Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-08
FL,:svcEs Ot, YfE " STATES

eagerly taken up. But 40 s,ca thing Mr.. n. seems
to think tie better part OF valour is discre,;on.'
FINANCES or THE u. STATES
We have been favored with tho following Exposition it
gives much pleasure before presenting
does the luminous and complete description Tea-
System of theU. States, that have yet
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
I'm Exposition of the Treasury Of the United States,
80. ty an Officer in the Treasury Department.
The Revenue OF the United States amounts to ahont
~ millions Of dollars annually, nearly two millions
month
The following brief statement exhibits IN. rules tia,
regulate the receipt anl expenditure OF this fund.
The revenue Of the country arses, with the excep.
lion OF some small miscs aneous receipts such divi
dend' stock in the Bank OF the United States taxes
on patents for useful inventions, proceeds of the Lead
Mines, Sc.from duties levied upon impor'e ed chan
die AID tonnage, and from the sale Of the public nds
that have from time 10 time been CD aimed by Treaty,
from the aborigines Of the country.
For collecting the revenue arisnr from imports and
tonnage the whole coast OF the United aes from
tic State of Maine to Louisiana is laid Off into COVE
mint districts; in the frs, class of which collection dis
tricts. Boston. New York, and Phlad.lphia there
are stationed Collector, Naval Of;cer, and Surveyor
In the second class Gloucester, Marhlsh-al, AMI
Alexandra, Collector and Surveyor; and in the third
class, "a Georgetown, Tappahsnnock an, Richmond
Collector only Thee other officers emplny ed in
aid Of the Revenue. Inspectors Arpraiser. WEIGH
er', Measures, Crews Of the .Cu,ers &c.; but they
have nothing TO do with its immediate coec i'm Tn.
ices. commissions salary, &C. Of all these per ons are
paid by the Collectors ont of the of the Gus.
toms, before the money reaches the Treasury, and
without appropriation by law.
The Collector of the Customs, is the Ulcer charged
with The receipt OF tho In di.tcs Of the rst
c'a's, he IL aided by the Naval Officer and in ;ho. OF
he'esond class by the Surveyor, in mating the u-
ties on merchandise They certify the Collectors &C.
counts; and no fraud, therefore, can be committed by
the Collectors in reporting the received, with
out their knowledge and connivancs. IN districts OF
the third Glars, the Collector performs the whole duty
OF estimating and receiving the duties hin,e,f If the
public money received by this single officer. withou,
the supervision knowledge of any other ,eems 10 be
more lsbs to fraud, than other moneys o. the United
States, IL 10 to be remarked that tho revenue collected
In these districts, not con'iderabe and that the Gov.
ernment IL fraud is committed 10 them is
without the means of detection. To guard itself from
imposition here tn. Government has, in the first place
his oath OF office The Collector is a.o required to
specify each individual sum received by him. with the
date; thus increasing the chance OF detection IL any
rregularity is prac,i,ej and the accounting Officers
have general know ledge of the course of trade
or the usual amount OF mpora ions, they form
judgment from H. oil the fairness OF his returns and in
case OF suspicion the Secretary OF the Ttea,ury has
full power (and he frequently exercises 1 TO cause an
investigation into the matter 10 be made.
The Collectors are under bond and securiiv in pen
allies varying with the size of their districts They
required 10 pay the funds in In r hands, stated
times; and the s. cre'aTy, by requiring also summary
statements, weekly, OF their accounts, has the
OF knowing whether that reqnsitioo is complied with
The public lands are also laid Off into convenient dis
ricts for the sale of them. which districts added to-
or changed from time TO tine occasion requires
The lands after being surveyed fire. proclaimed for
sale by the President of The United States and set III
at public aucon the residue remeinng uusoli after
such public auction s subject to entry by individuals
at the minimum price fixed by law. In each land dis
rict, there are Receiver and Register The amount
OF sales is collected by the former whilst the latter be-
sides recording the entries and sales, check
upon his accuracy and fidelity The Receivers I'M
der similar instructions TO those of the Collectors to
ay over the public money ana render to tae Secre.
tary OF the Treasury, summary statements of their
counts But, as they are in par, of the country
where there but ftw Banks of public deposite The
money remains longer in their hands and the danger of
the interpolation OF il, is increased. The Government
therefore, causes a personal examination of the Land
Offices, to be made by Agents annually appointed for
that pupo'e and these Agents obliged count the
money in the possession OF the Receivers and repor,
whether 1t is the amount, which, according TO the las,
settlement at the Treasury. and the subse quent entries
at the Land Office they ought TO have on hand
Having sten the public revenue pass from the hands
oil Individuals, 10 those Of the Officers charged with i,s
con. and the means provided by the Government,
for ensuring their faithfully reporting il, their faithfully
keeping it, and their faithfully paving it over into b. nix
we now come 10 the Bank. themselves, that are au.
thorized TO receive deposi'es of the public money.
Of the repositories Of The public rnoney
49, by he l6'h section Of The Charter of the Bank of the
United States. that Bank and s Offices are to r. ceiye
the deposites OF the public money. in the places where
they estahlished uaIess otherwise directed by N.
Secretary OF the Treasury In pisces where the Bank
mas no Office, the Secretary has designated c.r'an State
Banks to receive Government ieposites These demo-
sories amount in all to about AZ Banks.
BY another section of the Charter the Bank is bound to
render TO the Secretary of the Treasury when required
statements OF its concerns; and in permitting State
Bank to receive public deposites, it is always made
a condition that il shall render such confidential state
ments Besides the judgment which knowledge of the
affairs of the Bank enables the Secretary to form of the
safety OF the public money in ts vaults, the govern
ment has, in relation tohe great depository of all tbe
appointment Of five Directors. The Bank oT the IT
States is also bound by its Charter to transfer the sur
plus revenue from quarter Of the Union TO anv n
Their where it may be required
We now come to the operations of the TrensnD.y it,
SeU. And first of the Receipt Of public nloneu The
officers charged with the collection of the revenue nav
II over at stated times before mentioned by order Of
the Secretary OF the Treasury into Bank where il is
entered to the credit of the Treasurer of the u States
The Bank grants 10 the party making the depose du
plicatc certificates or receipts, OF which he i,nme
diaely transmits TO the Secretary of the Treasury Al
the end of the week month, las is the case with a
iew) the Bank makes out statement of the Treasur
es account in duplicate transmitting one TO the Secreto
ry and the other TO the Treasurer himself The statement
sent to the Secretary is compared with the certificate
oil deposie Issued by the Bank, filed and preserved
The statement sent TO the Treasurer brings TO his mo
tce the moneys deposited to his credit and enables him
TO make up his weekly report TO the Secretary OF the
amount oil cash in the Treasury. This money! although
subject TO the Treasury draftss IegaIIu i'm the Trea
sury until it is covered Gas il is technically called) bv
warrant Of the Secretary of the Treasury countorsgn
ed by the Comptroller, recorded by the Register and
having the receipt of the Treasurer endorsed upon II
TO prevent any mistake in issuing this warrant the So
creary OF the Treasury and the Treasurer proceed At
The end OF the quarter say 3lst March, 30th June ooh
Sept, and 3lst December each, to prepare statement
from the Bank returns before mentioned, of all nub;c