Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-22

W,OT ftguaTun ntOtefhd.
he gives us sort OF specification which notice
little more particularly" Requsons," says he
"were made upon the Department in the early part Of
May, 1929, for considerable amount of money. when
the monthly return for Apr Showed that he had in his
hand large balances applicable to the objects for
which his acquisitions were drawn An explanation
was a'ked OF this variance between his reqn'ons aud
return (See letter OF the l3h May, lS29.) No sat
isiactory explanation was given" Now ,hs explana-
tion which was given TO the honorable gentleman in
my letter Of the Is May, in 20 his of the i3h,
aud which humbly think ought 20 have been sasiac-
tory TO hire, il il was no-and which trust will be en-
ur-ly SO 10 the public, substantially this: that the
apparent balances under the particular heads which
me'ioneh IN his saii letter. u wi: the heads Of
"Provson~," and "Graiuai l,nprovem.nt were no,
real ones, but had been made by the Departments hav
ing sent ne ,noaey under those head. which bad
drawn Tor under others. and isbursed accordingly by
the express direction Of the Department Itself To tx
l'in this TO those who acquainted with the sub
Jec' II Is only necessary To o5,erye, (what must be
known TO the Secretary by this time il it when
wrote that the money furnished by the Government
10 The Navy Department for tie service OF the Navy,
Is appropriated by law he laid under and charged
on The books OF the Treasury to particular heads
as "Pay," "Prosi.ions" NAVY Yard" GRADUAL I'm.
provemen" Contingencies" &c. AMI The accounts Of
the Navy Agcn's must, OF course, be KEEP, in
ponding manner. As it often happens, however that
money IL wanting for particular branch OF the SER
wee, when there is money in the Treasury under
that heal, although there is more than il wanting un.
der some other the practice Of the Department, in such
cases has been TO borrow the money required from
mead that redundant fer The OF the that il
lacking, whils the sum obtained il charged TO the
navy Agent on the books OF the Treasury, and OF
course credited his books, under the head from
which III drawn though il in fact 10 he discussed
ahder anotht" For example, the North Carolina
tves IN port ani the Captain calls On the for $4,000
10 pay oil his men, AM having money in hand IN
der the head OF Pay" make r-qu.iuon upon tn.
Department for the Blu, the Department also has
no money in the Treasury under that head. but
the head OF "Provi.ions" Now what is TO be done,
Why the Department draws the money from the Trea-
sury under the head Of Provisions" aud transmits il,
10 ms charged to MY account under that head To be
credited OF course in my account under that SANE head
but yet TO be sbursed Tor the service in hand that il
under the head OF Pay" BIT, in so dbIrsng il, it
must be remembered, am not at liberty TO charge /,
to the head Of " Provisions" and can therefore only
ehargs as money overpai under is proper head o.
pAy. Accordingly, in making my monthly return
TO the Department, my statement will show balance
OF S50ojo "a in hand under the ,ai of Provisions"
(w'th corresponding charge Of over payment under
The head of Pay,) though, in tact, have not cent
,n hSh'' Again, have occasion TO make requisition
or several sums oil money, Tor various objects, the
same 'ime, say f,r 4" Contn gencics" 5000, " Navy
Yard $1,000 Repairs'' 3 1000 Ordnance $1,000.
making In all $4,000 AMI Ii, Department. sends me
he suN required under two heals only, "a $1,000 un.
der The head OF Rerairs and $1,000 under the he al
81 o',nance, AMI disburse il, OF course, under all
.is haAd' Tor wh'ehl required it, Ii is obviou, here
thdt my moahiv reura will shew balances in favor OF
the heads OF " Repa;rs and " Or!nSnce," land over.
payments agains, the heals of Coming cncies" and
Navy Ysri) when have nothing ef'. II fellows
ANY head uuder which OF these dpparent but no,
real balarccs ia found it he necessary 10 draw
upon the Department for it. Nothing can b. palmer
thln th<, aud the Head of The Department. IL there
any head her-) at once from the previous re.
