca with
ou' the slightest change OF opinion to the main
allegation" Are we tn understand here, as the Ian
gnage implies that editor has experienced some
change OF opinion TO other matters embraced IN
tho defence! And If so, would It not have been al
together honest and proper in him To have told us
little expressly: Was it not. in fact, duo to
Mr.. K for whom he has hore;o ore professed his per
eonal esteem to have stated that he reoic-
Cd TO TINT tho gross and scandaous impus ations
which the Fourth Auditor had so basely enueavored
to hsten upon the conduct of that gentleman in his
attempts so;e his accounts had been most clear
~ asd trumphanly explained, And IS It not appa-
that he is much tender of the reputation of
the Fourth Auditor f he has any lsf) than he of
that of the mast respectable individual whom he Cat
tiers and calunniates with the pen? But he pro-
cceds: "A correspondent asks siyntaaty," THAT is,
he asks himself-fr there eau be doubt that he
is his correspondent here and puts of what fol-
iiws, in this way, only because no is ashamed
Vow 1t mure INDIRECTLY "has Mr.. King explained
how it has happened that With the I'D of his 30 900
borrowed from the Bank he has brought up his dis
btrse;ncnts according 10 hs shouting only the
emount of the sum advanced to him by the govern
rncn,! Where was then the public money which his
prirIte money (if he dad borrow it his own prvat.
account, j takes the place of? Nas there de
fault to the government at the timo he obtained his
loan from the Bank? answer to ali these uues-
ti"ns is very easy. If you take Mr. KS account &C
cording to his shooting, which profes
ees 10 do, the government Is in his debt about
$4,000 anI was al the time he borrowed this
$4,000 on his private account, but for the public SER
rice 1t is nonsense, therefore, to ask, where was
then the pubic money which his prirate money took
the place of" The answer evidently is, tina, il was
in the Treasury ofthc u Statcs-whcre, however
it ought not to have been bu, in Mr. KS hands 10
meet tho demands of he public service for tie ext
gencos Of which he was obliged to borrow this sum
from the Bank. And there could most clearly have
been default line government at the time when
MIR. X. obtained this loan from the Bank according
10 ms oon shco"ty' whom, according to that showing
at least. the Government indebted To him in the
SUM of $4,000 For, taking this for granted, it is
clear that the 10 600 borrowed from the Bank was
ON additional advance to the Government and the
subsequent slow aud re!uc' ant payment of The last
sum, (ifit had oil been pad) by the government 10
Mr.. K. cannot have ex.ingushed the Old debt which
therefore. remains unsatisied to this hour This s
obviously. Mr.. KS view Of the subject and whether
right or wrong II Is grossly unfair in writer to
his oion shouing" His statement is evidently ONLY
the AUDITORS over again. and not Mr.. Kings
n, 70 meet our writer, for a moment on his o,or
ground and to take his argument according tn his
oton shetoiag-suppose that Mr. K ,ca, in arrears to
the Government in about the of sIo, 900 when
he borrowed that amount from the Bank for the pub
TIC serricedid that sum thus laid out and exnen
ded oy him Tor the Government, discharge those ar
rears! And " So where was Hea his default TO the
Qovsrnmcn2 For. observe a temporary aryearage
- not dsftat. but is only what must ncccssa iiv
happen every time agent receives supplies from
the Department is if he is not in advance IN
the government he certainly not required 10 be
But our writer asks further: Does not the law
positively require every dlsbursno agent of the Gov
ernment to settle his accounts at the Treasury De.
partmcnt cudrferiy-and does il not mike II tha SOL
emn duty of the President to dismiss all those who
do NOT comply with this requisi'ion? | answer: the
law does require the agent To make quarterly returns
or the state OF his accounts but exactly 10 settle
then-tha is, it certainly does not require him 70 !
pny over the balance which may be in his hands st |
the end OF the quarter; because tie service continue.
and the balance may be immediately necessary for
he service continuing: and 1t would therefore be folly
TO take the money out of the agents hands one mn
men only to put back again the next. Add TO this
from the very ma ure OF these accounts which Mr.
H. has so clearly explained in his answer to the Sec
reary they cannot possibly be closed las our writer
seems to suppose they ought to bel at the end OF
every quarter. even year, there ore very often
continuing expenses. for which the proper vouchers
cannot be Obtained until the end Of the contract or
work:--it must accordingly, often happen that the
quarterly return may shew balance due 10 the Go
vernncnt when there is nothing the agents lands
as his Abstract OF Advances, Tor statement of nav
nients on neeornt,) which accompanies the quarterly
return Tor the very purpose OF showing the fact may
clearly demonstrate IL would, therefore be the
summit OF Injustice aud of absurd: p in the law In
require the President to turn dsbnrsing officer
Tor being apparently, really in arrears To the
Government IN his quarterly return and it does not
rcqnirc any such thing.-Indeed the Secretary him
self was not so simple as to discharge Mr. King for
such reason AZ this For, although he does remark
in bis letter that Mr. Ks quarterly return for the
oVth VI June, 'o<0 bDe"eu balance due 10 the Go
yernment of S25,569, whilst his monthly return to
the Department for the same date showed that the
government was indebted to him in the sun of
S2oD69 III; and represents this discrepancy" as
something very mysterious yet he does not pretend
to say that Showed that Mr. K was actually in de
fault at that time. And. on the other hand Tint he
was mt IN default at shat time is absolutely CERTAIN
from the fact that the $40 900 large part of which
Mr. k,ng nau men oorrc wcd from the Bank and ex-
pended for the service Of the Government. was not
then, but only some time after his dismissal from Of
c", allowed and passed TO his credit; and yet the Au
dnor, as we have seen. requires The aid If the whole
OF that $4,000 to bring Mr.. K. in debt to the Gov
crDmen IN the small sum of So 832 90 or course
1t Is apparent tina, Mr. X. was not 10 default but in
advance to th' Government the 3Oth June, 1897.
But " be was not III default that day. when efter
vedl for he was dismissed from his Office on rho
TN OF August following, and of conrse before the
gay Tor another quarterly return came round VIII
our Editor have the goodness 20 enI0hten onr d,,L
ness ON these ponts! The truth is the whole idss
OF MIR. KS having been at any time in defsnl 10 tho
contempt. ' " Jul