Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-09-03
4 o52 90

..
vessel and buying provisions 70 he
sent ou', &c. LIZ per cant on Sis'-
All i3 81 S5
1925 Feb. is For collecting ST.
0o9 %. due the Government, com-
mission OF l-2 per cent It's ~
Sli 1877 81
The preence for the allowance OF these conms-
sons was that the sues performed were not sucb as
belonged to the Boston agency. But the law does no,
pr"scrhe the Suties OF Navy Agents,hey are general
Agents, 10 nd TO perform all services which may be
required of them, especially in making purchases Tor
the Navy aud ,her commission IL expressly limited
10 per cent their dsburse nts not to exceed
$4,000 per year. Mr. Binney had received his 81 900
per year. the utmost limit OF his compensation, so that
these commissions not only ex'ravagant in their
amount, but wholly repugnant to law.
The conmssion upon Treasury ns'es was equally H.
legal and more extraordinary Ii twas commission on
his recep's-a most liberal compensation for counting
ms money. "A well misht commits ion be allowed
Tor depos',ng money in Bank, or checking IL out OF
Bank IL vase only prstence tor giving MIR. Binney
upwards of four thousand dollars of public money.
The two hrst OF these items, exceeding $lO,5oO,
were sanctioned by s l. Southland Mr.. Adams Sccre-
tary Of the Nsvy the two latter by Tobias Watkins,
Mr. Adams 4th Auditor.
Ohsr allow anc.s of Singh character, were made
In The same settlement; but in these sketches we shall
include nothing which /. in the least equivocsl.
No. 10. .46nse and fearful inrodd on the Treasury.
Mr.. Binney wasa man after Mr.. Adams own heart
Notwithstanding the Senate had parsed him over,
account Of his official conduct, Mr.. Adams, the 23d
March, 1925, gave him appointment, TO act until
the close of the next session of the Senate This. of
itself, was abuse. But Mr.. Adams followed il up
by concentrating him to the Senate, at the next
sion, by whom he was rejected Prodigious advances
had been made to him during the year 1925. and the
FIRST quarter Of eighteen hundred aud twentysix, so
that upon the settlement Of his accoun, up to sIst
March. OF the latter year, he indebted 10 the u
States Sl3933l ST. His agency ceased on the adj
tournament, Of Congress- about the oath of May 1926 =
His expenditures for April and May remained unset
ed and he was permitted TO roain heavy balance OF
public money uncasd for until the OF June, 1928
Early in 1928, Mr.. Birney came to Washington, and
presented large and extraordinary claims TO the 4h Au
dior They were submitted TO the Secretary OF the
Navy, who, on The h April. sent them to the Pres-
dent. with letter concluding as foows: &c is.per-
haps proper to aid, that the amount claimed by Mr.
Btnney. IS perry nearly the same that 10Th nhieh
ne stands charged on the books Of the office"
The Secretary returned the accounts to the 4lh Au
dior on the 2l', May, with letter stating that he
dd notJeet at liberty 10 authorize the aiio1dnee Of
any OF the items, erccpt that for interest actually paid
oy nun For the other claims hs will be obliged 10 ad.
dress hin self 10 Congress-"
Yet, the 8 of June, only thirteen days after this
set leiDs nj OF Mr. Bnnsys account was reported by
MIR Adams All Auditor. in which claims to the amount
oil $3.50 300 81 carried to hs credit. OF these,
me following are the most extraordinary
L. For alleged advances account
OF certain public vessels, from 1912
to 1876, inclusive, neuer before charged $500 ~
= interest on SAM l,i06 So
3. Pos,aio from 1916 TO 1925, ne
psr before charged, Ii5 rs
Stationary, in lSl3-li & Is 20 50
Do. from 1916 to 1926,
inclusive ss4 60
Horse and cha.e. and carriage
hire. frcm 1912 to 1926, inclusive a29 IS
4. For trunkage from 1912 to 1917,
inclusive l4s7 Os
s. Commission Of l-2 per cent.
on 3 10 OIL 60, paid to mechanics
and lahorers in 1912 and 1918. 1926 o.
o. For commission OF Ia per
cent. on Sll7I75 81 of purchases
Tor the Marine Corps, from 1872 to
1871, inclusive; and on S32, iOf IL,
expended in like manner, s 1870 4S
10. Extra clerkbre, in 1925 and 6, 1915 IS
liz Travelling 10 Washington, and
attending III days TO settle accounts,
at S6 per day, $50 so
IL. Interest moneys stated TO
have been borrowed for the public
use, in 1913 to 1876 inclusive, 1886 81
Is. Interest on the above interest, l2,757 SO
ii. Cominis-iofs heretofore sus-
Pended, now allowed, 1876 90
Si56sI At
Although Mr. Southland, on the s OF pr. did not
" feel at liberty TO authorize the allowance OF any Of
the Items except that for interest actually paid" yet
by the 3 OF June. he had allow ed Nos 2. g. Z s, H.
end l3, OF the above items comprising extra commits
sons, interest bills before charged Interest
upon interest, &c Sc may be seen by his initials
on the vouchers
After thi4 $l5.6sl At, with much more, had been
carried to hi credi, Mr. Bnnev was still r-po ted to
be in iebf to the U States, by Mr. Adams All Auditor,
SO 0Sl 93
Yet, on the same day that thi. report wa. made or
on the 3D. day OF Jsne 1928, did Mr.. Adams Secretary
OF The Navy Alliance 10 Mr.. Binney 10000 more out
OF the public Treasury.
i"p was oone Wnen MT. binney naa been our OF Of
nee tD0 gears; II was done when he in debt to
me Government, by the 4th Auditors report,
man $1,000; II wac done in less than months after
me Secretary had informed the President. that Mr..
B"neys claims ioere just about equal to the amount
standing charged against him
The only authority which the advance W as made,
vas letter IRON Tobias Watkins. stating that Mr. Bin
ney hAd equitable claims TO a greater amount which
must ultimately come to his credit
TGis advance added 10 the former debt m ade the a.
mount standing against Mr.. Binney, 500 OBI SO
MT binnav came on again TO settle accounts, in the
wiuter OF 1928 II WAS not till March 3D. 1929, ihe last
Gay OF Mr.. Adams administration. that he got the
count, which was tiled by the Auditor, In JuDe,
eighteen hundred and twenty. eight, admitted by
the 2l Comptroller. That was no sooner done, thar
on me same day, Mr.. Binney rendered ne,o account
current, balancing the $50 OBJ % due, aud brin gin
me Government upwards Of 81 10 geo in debt to him
On tive 7ih March, Tobias Watkins made a report on
This amount, In which he also balanc I'd the $3.50 OO0
and Drought tho Government S49, O65 20 in. debt TO
Mc. Bnney!
This was done by allowing Q I-2
per cent on heavy purchases and ex-
portatons for thu use oi tho NAVY
from 1912 to 1926, inclusive, a22 All "a
" 2 IL per CEN. moneys COL
lecied on sales, and various sums for
personai services, from 1912 TO 1926 I247s %
For procuring survey Of the Ma
Wy Yard, I ooo M
For procuring and RENTING tx
change on London, from 1917 to 1920,
inclusive, 2oo IN
:" IL per cent on purchases aud
impor' ai9ns, from 1912 10 1926. I061o 40
And by carryinn 10 his credit for
loss on Treasury noies, 80 l53 90
Total carried to his credit, RSS O65 I:
The balance Of Mr.. Bnney's claims, being intsrss
and mi sOns the Of rds