turn, Why the money is drawn tor notwithstanding the
apdTant balance which he may 6ni accounted for il
he chuose, 10 look in the charges Tor overpaympnts
under one or more of The other hea in tina, very same
or some previous return. Now this or ..netting We.
ry IKE, u, happened TO be the in The instance
whIcn The Secretary refers to- for though it ia true thai
Snp kyaHa IN. {. al.
ces under the heads of " Provisions and " Gradual
improvements, YET, i'll fact, the money furnished IN.
er nose heads had been required by urd r other
hedds and dISourscd c)rugV nv the exrre direc.
ton Of the Department. its.lG ana this hit return
and the two prece log IT, mot distinctly she w ed
( may be Wope? Tor Inc to add here by the way. that
ooth mat RETURN ard all my former ones hal beeu
eessarily submitted to, and approved by the Board of
Navy Commis soDce, before they came TO The Secreta.
ry) was, Their, fore, necessary for me to draw upon
the Department, as did, early in Nav for some small
sums mot very considerable" ones) Of rsaI money
Tor The use OF the heads OF 90 Provision AMI Gradu.
improvements, those apparent balances under them
To tile contrary notwithstanding. This is wh,, stat
eh substantially, 10 the Secretary in my HE
letter, and really thought that hal safsi him en-.
urey, especially as bound 10 suppose that nc
knew, or would make himself ACQUAINTED with the
cours1 oil business OF his Department But tina hon,ra-
bic gentleman il seems, having but lately left his plan
tAtion and hardly at home in his Office did not fad
my explanation satisfactory lnds it appears that
IL even excited his suspicion: for he proceeds say:
twas then deemed proper 10 examine into the state
OF his accounts with The Treasury. from which il APP
peared that whilst his TO that Dsparnen TO
the sun OF June, 1879, exhibited balance bs due
from Mr.. King TO the u States OF 25 56S So the month.
ly returns to the Navy Department, ending On he
same oay. ed a balance 10 be due from the u
States TO him Of Ss20065 ii making difference be-
tween the returns OF SfJ 6S3 96."-Now this ia lii
orally true, and yet deep i've again; FIR the honorable
Secretary has chosen TO overlook conceal the adj
diiional fact, which he knew or onght 10 nave known
as was apparent on The face of the Abstract of All.
vances accsmp ying the return to the Treasury, (,c-
coring TO usage) that from that balance OF S25 $50
there was TO be deducted the sum OF 4! i.S0) for mo-
MES which had advanced on account, which would
have lett the actual balance only $40 1863 But even
this sum was not actually dIe 10 the Uni'e Slies
because against II had claims accounts not vet
in proper from, hut in progress (, be made So amount
ing to about $4,000 aad accounts saspended for al
ditional vouchers. (Uost of them since inrnihe1O 10
about 80 600 more; ~ that my eould have
been fully and fairly audited at thu time il il plain
that the Government mast have been found in nv
debt for considerable A 10 the "diHercnce"
between my monthly returns 10 the Department, and
my quarterly returns 10 the Treasury on tiis point 30
Of the least moment, AZ shall presently shew from his
o,cn tcGrdS,-for the Letter proceeds 20 saY:
"A further investigation nj This su' ect deV eloped
the two following facts, LIST, That the monthly return.
10 the Navy Dcp'rtmen', { ON the year 1922 neyer
dih agree with the r0'urns made 70 the IRE isury D.,
partmen' for the time, anil the same cur nos a.
and II, That hey invariably shewPd smaller balance
again' Mr.. King. than wa proven TO he the fact nv
his settlement with the Treasury ID parmen" And
proceeding TO comment on his Gct : vi. usu,I stvls
agreements, will be better understood, when il il kent
~ mind that the quarterly returns are made 10 The
Treasury for settlement while the monthly returns 10
The Navy Department are statements upon which al
vances are 20 be mad 10 the Agent II can scnrceIy
Unnecessary To remark that IL the accoup of the A.
gent, contained a correct