Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-07-07

Il would be indeed somewhat siuyulor that Mr
fimberlake, who Lad been purser Of so large yes
sci as the Consitnticn from the soth of juno 1924
until April I'd. 1873, should not realize q handsome
proht upon his cruise. But il must be Remembered
that the settlement OF his accounts with the Treas
ury' furnishes no certain indicum of the pecunary
resa GO the Purser whether profitable or otherwise
The documents in the possession Of the Auditor sbov
~ ne himself states, that various remttancc, ypsns
made oy Mr. Timberlake when IN the Medterra
mean. With the amount Of these r,mi,tnnees. am
net t1iy ePprsod, but that sum exceeding the re.
ported balance against him wus paid in Nav York.
prior to the ssing of the Constitution and RENTED
curing the cruise for matters of private concern is
susceptible Of proof
IL must also oe obvious, to every one familiar with
'hS duties OF putser. that the most scrupuous ac
ou,eSy and system IN the conduct Of the business
aau ID the keeping OF the accounts are necessary to
ensure that prof, tn the individual which the law al
lows him. But tine Auditor himself states TINT the
derungcd condition"
1t Is also within the knowledge of oil the officers
the constitution, that ut least from the early part
OF november, 1897, when the unfortunate circnm-
stance occurred which caused the premature death
o' MT, Ilmoeriake, he was frequently in situation
winch absolutely him from that active
ana vigliant attention to the business OF his Office
whieh can alone prevent it from bee onng hahly dis
advantageous to the pocuniary ofthe officer
~ moro specific detail OF facts will pcrbaps here
ai'er be given, which will demonstrate that ample
grounds existed, without mpugning the honor or
tue integrity Of any individual accounting fully for
sne tact that balance should appear agoinst Mr.
Undertake upon setloment Of his accounts with
the government VIZ"
mere are two circumstances upon which thu,
Auotor appears mainly to rest his allegations of
fraud and embezzlenent The one is that no iaven
Tory OF ."e pubic stores of Air. Tim5erlakc should
appear III the office; the seconL that NO precise &c
count OF the money left by HIM should be exhibited
In my statement, as given by the Auditor | u,n
represented to have sud, on the 9Th February 1880
that me amount OF money received (by mel left
oy Mr ilinberiake, was upwards of eleven thousand
collars OF the amount OF which he has private me-
morondum, and thnt he never received from those
who counted the money, or others nny inventory ar
MEMORANDUM OF re amount of money ar pubic mo-
perty lett by Mr. Timbc:ake." Thus IS n Main nm
vanished statement, literally true in every pur ocular
out which Is assaiiad by the Auditor in no yesy men
sured ternis Of direct allegation and caiu,nuiops IN
sinuntion. C"mTodore Patterson, who was in com
maud of the Constitution states Tint he oraorca
"Lieut. T.. A. Valettee. LIST lieutenant m c.uss|
en- inventory ut money ond articles of eyerv descrip
ton IN charge OF the lae purser ITO he madel con-
formally to the rules and regulations of the service
IN srchicasts Lieut. Val!ctie subsequently rano,td
to me, that he had appointed Lieut.. X. b Ran5nni,
I'd Lieut. OF tina SHIP, Midshipmsn Amasa Paine:
ana -- Norman, Steward to the late purser
who he informed me had perfJrmed the duty os.ion
ed them and nnde tn me statement &C tho ar,n1n,
OF money on hand. Dir. Vs!lete, in the momoran.
dun given OF his statement, ssys--"hc received \
verbal order from Com. Patterson TO have iuvento-
Ties taken OF all property LETT by HIM (AIr Timber
iaHe1 on board. public and private; he gave to Sir
randolph, and he th!nks to Mr. Amasa Pa ne Mr.
Lord, and probably Mr Norman, directions 10 ,nke
the inventories. '-'inventories Of Mr. rs cIothing
and certain articles that he had purchased for his WIFI
anu family were given To hun. (Vaettc,l which he
now produces: he did not see the inventories of Mr.
is money, slcps ah1 stores, but he ALWAYS under.
stood that such were taken, and that tcy were in
the posses. ion of Mr. Randolph and cow f,rwsr1
ed to the Fourth Auditors oficr. a rncinoranduI
ol lhe amount OF money was given to him, which he
COVE 20 Com Patterson" AIR. Paine in ansoar 70
the interrogatores proposed To him. saws IL have 10
state most Posficefg that never did count or nil in
SO doing. any money left by Mr.. Timberlake. nor to
my recollection, designated to count the same or
take inventories of his public stores | was desig
mated by Lieut.. Valietie to take un inventory of AZ
is wearing apparel, aud did so, aud packed IA. !
same IN two chests putting inventory of the nrti
c.es IN each chest into the same, locked and sealed
the same, and directed them to Mrs. uarparet I,im
beflake, Washington City. which two Chests Mrs
i. received IN Boston, and informed me there ,hat
the articles and inventories agreed. also LODGED
duplicate OF each inventory and the keys OF the
chests with Mr. Volette."
X appears from the documents which Tho A,,,o,
has annexed to his report, that thore is no evidence
from any individual that any inventory of the mil
stores ief by Purser Tinbcrlake was ever taken In
sct, situated as they were, III hossheads &c III the
hoIo or The ship, the fact OF their being opened and
invenioried, must have been notorious TO eve,y ON.
on board. 1t is pos lille that Com. Patterson and
Lieut. FaIeite may be correct in their recull.ciion
oil the terms of the order which was issued aIonoh
on naccuracy in this particular is more than probable
alter lapse Of two years. but il seems dicult m
reconcile the fact, that such order was given vii,
the circumstance, that neither OF these officer, eyer
gave himself the least trouble 20 ascertain wbe.hcr
or not 1t had been complied with, and neither of
them could have been ignorant of the fact that bss
Puoc articles could not have been inyentoriAd with
out the CIRCUMSTANCE being known througbout The
ship. Zach Of these gentlemen had the evidence
hat the money was counted and the private proner.
y examined; and it appears somewhat unuccoupta-
Ole that neither OF them should see to the execu,on
OF that part of the order which related to the nubl
stores: In fact so far as have any knoyle5oe mr.
grounds oil belief upon the SUBJECT no such nventorv
was taken ani certainly none was ever made NJ
scen,by me- Upon whom censure is to rest. on the
suPposlton that no such order was given or tbat u
was not obeyed, it is not for me TO decide Meyer
having received any such order, feel that no cor.
sure IN either aspect Of the case is ntfrbutobIo -,
me Its only by surmisiDg thot such docutnen, wa.
made--that ITS contents would in some w6v or ono
ther have implicated me--and TINT fraudulcn,Iz
suppressed II, that it have any bearing unon me-
my accounts, or my character A similar 1rs;n 81
baseiess surmses aud insnuations n,rht with co,,i
plausIbty and equal truth, have made any other On
Ger on boafd the object Of suspicion and OF chsroc
In fbe loC - M