Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-05
LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.
Navy DHpArrNuNr

Navy DEPARTMENT..
.t.. Jay ~, 1880.
SIN: have the honor in Obedience To The r,-.oL-
ton Of tho House % Representatives of the 18th
instant ang tor ceraln information IN relation to
Tho accounts, &c Of Miles King, late Navy hgcut
at Norfolk, Vs..to present the accompanying report
a the Fourth Auditor ut the Treasury, Containing
part Of the information called for.
There is also transmitted, marked a, copies oS
Certain vouchers present cd TO the Department BY tho
ecd late agent, which have been rejected, on each OF
which, respectively is g,von tho reasons tor their
rejection or tlissilownncc by the Department..
In addition to the reosons assigned these oou-
cheers Tor their rcIcc, .on, may bo proper state
by gay of explanation. asto part of them, that the
salary Of Navy Agent is limited by law to So 600
per annum; and that all sums allowed to the agent
G7cr and above this amount arc Intended to cover
expenses which have been y incurred in tho
discharge of the duties Of hts office fr CLERK hire
Uricc rent, stationery, fuel. &c. In the vouchers al
nded 10, II appears, that the demands Of AR King
~ cDvcr these expenditures, made from time 10
;n" allowed b. the respective Secrc, atcs ind the
several SIM. carried To ls credit the books of the
Treasury Aher lapse OF from ten TO thirteen
years, thcsc charges TOR clerk hire, &c. are repro
duocd, and The items cons lornh.y increased in
amount.
In answer tina, part of the rcsolution which ca lis
Tor information as to the manner in which Mr. king
tds k"pt his accounts, and made his monthly and
quarterly rsprns, 1t may b. promised, that the 10 W
requires the Navy Agent to make quarterly rot urns
81 bis accounts to the Treasury Departures; and that
ticseelai be uccorn :aied by ..yoechers NECESSARY
30 the r,uu,p, -csiieUont ihereoi: anu i
Is required that monthly returns shall be made TO the
socrosary OF the Navy, of tho moneys received and
expended during The preceding month, and Of the
: uneXpcndcd balance in his hands !"
Tins regulation enables the Secretary OF tho Nnvy
70 remit 10 the agcnt the sans necessary for prompt
C?inp'innce with all contracts entered into by tho
Navy Department, and tn limit the advances 10 the
agent, so that on unnecessary and largo amount of
money may not be len IN his hands Pho monthly
returns OF AIR King were not made in conformity 10
these requisites of the law ReCuisitons were made
Department in he aari or
for considerable amount Uf money when the mon,
y return Tor April showed that he had 10 his hands
lag" balances, applicable TO tho same objects for
winch hiS equisillons were drawn. An eXplana, ION
vas asked of this variance between his tcouisitions
and return (Sec letter Of the 9Th May, 1881 No
satisfactory explanation given.
II was then doomed proper TO examine into the
state OF bis accounts with the Treasury from which
1t appeared, that whilst the return 10 that Depart
ucnt TO the SOtt Of June, ls29 exhibited balance
to be due from Mr. King TO the United States of
S25,56S. S5, the monthly returns to the NAVY De-
par mcnt, ending the same day. stated q balance
10 be due from the United States to him of $40 oe5
II, making difference between these returns OF
gas o33 90
a further investigation OF this subject deveIoo.d
the Two following facts: LIST. That the monthly re
turns TO the Navy Department, from tho year ise2
DeEer cId agree with the returns made the Treasu-
ry department Or the time and 50 me purposes.
and, 2d. That they invariably Showed a smaller hal
Lnce against MIR King than proven TO be The
fact, by his settlements with the Tresury Depar,
mont The IMPORTANCE of these dsagreeinents will
he better understood when Is kept in mind that the
quarterly returns made to the Tea.ury for settle
iHent Whi!e The monthly returns to the Navy Depart
neni are statements upon which advances are to he
made TO The Agent. II can scarcely be necessary to
remark, that # the accounts of the Agent contained
correct representation of tho transactions of his
eihce tho three monthly returns 10 the NAVY De-
T. par,ment should agree with the quarterly returns
made to the Treasury Department for the same ne
ROD Tins was found to be the fact With the rat rn.
or the other principal AgentS
fhe poper marked containst synopsis Of these
discrepancies, from l82S, TO June tho Both 1929
rms document shows that sIr. King Ind E,r tho
last seven years with the exception Of short time
preceding his removal from Office, rotsined in b;s
Aahds' unacknowiedged to the Navy Department an
amount OF tho public monies averaging from $40 600
10 $4,000 per onnum
The paper marked c shows the amount of tho re-
QUESTIONS made upon The Department by Err King.
from tie 18th Of Nay the 5lh Of August. 1929.
and II also shows, accurately as could be deter
mined, the amount necessary To meet the expenses
Tor the naval service at that station for the same no
nod exhibiting oVerdrafts upon the Navy Depart
mcnt amounting to about S53,497 o3.
OF he claims which have been set I'm n1aast tho
department by others growing out of DIR. Kings a.
gency ihe principal Is to the amount of $40 I44
- IMAGE ny Inc United State Bank at Norfolk Vir-
gina, for advances professed 10 have been made IN
TIC Agent "soley on Government account" the cor.
reSpondeDcc arising from which, is herewith presen
ted. marked D.
Under view OF the case vas the claim deeo,oa
admissible. The Navy Agent had received M o.
thory to borrow money the credit of the United
States. nor wns the Bank warranted in assuming tho
right OF determining ben the public service deman
ded advances to be made to its Agents discretion
which the act of 3Ist of January. 1898. declares
email be exercised "under the special direction Of
tho United States" "
The assumption of such discretion by the Bank has
thrown upon that institution this debt of s4OIA4 IT
from winch they have asked TO be relieved
Had the right Of the Bank to make these ndvan.
Gee been sanctioned By the Depart rnent this def.uj,
OF Mr. King would have fallen upon the Unit.d
States Treasury.
Copies OF the correspondence called for, will also
10 'o'np w}'n me papers herewith transmitted.
'age the honor TO be,
Very respectfully Sir,
Your obedient servant,
~, - JOHN BRANCH
Tie Hon. ATDREw SrEyENsor