Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-08-10
THE ANSWER OF MILES KING,
To the Reply ofths Fourth auditor.
CONTINUED

Rave III instance acted dlBh0neStly or diShon
orably, either in the business of my agency, in
my subsequent attempts to settle my accounts' Here
we are brought, for moment, to Auditors re- !
plies to my answers to the old charges of his hon
orable friend the Secretary, which shall very briefly
despatch. And, (passing by, for the present, the |
charge about reproducing" my claim for additional
clerk hire Sc his first charge. or rather insinua
tion against was, that had made acquisitions |
upon the department in the early part of May, 1896
Tor considerable amount of money when the month
~ returns for April showed that had in my hands
large balances applicable to the same objects for
which my acquisitions were drawn'-which led him
to write me letter requesting an explanatory to
which he says. "no satisfactory answer given"
Now our Auditor, on the contrary, admits that my
explanation was, or ought to have been, satisfaco
ry At least, he admits what may fairly argue is
exactly equivalent; for he says, "Mr Kings state
ment IN relation to the arrangement of the
different heads of appropriation in his accounts,
Is substantially true" He admits ALSO that the
practice of the Department was as have represen-
ted 1t to have been; and he admits that "thc agents
are not much TO be blamed for accounting this way
when they are positively instructed to do So" In
deed, the practice of the Department and agents
gether, In tins particular well known to all about
the Government. except honorable Secretary him
sclf II he was ignorant Of it. say if he was ig-
norant of IT. because see (by the printed Documents
accompanying the Presidents Message at the COM
mencement of the last session that our Auditor made
report to him. IN which he says, s-When agents
have called for money under heads of appropriation
which were exhausted, former Secretaries have not
hesitated to send them money under other heads -
OF the Navy it is sent to him under ''Provisons,'
it is intended to be applied, and actually applied
to Pay" &c doc a69.) And find further,
that the Board of Navy Commissioners ALSO made a
report to Secretary, dated the 3lst OF March.
1929 (no, long before the early part of May 1927
IN which they state the practice still more clear
1y, and give an illustration of it hat ought to have
struck his eye, these words ITO this paper"
Ia document referred to) ''he Commissioners res
pectfuiy invite your particular attention. 1t shows
that while agents have ostensiby large balances in
nnHnr rfotr hooIo -
they have made overpaymenis under others nearly
counerbalancng them The Agent at Norfolk
had by his last return. balances hand O3 1885,
put he had overpaid under other heads of appropri
aton Ss2 Al, thus making the actual balance of
money only SIO,988,92." isee Doc. D. 248-9) IT.
then, our Secretary was Ignorant of the practice
TINS point 1t was not, surely, for of ample and
particular instruction; and if he was not satisfied with
my explanation, all must now agree that no ought
have been
Our Secretary's next charge against me, was, tina,
my monthly returns to the Navy Department had ne
yer agreed with my quarterly returns to the Trea-
sury department; and my answer to il was, that
DER the old practice, (whatevrr may be the
der The new they could not, and ought not, have
agreed IN their statements of disbursements, for the
PLAIN reason thot partial payments allotments and
on continuing contracts, appearing in the monthly,
out not appearing IN the quarterly returns, neces-
sarlly occasioned differences bet tween them; and I
aoded 1is,, That snese partial payments could
not appear In the quarterly returns, although receipts
were, of course. taken for Them because the De-
parment save itself from the ntolerable trouble
Oh examining 30 many separate receipts required its
sms Use TO send up ST. vouchers for the whole
IN hand, or other business completed" Now
our Auditor admits that my statement on this point
IS substantially jus,though he does It, of course in
us own way His words are I'm this statement.
aso there is some truth. The practice in relation
20 aiiotmens is, IN general he states; and adyan
ces 10 some extent to dealers and contractors were
doubtless made by him." These admissions are OBJ
viously quite enough for my purpose 'Bu, he adds
of la Vof
mere so, L presume. than the arrangement of the
heads, by the same authority which he admits exon.
81 me from the former charge The truth is,
the observance OF the strict letter of the Ia ON this
point was, probably. found impossible. At any rate
II must be obvious. that the Instructions Of my supe
rioFs were necessarily my law in my subordinate a.
gpncy Indeed, he is constrained to admit as much;
although he still affects doubt whether thew ever
gave me any instructions not to send up my receipts
r partial payments, at the ends Of the quarters as
have stated. 1t is. however, quite certain that thew
did so and have the old Accountant and Fourtb |
Auditors letters and remarks in Reconoilements to
proveit most amply. whenever it may become neces |
Say Az present. for the full satisfaction of the pub
tic on this point, submit which appears in |
reconciemant from the LIST of January to the 3lst oil
december, 1871, sent to me from tho Fourth Audi
tor ONCE Shortly after the last date (which was
nearly two years before the first requiring of month
ly returns) IN these Words with the view of beinc
able to ascertain correctly the state of the
counts, he 10 requested to introduce into his suuma
rys column tor moneys advanced on account IN 40
hereafter accounted for, by an Abst rsct
e1hoitlng such advances, to whom advanced and
Tor what particular purpose All payments for allot-
ments must also be included in the said abstract
When the payments completed then the power
OF Attorney or other vouchers to be transmitted to
this office as heretofore directed /" (Sgned) Con
slant Freeman, 18th Auditor This, presume, will
be allowed to be perfect authority both fo, INV
statements, and for my practice according / may
add, too that tappears by note at the foot of the
reconcieDent, that several vouchers for payments,
on account, which, seems, had Inadvertently sent
up Notwithstanding the Departments previous d.
rectops alluded to, were actually returned to me- to
be kept back till the proper time, agreeably 10 the
9rder. mnreoVer,as TO the motive reason which
assigned for the order find il stated in letter
from the same 9TH Auditor, datedshe I'd March, 1919
that the arrangement" ln relation to aotuaents al
icast') was intended to save much trouble in the
examination and adjustment of both Tho ooon,., 81