Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-08

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the Secretaries of those Departments couptersigned by
the Second Comptroller, ami registered by he End Srd
or lth Auditor according to the object of expenditure
The warrants OF the Secretary OF the Treasury for
payments, may be divided into three classes viz: for
advances oil money; upon settlement Of accounts; and
upon requsiton OF the Secretaries of the War and Ma
| Wy departments.
L. Advances of public money by the Treasury De-
parment, ase made to Marshals TO deay the expenses
OF holding courts 10 Superntendents OF lighthouses
10 doiray the expenses OF those establishments &c &c
To procure such advance the Marshal (for ins,anccl
transmits estimate the Secretary of the Treasury
OF the sum he expects TO require. The Secretary, il
he sees TO distrut the Statement. of the Mar
sha, and IL he finds upon enquiry of the Comptroller
that he has regularly settled for prcviou. advances
directs the advance OF the required. warrant is
then issued by the Secretary sent TO the COMPTROLLER
who countersigns it, and then TO the Register who
cords 1t, and enters the TO the debit OF the Marshal
who is accordingly held accountable for its proper app-
| cation.
In settling account for supplies furnished.
or Tor services rendered, apperainng the Treasury
Department. the party presents himself 10 the Ist Au
ai'or. III he hnds amy thing due, and fund provided
by Congress to pay it, he states an account and makes
report, which are sent to the Comptroller: If he APP
proves he ccrtiics and sends them TO the Register
VINO enters them in his books transcript of the Au-
ditors report is then the Secretary of the Trea-
sury, who issues his warrant, sc.
.. The acquisitions o. the Secretaries OF War and
Navy are also for advances of public money to the dis
ourSns oiicers oil those Departments such Paymas-
ter, Commissaries, Pursers, &C. and upon settlement
oil account They pass through those departments and
the accounting ofces appertaning 10 them in manner
similar TO warrants OF the Secretary of the Treasury
through his Department and its accounting Offices and
when they reach the Treasury, they form the basis
the third class OF warrants referred TO-
These warrants are all directed to the Treasurer of
the United States requiring him pay the sum therein
stated 10 the party i'm whose favor is issued and
ing his residence if il be out of Washington. Having
this document in his possession the Treasurer has 10
provide Tor placing the money in the hands OF the
dvdual and looking TO the of his account i'm the
various Banks with which he has dealings and duly
Weighing the convenience OF the Treasury and the nd
vldual, decides where shall be paid and accordingly
nils up the order at the foot OF the warrant directing the
Bank TO pay 1t according TO its tenor. And ii is here
be remarked, that the Banks at liberty to pay
any public money, but upon the warrants herein before
described with the order of the Treasurer annexed
whenever public at the credit OF the Treasurer
IN Bank to be transferred from point where there
surplus, 10 point where there is deficiency in the
receipts, the Treasurer issues his draft gets record
ed and signed by the Register and approved by the Sec
retary and transmits for collection to the Bank where
he money Is wanted But il is TO be observed that this
operation merely changes the relative of the Bank
accounts, and does rot increase diminish the amount
OF money In the Treasurers hands
Iredsurer'S Office.
The Treasurer having signed the order at the foot Of
the warrant directing its payment the Bank il en-
tered by Clerk in book kept for the purpose. If the
warrant Is made payable at any place than the seat of
government the Treasurer transmits advice of it 10 the
proper Bank in order keep the parent Bank advised of
the drafts made by the Treasurer upon its various Off
ces, this Clerk also makes the end of the eek
from the same book aggregate statement of the amount
oil warrants directed TO the Bank and h several Offices
during the week, and transmits il the close of Satur
day. business TO the Bank at Philadelphia.
BY the act of Congress creating the Treasury Depart
ment the Treasurers bound TO exhibit the Secretary
and the Comptroller whenever required, the amount Of
cashn his hands, and il is probably under an instruction
issued in virtue of this provision that the Treasurer
makes to the Secretary his weekly reports exhibiting
inc whole amount in the Treasury, and the particular
sum IN each Bank This statement is prepared from the
Ledger oil the Bank accounts kept in the following
manner:
The Bank is charged with all the depo .itcs made in it
ana reported in the weekly return heretofore described
and is credited with the amount of warrants directed n
1t for payment during the week-The balance is then
cast and the result is the he reported TO the
Secretary as the cash in that Bank This is PERHAPS
the best statement that can be furnished situated as the
pubic moneys but it very favorable one TO the
BANKS 1T Is probable, indeed that an average the
amount actually subject to the reasurers draft i'm Rank
az inc date OF this report exceeds the amount stated in
IL by nearly hall mlion whilst the amount actually
on deposte that she amount for which warrants have
oeeh directed TO them but not paid by them consider
AMY larger Ii may be worth the trouble explain full
~ now this happens, and we will take, for doing So the
case OF the Branch Bank New Orleans IL takes about
three weeks for the from this Branch to reach
he treasurer Let us suppose that the average week
iy dcpostes in that Branch are $40 600 and tho war
rants directed TO it for payment $50 900.
By It's last return that has reached the Treasu-
rer, dated we will further suppose the Both
OF September, there is n balance due the
- Treasurer of 100000
During the three weeks succeeding the a.
mount OF the warrants 10 go, 900
H.. Leaving only $4,000
But during this zine the depostes TO his credit
amount 10 $4,000
which he cannot bring into his account I'M
al the returns ef the Branch are received
ne other difference arises from The time il takes for
me warrant to reach the Bank which il is directed
ne Bank is credited in the Ledger account referred ON
Monday with all warrants directed by the Treasu-
rer during the week ending the preceding Saturday
but no actual dminuon of cash in Bank takes place nm
presented for
The same return of lc Bank that credits the deposes
made during the week. charges the warrants paid dur
ing the same period, and the warrants are accordingly
enclosed with it TO the Treasurer. He examines The
warrants to see if they properly recepted as requir
cd by law compares them with the entries i'm the ed
ger in which the Bank has been credited with Them.
notes The date oil payment in the Ledger: and files tbc
warrants TO serve vouchers in the quarterly settlement
oil his accounts. II is TO be noted however that these
settlements with the Banks are not conclusive but chief
ly for information merely.
II is the quarterly settlement 10 which the Treasurer
oil the United States is held by law i'm common with other
ldsbur'ing officers OF the Government that ascertains
and settles the accuracy of his transactions The voucb
ers Tor his quarterly account the warrants for paw
ments into the Treasury, with which he CHARGES him
elf, as also with any balance in the Treasury on the
preceding settlement, and the warrants for payments
out oil the Treasury, with which he credits himself He
Is also IN the practice Of showing i'm his quarterly ac
count, the balance OF cash remaining i'm his hands nc
distributed in the different Banks. This account first
goes to the Auditor who examines all the entries in de-
ia compares them with the Vouchers and secs that the
vouchers as II regards receipts and otherwise are in
legal form. lie submits it with his report TO the LET
Comptroer who revses it and sends il to the office of
10 xx.n 4 l. CT