Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-07-23

BhfuHce due Mr King, S6,3d5"
s'NAyT DEPARTMENT.,
To Miles King Dr..
1875. April fs To extra clerk hire from
The Is; of April, 1920, to this date at
$500 per aulum, $1,000
The only ground upon which Mr. King rests the
justice of these accounts is thai cccordinp to cir
cuar directed to the Navy Agents at Boston, New.
York, aud Philadelphia in 1917. such allowances
we're made to them; and he deems it but reasonable
that they should be extended To him also. The rsa
Son why lie has before presented the claim TO this
extent, is, that he did not, until the Fall of 1929
know thut such circular was in existence He
gives no reason whatever for charging the last item
OF the first account; and i'll support of the latter ac
count merely asserts that such an allowance had
been made to others
Neither the law of 1909, nor any other. authori.
yes the allowance of Office expenses to NAVY Ageuts
fol many years thar lazy was construed to admit
OF 40 allowance other than the commission of One
per cent not 10 exceed tive thousand dollars The
first allowance made for Office expenses was reerted
ny the Comptroller, as unauthorized by law On
the Esd January, 1917, the Secretary Of the NAVY
wrote TO the peurth auditor as follows: 81 have.
upon due dehberaticn and reference to the act of
congress OF .Hareh 3D., 1909, for appointing NAVY
Agents decided tfat reasonable clerk hire, station
ary AID Office rent, are charges admissible in the
settlement OF Navy Agents accounts, subject howe
ever, to the approbat ion of this Department when
ever you shall judge necessary to refer them for
eanction"
This decision of the Secretary was sustained bv
the favorable opinion of the Attorney General
FROM thas time although, in 1919, different opiu
ION was expressed by the Attorney General, it was
considered competent fr The Srcretar of tho Ma,
to Ok the amount which should be allowed TO ench
Agent for his office expenses Accordingly. ON the
9th June, 1917, he addressed circular to The gents
at Boston, New York, and Phlladeldhia, to the fall
loving effect:
You are distinctly to understand that the follow
ng items w be admitted in the settlement of YOUR
accounts and are to be considered III full for al such
expenses as are Incidental to the public business OF
the Navy Agents Office, viz: For Office rent $50.
clerk-hlre 81 600; porter $780, stationary books.
&c Sl50; fuel and candles. 500 400.
No change was made in the allowances to these
tnree agents until 1925. On the OH June, of that
year, the following letter addressed by the Sec
York -''"
II 6ave received your letter Of the 9TH inst and in
consideration OF the circumstances therein mentioned
and the tncrease Of labor to be performed in yoor
Office you are hereby authorized to employ an adj
tionn 5eIk, at compensation not exceeding eirht
hundred dollars per annum."
AN addtonal clerk has ever since been employed
by that Agent, ut salary of $500; thus Increasing
bis office expences to s. 400 per year.-The Agents
at Boston and Philadelphia are allowed only 500;
the power to employ additional clerk having
never been extended to them.
In all other cases, SO far as can learn Tho Office
expenses OF Navy Agents have been fixed by the ap-
ProVa OF the Secretary upon vouchers making spe
enc charges. Thus, the allowance to the Agent of
was 1hcu at ,JoOu, 10 the Agent at BaItI-
more S925; to the Agent at Pensacola 81 375; and 70
others different suDs Each agency has rule for
ITSELF In this respect the Secretary of the NAVY was
the tap U,atcer That which be prescribed has been
allowed in each case.
Mr. Kings appointment takes date fror, LIST Apfil
1916 lie was informed that his compensation would
be one per cent on his disbursenens not to exceed
$4,000 per annum. Il bad not then been decided
that any lice expenses were allowable BY law
None were charged by him until 1919. That year
bill vas passed to his credit by the approval of the
Secretary of the Navy allowing him for the first wear
of his agency S735, for the second 81 26O, and for
the third $1,000 This Bill was not for Go1a years
as he states, bat for three, ending LIST April I9i9 and
the charge made by him for two years was 81 26O
per year, am not LESS than $780," as he states In
a subsequ"n nj Account bis allowance was increased
to $1,000. corresponding with those made TO The
Agents at New York and Boston; and in 1896, with
out any authority whatever, the Fourth Auditor com
menced making him an allowance of $500, for extra
clerk hire, and finally carried back the allowance to
the let January, 1896 The apology for his allow
ance was, thai the Secretary had authorized it 10 be
made to the Agent at New York.
From these focts it is plain that the whole do345
Claimed by Mr.. King account Of office expenses
rests upon no authority what ever, except his own
opinion of its >bleness The original object of
THIS allowance was. to cover actuat 06ice erpences
That IS all which could be reasonably asked; it was
certainly all which the Secretary of the Navy could
r'ghgufiy grant Mr.. King does not allege that he
spent on account of office, more than has been
hltoioe1. Indeed he acknowledges that no nnvor