Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-19


Ras srked oft variance between his regulations and
etorn. tSec letters ofthe 18Th Nav 1899 No sati,-
ac,ory explanation was given" Now the explanation
which was gwen to the honorable gentleman in my
letter ofthe 18th Nay, IN answer to his of tho i3h
and which humbly think ought to havc been salts
factory ~ hum If it not.-and which trust will
be entirely soto the public, was substantially th
that the apparent balances unr tho particular heas
which he mentioned in his said letter. wit the heads
OF Provisions and" Gardua Imp oveu,ent" were not
real ones, but had boon made by tho Depart
having sent the money under those heads which
had drawn under others, and disburscd accordingly,
by the express direction of he Department itself To
explain this to those who acquainted with the
subject, It is only necessary observe (what must
be known to the Secretary by this time, if it was
not when I wrotol that the money furnished by tho
Government to the Nsvy Department for the service
OF the Navy,isapproprated by law be laid out I'M
der aud charged the books OF the Treasury to par
ticulsr heads, such az PAY" Provisions" "Navy
Yard" "Gradual Improvement" .Continrencies y
&c, and the accounts otthe Navy Agents must, Of
COURSE be kcp IN a correspondent, mauner. As il of
ten happens, however, that money il waning for
particular branch ofhe service when there is no mo-
ncy IN the Treasury under that head although there
Is moro than IS wanting under others, the prac-
tice the Department, in euch cases. has been to
borrow the money required from any head that is re
dundant for the use OF the that is lacking while
the SUN 80 Obtained Is charged to the Navy Agent
on his own books, under the head from which it is
drawn though it 10 in fict 10 be disbursed under a,.
other For example. the North Carolina arrives in
port, and the Captain calls on me for $4,000
TO pay OF his men. and having no money in
hand under the head OF "Pay,' I make a re
QUESTION upon the Department for the Sum. But
the Department elsO has money in the Treasury
under that head, but has enough and more than is
wanting under the head of"Provsions." Now what
is to be done9 WHY the Department, draws money
from the Treasury under the head Of provisions,
and transmits 1t to me charged to nv account under
that head, to be credited of course in my account
under the same head but ye' TO be disburscd for tho
service in hand that is, under the head of pay
But, IN 81 dsbursing il, must be rene r,tcrcd am
not ut lbory,o charge il to the head OF 'prcvsions
and con therefore only charge L money yerpa I'd
under lis head OF pay" Accordingly, in making my
monthly return TO the Department, my statement; will
show a balance of $4,000 as in hand. under the
bend OF provisions" with a corresponding charge
OF er-payment under the head Of ''psy,'] though
IN fact, have mol cent III hand Agan, have
occasion 10 make n rcquisiton for several sums o,
money, for various objects at the same time saw fer
contingencies" $1,000, "Navy Yard" $4,000, ere.
pairs $1,000 "orf!nance' $1,000 making in all $4,000
And the Department sends me the sum required un.
der two heads only az 5000 dollars under the head nj
repairs, and 5000 dollars under the head of "ord-
nance, aud d.sbursc il, of course, under oil the
heads Tor which required il. Ii is obvious here
that my monthly return will shew balances in favor OF
the heads OF repairs and ordnance" land over
payments against the heads Of contingencies" and
Navy fard,'') when have nothing left 1t follows
that II none: is wanting Immediately afterwards for
any head under which one of these apparent but not
real pa anccs IS found i, must be necessary to draw
upon the Department for it. Nothing can be palmer
then this and The Head Of the Dcps rtmen. If there
is any lead there must at from the previous
return. why The money drawn for no; ndinp
the aPParen' balance which he may End accounted
ior II hc chooses to ln', in tue charges for over
payments under one or moo Of the other heads i'm
that very same or some previous return Now this
or something very like it, happened to be the case in
the instance which the Serelary refers to- for though
is true that 10y return for April Showed, he says
large balances under the heads of provisions and
gradual improvements yet, in fact the nnuoy fur
nshed Under those heads had been required bv me
under other heads, and dsbursed accordingly by the
express direction OF the Department itself and this
that return and tho one or two preceding il most dis
tnct'y showed (It may be proper for me to add
bore, BY .he way, that both thu, return and all nv
former ones. had been necessa ry submitted to- and
approved By, the Board Of Navy Commissioners, be-
fore they cams to The Secretary II was. therefore
necessary for me to draw upon tue Department, os
did, carly IN LAY, for some small sums mot very
considerable ones,) of real mJnoy for the use of
the heads OF provisions" and gradual Improve
nen,s," those apparent balances under them 10 the
contrary notwithstanding. This is what stated,
Substantially to the Secretary in my answer TO his
letter, and really thought that it bad satisfied him
entirely, especially as bound to suppose that he
knew, or would make himself acquainted with, the
course OF business Of his Department. But the hon.
orable gentleman it seems having but lately left his
plantation and hardly at home in hts new Office, did
MT fnd my explanation satisfactory" Indeed il
appears that it even excited his suspcion for be pro-
ceeds to soy:
1T was then deemed proper to examine into the
s'ae OF his accounts with the Treasury, from which
appeared that whilst his returns to that Depar, ent
10 The 3oth June 1892 exhbiteda balance TO be due
from Mr. King to tire u. States Of se5 ,5Gs IS. the
monthly returns to the Navy Department ending on
tue same day, stated balance to be due from the IT,
States to him Of Sa0O65 ~, making difference
between the returns Of 1893 oe" Now this is
literally true and yet deceptive again; for the honor
able Secretary has chosen to overlook or to conceal
the additional fact, which he knew or ought to have
known, as 1t was apparent the face ofthe Abstract
hoVances accompanying the return to the Treasury,
according to usage) that from that balance of
S2556 there was TO be deducted the sum of Il 800
for monies which had advanced on account. which
w you'd nave icft the actual balance only SO 7Gs.-
put even thus sum was not actually due to the United
states because against II had claims on accounts
not YET 10 proper form, but in progress to be made
SO, amounting to about 900 dollars and accounts
suspended for additional vouchers, (most of them
since iuTnshed to about 1000 dollars more; SO that
" my account could haze been fully and G1iriy audit
ed OF the time, j: is plain that tho Government must