Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-06-25
Gbe Gonstttutio,IaI eMDio.
WEDNESDAY, MORNING, JUNE %, 1880.
MILES KING. ESQ.

tied with the sufficiency of Mr. Kings explanations.
10 reply to the letter of the Secretary of the Navy
and specifies two points upon which it is not satisfied
The first relates to the claim for contingent expen
ces, advanced by AIR K. in consequence of his disco
veTng that the allowance had been made to the
agencies at Philadelphia, New York and Boston
That paper says: His additional clam of near $500
ayear for about l6 years for contingent expenses On
the ground that he equally entitled 10 it with the
three specified Offices OF New York, philadelphia and
Boston, can scarcely, we should imagine be admit
ted"
Let Us examine this claim, and the circumstances
under which Mr.. 4. advanced it, with fairness and
candor and IN order 10 that let Nj. e. again sneak
on the point for himself:
"But the Honorable Secretary proceeds tc inform
the House and the public, that Gin addition to
the reasons assigned ON these vouchers for
their rejection, it may be proper to state by way of
explanation as to part OF them, that the salary of
the Navy Agent is limited by law TO s. 600 per an
nuIn; and that all sums allowable the Agent over and
above this amoant, ntended cover expenses ne
cessariy incurred in the discharge of the duties of
his office, tor clerk hire, office stationary fuel
&c, and he goes on to add that In the vouchers
alluded to, it appears that the demands of Mr. King
to cover these expenditures made from time TO
time allowed by the respective Secretaries and the
several sums carried to his credit the books of the
Treasury and yet ''atter lapse of from ten TO hr
teen years these charges for clerk hire &c re-
amount. The inference which he would have drawn
from the premises is obvious enough but it is his tan
guae only that leads it, and the fact which his
language DISCUSSES, and little explanation will serve
TO show that it would be entirely aIlacious and I'M
just For the truth this point is that for the first
four years of my appointment, that is from 1916 to
1901 had brought no charge against the Govern
ment for any of these exlras but had paid them all
out of my own pockets but IN the latter year, being
informed that such charges had been always allowed
in the accounts of every other Agent, deemed pro-
fhon~, ole. 7
charging only The sum of 1926 for them all for
the four years which had elapsed that is little over
$500 year AT this time, however. was not ap-
prsed of fact which discovered only in Septeu-
Der October last, in looking the papers rela-
ting to my accounts In the Auditors office, to wits
that on the 9th OF June, 1917 circular had been
addressed from the Navy Department TO the Navy
Agents at New York Philadelphia, Il Boston. fixing
the amount of these extras specified sums
That circular is in these words-s.Sir The nature and
extent 9the business Of agency involves the ques-
ton of reasonable allowances for contingent eXpen-
SEES and for which you to distinctly understand
that The following allowances will be admitted in full
OF all Office expenses VIZ: for Office $50 clerk
hire $1,000; porter $24O 81 ationary Books &C.
S50, fuel and candles $50; total amount per annum
$1,000" Now was altoge, her clear to my mind
that this circular although addressed to the Agents
at New York, Philadelphia and Boston alone, ought,
in all fairness, to regulate the charges Norfolk al
50, where the nature and extent of the business of
the Agency" made it obviously applicable aid pr&
per as in either of those other cities and ny nc
counts were now subjected to the most captious cr
clsm on all possible points, deemed entirely cor
rect to prefer my claim fur my according to
these established rates; and therefore, made
new account against the Department in which char
ged them at those sums, from The commencement of
my service. and gave it credit for the said sum of
3255 dollars, which had already received, as for so
much account. The items thus only corrected
and not exactly "reproduced," were of
sIderaby increased in amount, but only because
had ignorantly wronged myself by undercharges for
them IN my former accounts. II may b. proper to
Gta hs,uyo thoff a,
single new item which placed by itself. and was
''to extra clerk hire from the 10th of April go to
this date (l6th April 825j at 500 dollars per annum,
4000;' for similar charge had been allowed TO
other Navy Agents las even myself also from that
perod) could not good reason why it should
not be allowed to | will only add, that The ground
on which made all those charges, given above,
were particularly stated in the foot OF he
account itself, aotich The Secretary hare
1t is entrey clear therefore, after This exp naton
which Das before The entenaan himself that the truth
Of the case will not countenance he nputation
which his phraseoogy has been artilly fashioned to
convey. And, indeed my right to these additional
allowances which | claimed, apparent, that
must believe that neither the Auditor nor the Secreta
ry would have found any diifclltv il adm ting 1T at
if it had not become necessary by this for
their eXculpation, make me out defaulter by
all possible means"
In he first place, is not Mr.. KS claim to the ad-
ditonaI amount of clerk hire, &C. fir and reason
able caims Po prove that it is not, it must first be
proved that tho Navy agency at Norfolk, is inferior in
dignity and extent of transaction, the agencies at
New York, Philadelphia and Boston. We have al
ways understood, that it second in importance to
that Of New York only. Are clerks. an office,
4uel, stationary, indispensable al Norfolk, as at
The other Places and there any evidence to show,
that less is paid for them there, than at other agen
cies? Ifthis be so end the allowance claimed by
ar. King, made TO the northern agencies by
competent authority, sufficient reason
for excluding him from the same rule OF distribution,
much less for pronouncDg bis claim unfounded and
UNJUST Plat his agency, as troublesome and as
important as the others, should not have been COM
pretended by the circular, in all probability an