Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-07-02


'eore satisfied myself Of their correctness" Now
'nc would think, this ought to have been satisacto
10 MN, as 1t IS obvious that tho requiring of
lne commanding Officers approval to authenticate
,,o"Sher' implies a confidence In his judgment and
u'scfetion. But our Auditor is determined to gu
lur'hcr and inquire into the reasoas of tho approval
ana what were theye w ny that lone OF the articles
ousie or the frigate Congress,) twas furnished,
III personally Knew; but IN relation To the two her
accounts, he says. "The second account of r. 3.
seymour Tor S2l, for wood furnished the Constc!la-
uon, as Wen as the S. is for paid G.. Cooley,
have no other suppose correct than their
certificates, and Mr. Kings word, which I cannot
oouot. Wen now then l have certainly got my
vouchers for these three small items the buglc the
wood' ana the water, IN proper form at last, and
nave supported them by the fullest proof For the
ougie have proved it by the Commodore's acknowl-
edgetnent that he required and received it; and for
the wood and water, have proved them by the ac-
counts OF the persons who furnished them, with their
receipts Tor the money which paid them, and the
COMMANDING Officers approval, and the of
the approval into the bargain which strike eve
~ one suppose, us entirely sufficient. Now will it
oe Deheved that our Auditor finding from this cYpli-
cit statement of the Commodore that he cannot
catch mo in fraud, turns off to try 10 catch the
Commodore himself in t;tkseiood or something like
M But 1t Is even so: for he adds. 1.-The certificates
aiuded to bear date February lst 1890. the day on
'ohach hts letter to dated. or course he had
no evidence OF the correctness of the cha.ues when
ne approved the bills about sir cees before except
Tue Word or M1. h.ns." And then gathering him
ctdt orr II cannot coacede that this was the check
which the Navy regulations contemplated or thnt
sueH an approrat was legal orproper Mat ii ought
to be tolerated by The Department See RI
nope the reader ariH A. B. which are bis Ietter
TO the Commodore and the COMMODITIES answer and
am sure he will see nothing in the last which can
excuse such nm gorgeous piece of nsoIcnce as this
oh the contrary, he will see that the Con,modoro
was careful to ascertain the correctness of these net
" items before he approved them; and there is Ger
fanny , nothing IN his statement that warrant
aln.rent conclusion. For although he does say, as
to Seymour's and Collcy's accounts 81 hive mn
other reasons to suppose them correct than their
tlfica'cs, and MIR. Kings word which T cannot
doubt and the certificates alluded to bear date Feb
ruary Il 1880, the day which his letter was da,ed
1t does not yet follow Of course" that he had M ey;
dence of the correctness of the charges when he mn
proved the bills about sirpeeks before cent the word
OF Mr. h'ng." For he writes above distinctly IL have
to state that the accounts were approved bv me-
about six weeks since, but not before hnd satisfied
myself Of their correctness" He does not iniaea
here say hon he had satisfied himself of their correct
ness out our Auditor was evidently bound to presume
thar he had satisfied himself, I am authorized TO
say was actually the fact, by proper iaguiries and
| Of course. not by my word alone And accordinrlv
If our Auditor will only have the goodness to t5.r
s snarp eye upon me words again. he win find tina,
the commodore does not say, 81 had no other evil
dence othcr correctness" &c. but haze &c fha,
is, now, on this LIST day of February 1880 when IAN
writing to YOU for the certificates were no,o written
To- satsly' II 1t mad been possible, punctlous Au-
\ " RI
able to see, that willy Auditor instead of catch
ing either the or the Commodore in any thing unvor
thy OF either OF us, only catches himself in pitiGl
ate,pP TO o'shonor the word Of gentleman by
quiooe OF his own. These items are therefore and
'of course" rejected. But that bugle for the Con
sress, which the Commodore saws .ehe 6po,.s w,s G
nished by the Asent"-surely Iris item must be al
lowed? But not is rejected, This il oo r ~ a.
of our Auditors justice, bat you shall see anobarp
The vouchers numbered from is) to q el INCLUSIVE
we're rejected because from their are the nresmon
ton Ii that they have been paid, that thew ought
not to be: and because they are Destitute ~ oil 81
evidences of authenticity and correctness ~
MAKE them good vouchers in this office. Some of hen,
nave not the commanding officers approval. or the
iai s'oteNepers receipt, or any receipt whatever
0nd some are destitute of all three
Now as t. the sage of these voncbers AGAIN
humbiy submit that if they are not older then INV r.
gency, las they certainly not they c. uno, he foo
olo 10 De allowed IN the full and final settlement of
my account cencering it. And to their ape furnish
ing "a presumption hat they have been paid or tbo
they ought not to be-" the books of his office ann
pose ought to she~ that they have been paid thew
Dave oeen and IT they do not shew it. s'tle presumn
ton is" that they have not been paid and tbeysSr.
ought to be. For the rest that some of them NAV he
INFORMAL according to his ideas of foruaIitv can
readily CONCEIVE and especially remember that
put bundle OF them into his hands, STATING at tho
time, that it was very probable that some Of them
mISht De found to be so, but that If thew wero
and be would let me know what further proofs he ro
qurcd 10 authenticate them, would furnish them III
could. must doubt, however, whether they arc on
informal Oh he would make them out. Some Of them
at ieast still appears to ARE pretty nearly as
feet US could be wished. For example, there is No
H. cask of'Inslacked lime, 81 10, called for bv an
ndent ofJonashan Cowdery, Surgeon, approved by A.
SINCLAIR Commanding Officer, aud receipted for by
Sobert Soutter, merchant, of whom il was bonobi
w hat docs this item want to authenticate it further,
NO. is, for two pounds white clover seed, one dol
lar IS nearly as formal. And what fault cas possibly
De found with No. 10, for SO yards white flannel
at az cents 1858, and six rim locks with knobs At g.
3D. 49, Tor which there is the receipt of George Min
Iosn; merchant, and corresponding indent Of Thorn
as as Dnlton' Naval storekeeper, approved by John
Iass'n !he Commanding Officer Yet they are all
thent'cty and correctness necessary to make them
good vouchers IN this nlice!" will only add that
hey are all Tor articles which clearly siewD to
have been actuly bought and paid for by me for the
service of Government and there is not HING to san
that have ever been paid for them again IF there
tore, they are INFORMAL I submit that tbonob !,