Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-19
MR.. KING.

iho last Norfolk papers bring US the answer Of ibis
gentleman to the letter of tho Secretary of the Navy
winch we lay without delay before the reader His
answer to Kendall will appear in a short time
fhose who were just enough to suspend tie forma
ZION OF final opinion this subject, until Mr. KIM
was heard from, will End their forbenrance regarded
las tho manifestation Of innocence falsely accused
carries pleasure TO the just and upright by his COM
piete Vind'caon against the charges tho ns,naations
and the iuuendoes, of Secretary Branch. In s.vino
tins we anticipate what will be- and is obliged to be.
every candid and intelligent mans conclusion, after
perusal Of ar Kings letter.
IF his reply to the moro subtle allegations of Au-
ditos Kendall, shall be lucid and unanswcrablc
as hts swer to Secretary Brauch no man will be At
loss to understand. that SIR. King was removed in
the FIRST instance for political reasons and The attempt
to make him out defauer oj1er,Oards rcsorted to.
tojasiyy that otherwise unjustifable step. Power
having graticd its resentmen,s by an &c, of t1runny
sough next to excuse it, by act Of buseness which
is hardly describablethe ruin Of an innocent mans
reputation, to justify its own dcspotism This we
say, wiu be the conclusion, if Mr.. King reutes Ken
dali as triumphanly he has refu,ed Mr. Secretary
Branch We believe he will do SO.
For the bettor underst anding of Mr.. Kinr. ,vc r.,
publish the letter of the Secretary of the Navy which
accuses him.
LBrrEa FROM THE SECRETARY OF TIE Navy
JNuuy Department, May 81 1880
SR: have the honor, in obedience to the resolu.
ton Of the House of Representatives of the 18th in
stant, calling for certain information in relation to
the accounts. &c of Miles King, late Navy Agent
at Norfolk Va, to present the accompanying report
Of the Fourth Auditor Of the Treasury, CONTAINING
part Of the information called for.
There is also transmitted, marked A, copies Of
nj ynn RI era cd to-
said agent, which have been rejected on each of
which, respectively, rs given the reasons for their re-
lection OF disallowsnce by the Department
Ia addition to the reasons assigned on these
chcrs for their rejection, may be proper to state bv
way OF explanation, as TO part of them that the
saisrS OF Navy Agent is limited by law TO S2OOe
per snnum; and that all sums allowed 10 the agent,
over and above this amount, are intended tn Cover
expenses which have been incurred in the
discharge of the duties of his Office for clerk hire
office rent, stationery, fuel, &c. In the vouchers al
iuded TO, i,-sPpaars, thai the demands Of Mr. King
to cover these expenditures were made from time to
time. allowed by the respective Secretaries md The
several carried to his credit the books of the
Treasury. After lapse Of from ten to thirteen
years. these charges for clerk hire &c are reprodu
ced, and the items considerably increased in amount
In answer to that pant of the resolution which call
for information to the manner in which Mr.. King
has kept his accounts, and made his monthly and
quarterly returns, it may be promised, that the law
requires the Navy Agent to make quarterly returns
of his accounts the Treasury Department. and that
these shall be accompanied by 'vouchers necessary
to the correct and prompt settlement thereof" and il
Is required that monthly returns shall be made TO the
Secretary Of the Navy, of the moneys received ind
expended during the preceding month"; and of the
Unexpended balance in his hands"
This regulation cnubes tho Secretary of the NAVY
TO remit to the agent the sums necessary for prompt
compliance with all contracts entered into by tho
Navy Department, and to limit the advance to the
ugcnt, 80 that an unnecessary and large amount of
money may not be left in his hands. The monthly
NJ Mr. np mt lado
these requisites of the law. acquisitions were made
upon the Department in the early part of May 1890
for considerable amount OF money when the month
" return Of April showed that he had i'm his lnds
which his acquisitions were drawn An explanation
asked of this variance between his acquisitions
nnd rcbarn. (Sce letter of the 18Th May, 1897 No
satisfactory explanation was given.
II was then deemed proper - examine into the
state Of his accounts with the Treasury, from which
il appear rcd, that whilst the return to tina: Depart
ment to the 30th Of juno, 1890 exhibited balance
to be due from Mr.. King to the United States of
Sl5, 500 95, the monthly returns to the Navy De-
parment, ending on the same day, stated balance
10 be duo from the United States to HIM of S2OO65
~, making difference between these returns Of
S45,633 90.
Afurtbcr Investigation of this subject, developed
the two following facts: let. That the monthly re-
turns to tho Navy Department, from the year 1922,
did agree with the returns made the Treasu-
ry Department for the sumo time and PURPOSES:
and, cd. That they invariably showed smaller bal
ance against Mr.. King than proven to be the
fact, by his settlements with the Treasury Depart.
inent The Importance Of hose disagrccmcnts will
DO bcttor understood when is kept in mind that the
quarterly returns made to the Treasury or settle
inent, while the monthly returns to the Navy Depart
Iuent, are statements upon which advances are TO be
made to the Agent. Itcan scarcely be necessary to
remark that " the accounts Of the Agent contained
correct representation Of the transactions Of his Of
fce the three monthly returns to the Navy DEPART
ment should Hgree with tho quarterly returns made
10 the Treasury Department for the Same period
This was found be- the fact with the returns of the
other principal Agents.
The paper marked Is contains a synopsis Of these
discrepancies, from 1922, to June the 3Oth, 1920.
This document shows that Mr.. King had for the last
seven years with the exception of short timc) pre-.
cedng his removal from Office retained IN his hands
unacknowledged to the Navy Department, an amount
Of the public monies averaging from $4,000 to
10000 per annun.
Tho paper marked shows The amount of tho re-
1usitions made upon the Department by Mr.. King
from the 18th Of May 10 tho 9th of August 1890 and