Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-06-22

manner IN which had been ousted from my ofDce TO
make room for him In that body, too, it well
known. that there WIS distinguished whom |
have the honor to call my friend, and who also the
friend Of the. present administration although he is
not the approver of all its acts who. happened be
veil acquainted with my accounts, and stood prepa-
red to defend them 1t Was i.ught prudent and pol
tc. therefore, to shift the of the attack upon
me from the Chamber to the Hail. and the resolution
was accordingly moved in the House, to which the
letter was sen, only day two before the close of
its session, order that in the hurry of business it
might escape the exposure which it richly deserved
1t easy, then to sec that although the letter was
written 10 obedience to the resolution of the House.
the resolution Of the House was fact the contri
vance of tn" Secretary, and very cevery got up to
gave him an opportunity of indicating his own con-
ouct In relation 20 me- and OF course, by aspersng
my accounts-This apparent motive of the writer,
furnishes the true key the interpretation of this
letter and viii serve to explain that curious style of
insin"ation which he has inseniously adopted at
to vcil and to accomplish his desirn 4,he whole
document indeed is singular specimen of ignorance
and cunning united (thc result perhaps, of clubbing
OF wis., Which fater myself shall very easily eX
pose.
There is also, transni,ted," continues the Secre-
tary, marked g, copies of CERTAIN vouchers prcsen
ted to the Department by the said late agent which
have been rejected, each of which, respectively
gwen the reasons for their rejection dsallowance
by the Department" These "copes of certain vouch
ers, however, have yet appeared in print. and ha
wing waited for some days past, to them, in vaIn
may take ii for granted, presume that the publ
cation of them has been suspended for snre good
cause, which 1t has not been deemed proper
1t may be conecturad, however, I think, that the
reasons for their rejection disallowance by the De-
partment" endorsed upon them, will hardly seem as
satisfactory to the public, they must have been to
the writer himself.
But the Hon. Secretary proceeds inform the House
g the public, that Sin addition to the reasoas assigned
onthcse vouchers for their rejection may be proper
TO state by way OF explanation to part Of them,
thai the salary of the Navy Agent is limited by law
to $1,000 per annum and that all allowed to the
Agent over and above his amount, are intended to
cover expenses which have been necessarily incurred
IN he discharge OF the duties of his office. for clerk
bl!e office rent stationary, fuel, &c. and he eoes
On 20 add That I'm the vouchers alluded to- appei rs
that the demands of Mr.. King to cover these ekpen-
ditures were made from time to time, allowed by the
respective Secretaries and the several sums carried
tn his credit, on the books of the Treasury"-and
yet latter lapse from to thirteen yenrs these
charges for clerk hire &c are Reproduced, and the
items considerably increased IN amount" The infer
ence which he would have drawn from the premises
obvious enough, but it is his language only that
leads to it, and not the fact which his language dsgui.
ses; and little explanation Will serve to shevy that it
Would be entirely fallacinus and unjust Rr the truth
on this point that for the first four years of nv
pnlDtpent, that Is from 1916 to 1890 had brounht
no charge whatever against the government for any
of these extras, but had paid them all out of nv own
pocket; but In the latter year, being Informed that
such charges had been always allowed in the accounts
OF every other agent, deemed it proper to add them
also to NINE, and accordingly did SOL charging only
the sum OF for them all for the four yea rs which
had elapsed that is little over $500 O. wear: At this
time, however, was not appraised of fact which |
discovered only IN September October last in look
ing over the papers relating my accounts in the Au-
oitors otIce to Wit that on the 9th of June, 1917
circular had be n addressed FROM the Navy Depart
ment to the Navy Agents. of New York Phs de- phia
and Boston. fixing tue amount of those extras at
certain specified That circular is in these words
Sur, the aaeure a1d extent Of The business Of your
Ggec1 involves the question Of reasona BILE allovan
Cos tor contingent expenses and for which you to
distinctly understand that the following allowances
will be admitted in full of all Office expenses, viz for
once rent Siso CLERK hire $1,000; porter s24o, sta
tonary books, &c $3.50; fuel and candles $50 total
amount per annum $1,000" Now as it was alte geth.
er clear to my mind that this circular aIthoue adj
dressed to the Agents at New York, Philadelphia
and Boston alone, ought in all fairness to regulate
the charges at Norfolk also, where "the nature and
extent OF the business of the agency made ii obyi-
osy as applicable and proper as in either of those
oher cities, d as my accounts nov subjected to
tne most captious criticism on all possible points
deemed 1t entirely correct to prefer my claim for nv
extras according to these established rates; and l.
therefore, made out q new account against the De.
partment,in which charged them at those SUMS
IroIn the commencement of my sefvice and rave il
credit for the said of $685., which had alrea
dy recelVed, as for 30 much account. The items
thus only corrected, and not exactly ssreproduced"
were OF course considerably increased in amount !"
put only because had Ignoranly wronged myself by
undercharges for them my former accounts It NAV
be proper to state. however, that this new account
did contain one single new item which was placed bv
ITSELF and was to extra clerk hire from the 10th Of
April 1920, to his date 9Th April, 1887 al $500
per annu'n $4,000" for similar charge had been
allowed to othe, Navy Agents los even to yself also
from that period could see no good reason why it
should not be allowed to me. l will only add, that
the grounds on which l made all those charges, as
gwen above were particularly stated in note at the
loot OF the account ITSELF which the Secretary must
nave seen! 1t Is entirely clear therefore, after this ey
PLANTATION, "hich 1oas before the gentleman himself
that the truth of the case will countenance the
pPu'ation winch Dis Phraseology has been artfully
fashioned TO convey. And indeed nv right To these
additional allowances which claimed IS SO apparent.
that must believe that neither the Auditor nor the
Secretary would have found any difficulty in admit
ing Ut once had not become necessary by this
time for their own exculpation, to make me out de-
fauter by al possible means.
But the Honorable Secretary proceeds to saw, I'm
answer TO that part Of the resolution which calls for
ma as to the manner In which sIr King has