Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-22
Tho Hon. ANpREw STEVENSON,
Speaker of tho House Of Representatives..
TnEAsUeY DrrAnrnpyr.

oIncc, IN reply to so much Of the resolution
OF the House Of Representatives, BY you re,
ferrcd to me, relates To the accounts of John b.
Pimberlake and Lieutentan, Robert B. Randolph
late Purser and acting Purscr OF tho frsate Constl
tuition
To save time, l have taken the liberty to COPY a
portion OF report already made To you on this sub
jcc dated cad February, 1880, which is cs follows
viz
John p Tinhcrlcke conmepccd h,s duties as
Pursrr at The ftiga'e Constitution tho s8h June
1924, and died at Port Mahon on the Cd A prl 1sso
Lieutenant Robert Randolph succcedcd him ss
acting Purser. The ship arrived a, Boston on the lst
July, 1879, and the crew we're paid OF tho 18th
August.
On tho s8th September 1923 Lieutenant Randolph
delivered To Tobias Watkins yhcn Fourth Auditor,
the books, >qefs and accoun,sof Mr. Tnnberiake,
together with MS own An examination Of Mr. TIN
beriakes papers took piece, Gnd, then nd all
The private letters and papers delivered to Mrs,
TmDb"rake On he eth October ensuing, Lieut.
Rsndclohs account as scing Purscr, was closed and
reported v hl'e he previous account of Sir T,mbe.
lake rema ued untouched.
entered this oG6ce March .e3, 1920. Mr Tim
berlakes accounts were IN the Of hir. Ezekiel
Macunnicl, hen at the head OF the Purscr'S Depart
Glcnt, by whom hey we're given TO AIR. James H..
Handy, tor settlement Mr.. Handy pr, .res-ed with
the examination of the uccounl which he found in
most detanged condition, and submitted 10 INC few
OF the vouchers for my decision.
On the 9e;h July left The city for the purpose of
bringing my family from Kentucky. Mr.. Thomas II.
Gi!iss, chef Clerk, was appointed By the President,
to Get as Fourth Audl,or my absence. On the
18th August, he reported Mr. T,mberlakes account,
exhibiting against hun balance of SIT,24i C3.-
Finding that some appropriate credits had been omit
ted, on the ih Sep,embfr, he again reported the
coun exhibiting against Mr. Tinberlake, balance
Of Sl43T3 50.
On The 18th October resumed my dutie, es
Fourth Auditor. few days afterwards, you called
at my Office, and inquired wherher there were among
Mr. Undertakes papers. letters from any persons,
showing that the former had made to the latter remit
tsncss OF money from the Mediterranean. inauir.
ed Of NJ. Handy. anu he put into my hand file of
private letters heb &c said be had found umong Dir
Tmbcrlake's papers, among which were three from
MAJOR Ent"n Aiier perusing hem, made inquiry
of IL Jlr Eaton, relative 20 he transaction To which
they referred lie gave fol, detail; read en- or
t!ce dated, think, il 1923, stating the purpo
ses fl which he had become the purchaser of the
prop rty alluded 20, showed me a book in which Mr.
TimberIake had charged hIm with the amount of the
remttances and gwen credit, all, believe III his
on hand; and sa:d he should be ready to pay over
the balance 10 the Government when should be as
cer,ainea shat h'-. Timberlske in truth public
debtor, which he doubted. AZ my Request, Mai. Ea-
tan has reduced 10 writing be statement Inadc 10 me
winch lie herewith submitted, marked A, T. I also
submit so much Of his private letters Mr Timber
lake found In this Office, (havng obtained his con
sem as relates To his pecunary with that
gentleman, ma rked G., d E. These, with n copy of
letcr to the Secretary OF the Navy, marked con
stute believe, all the Information possessed by me
relative 20 the responsibility of any person persons
/ Ii. n
berloke. do not. TO this hour know who are his
securities his official bond. Such papers are lodr-
ed IN your Depar meni, and part of nv dtI
~ 10 take steps for the recovery of balances due t.
the Government, either from principals or securities
have had No indictment TO inquire who Mr. Timber
lakes securities were.
! In others of the private letters delivered to me-
thcrenre evidences Of considerable amounts Of prop.
erty owned by Mr.. Tlmberlakc IN the United States
at the tire oi their date. The informant ton nav he
useful, lift shall become necessary take steps for
the recovery of the balances reported 10 be due; and
it will no. be concealed by me-
\ Idecm my peculiar duty see that all settlements
made in my Office fair AID honest The Confidence
with which the family of Mr. Timbersk asserted
that there must be error fraud in the settlement
his account, induced me TO give it full nves,iga
Al the first step found that he had not credit for
dollar left board at the time ofhis death Deeming
1t improbable bata purser ofso la ge ship should die
IN distant sea entirely noneyless applied for infs,-
nation To Commodore Patterson, one of the present
Navy Board, who commanded the ship lie informed
me that Mr.. Timberlake had left large SUN of mo
ney and other property at the time Of his deatl that
he directed invent cries TO TO be taken Of the whole;
and he expressed much surprise that credits mad NOT
bees gwen, and that the Inventories not in nv
Office few days afterwards he put into my hands
letter from Lieutenant H. A. +. Valictte, whom
he had directed to cause inventories be TAKEN do
ted November 10, 1929, of which The following Is an
extract:
Your order TO me TO have inventories taken of all
on public account and amount Of cash in the pursers
department at the desth Of Mr. 1jmberake, was
strictly complied with. Mr. Paine, and Lord, and Nj.
Norman attended to that duty, leaving one copy in
the ch"st, box, &C. containing the articles, and fur.
Dishing Mr.. Randolph with another
No inventory was TO be found in this Office and be
clerks who had settled RsndolpLs and Tnbe rlake e
accounts, assured me, that they had never seen or
heard OF any. nr. Handy brought me Mr.. Timber
lakes letter book, from which had been cut more
Than twenty leaves, With conceivable motive but co
suppress evidence connected with his account; aud
lie told that il in that condition when he first
saw IL
communicated these facts to Lieutenant Randolph.
Tie declared that he ignorant of the existence Of
any inventory but admitted that Mr. Timberake left
sum OF money, which, he alleged. be hal cxpende
IN paying rs public debts IN the Mediterranean. Tie
did not state ffe amount Of money, specify any
one debt which he paid, but said, that AFR. Thomas
Norman Of New York, who had attended to his bus
mess could explain tho whole matter; and promised
to procure his attendance.
Not having seen Lieutenant Randolph tor about
month. and hearing nothing from Mr.. Norman, 1
wrote to you on the 22d January last. requesting you
to order Lieutenant Randolph. Lieutenant vslette,
and others who were supposed 10 know something Of