Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-22
my osico, and upon tho ground that was defauter

to the government
Now is it apparent ask upon the very face Of the
proceeding that this charge without Just foun-
datioh in act For il be supposed that the honora
bile gentleman who hardly vet warm in his seat
had' IN the short space of two months, become Sc
thoroughly acquainted with the state of accounts,
to have discovered from them what had escaped the
gacity of all his and his but
little while before, that was defauer TO the Govern
nent TO large amount And is IL not rather pro-
babe at least, that the caumny the kind sugges
ton OF some amiliar toad" who had whispered il in his
ear as very convenient excuse for transferring my of
nee TO anoher' Indeed, the gross prevarcaton which
he stopped TO at first upon the subject of this charge
against me, broachng it only to enemies and deny
ing il TO my friends, and the different
which he made at different times the OF the
pretended defalcaon all Showed that he had, yet
no such knowledge OF my accounts could excuse his
charge against me even to himself He has, however
doubtless examined them SINCE with all his skill
and with the additional aid of willy adept guide
his scrutiny; and have the result OF his abours in
the letter before us-whch shall now proceed TO dis
sect.
1t begins, of course in the usual FORM and pretends
accordingly to be written sin obedience to the resolution
oil the House of Representatives of the 18th inst call
ing Tor certain information in relation to the accounts
nc. OF Miles King, late Navy Agent at Norfolk, Va
&c But may be proper to note. that that resolution
was moved by Mr. Carson Of North Carolina a person
al friend Of the Secretary and doubt at his special
| instance and request; and virtually moved by
| the Secretary himself But why it moved in the
House rather than in the Senate TO which the subject
more properly Belonged Only because the real mover
hal failed to obtain instrument OF his malice in that
honorable body, where the subject of my accounts had
already been agitaed, and in name, suppose not
particularly calculated to crafty his pride. now
well known, indeed, that my successor in the Navy
Agencat this place, had little difficulty in getting
his nomination confirmed by the Senate, and from
any personal objection TO the gentleman him on
" from the indignation which some of the Senators had
Justly conceived against the manner in which had
been ousted from my Office TO make for him. Il,
that body too 1t was well known That IN was DIS
tinguished man whom l have the honor IN call
friend, and who t. also the friend Of tho present a.,
he ia nnt
acts, who happened to be well acquainted with nv &C.
counts and stood prepared to defend them L, was
prudent and poe therefore, to shift tho
OF the attack upon me from the Chamber the Hall
and the resolution was accordingly moved in The House
10 which the letter sent only day or two before
the Close oil its session, in order that in tho hurry Of
business might escape the exposure which il so rich
w deserved EASY, then, to that although the
letter was written in obedience to the resolution OF the
House, the resolution OF the House was i'm fact, the
the continuance OF the Secretary. and verv ceverly
got up to give him opportunity of vindica,ing hi.
own conduct in relation TO me, and of course by as
persng my accounts. This apparent motive. Of the
writer furnishes the true key 10 the Interpretation Of
his letter AMI will serve IN explain that curious STYLE
oil t'Sinudtion which he ha' ingeniousIy a,ton,sd
NJ cnce to veil and To accomplish his design. The
whole document, indeed, s ingu'ar .pecimen ri liner
ance and cunning united (he result pc rhaps of club
hing OF witt" which ter my sell .h ali very eaeily
expose.
rh"re is also, transmitted" continues tn. Secretary
'rked A. copies OF cert lin voucher. presented [, IKE
'epar'nent by the said late sgcut which have been
rejected, each Of which, rep ctivey i. ,iven the
reasons Tor their rel ection, allowance by III. d..
parnent" These SCOPES OF certain vouchers" how
ever nave not yet appeared in print, and having wait
ell Tor some days past to them, in vau NAV take
h Tor granted presume, that the publication of them
has been suspended far some good cause which I,
not been deemed proper sate IL NAV be CONJECTURE
ed, however. think, that the "easous for their re
lection or dsallowance by the ID. partment endorsed
upon them, will hardly seem IA satisfactory IN tn,
p"nhc as ,h'y must have been 10 The writer himself
But the Honorable Secretary proceeds to inform the
Houe and the public that "i ,dition 10 the reason
assigned on these vouchers for their rejection it may
be proper to s,a'e by way Of EXPLANATION A. In ma nj
them, In al the salary of the NAVY Agent il limited hv
law TO $4,000 per aRnum ami that ali sums allowed to
The Agent over and above this amount are intended 10
cover expenses which have been necessarily incurred
IN the discharge of the duties of his office for clerk
hire, office rent stationary fuel &C.; and he goes on
10 add that Sin the vouchers alluded il appears that
the demands OF Mr. King II cover these EXPENDITURES,
were made from tine TO time, allowed by the r,spec.
tive Secretaries, and the several sums carried TO his
credit on the hooks OF the Treasury"-and vet CATER
lapse Of from ten TO thirteen wears these charges for
clerk hire, Sc. reproduced and the items consids
rabiy increased IN amount" The inference which he
would have drawn from the premises obvious enough
omt u Il ms language only that leads it, and not The
Jdrf which hi. language disguises; and little rrpa-
ration will serve to siew hat would be entirely ia.
c'ons and unjust For the truth this piont it, ha,
Ior me hrs our years OF my Apo nmeut that from
1916 TO 1890 had brous charge whatever a.
gnst the Government for any of these extras but had
PAID them all ont Of my own pocket, but in the latter
year, being informed that such charges hal been al
ways all owed in the accounts of every other agent,
deemed 1t proper to add them also 10 mine and ac-
cord'ngIy d'h so, charging only the of S3255 for
hem all log four years which had elapsed, that h
lille over $500 year. AT this time, however wa.
not appTised Of fact which discovered only in Sem
ember or October last in looking over the papers re.
a'ing to my accounts in the Audi ors office TO wit tina
on the 9th oil June 1877 circular had adIres,edt
rom The Navy Department to the Navy 'nts Of New
YORK, Phi.adeiphs, and Boston, fixing the amount of
those extras at certain specified That circular is
IN these words -"Sr, the nature and erient or the
business OF your agency involves the question of rea-
sonaoe allowances for contingent expenses, and for
which you are TO distinctly understand that the follow
ing allowances will be admitted in full of all Office ex
penses, viz: for Office rent $780, clerk hire $1,000
porter $40; stationary, Book, Sc $50; fuel and can.
dies SOU total amount per annurn $1,000" Now, az
was altogether clear TO my mind that this circmlar al
though addressed to the Agents al York PnadeI.
phla and Boston alone, ought, in all fairness 10 regu
late The charges at Norfolk also, where "tbe nature and
extent oil the business oil the agency made il obvious
y "a applicable and proper as in either Of ho.e other
ciiies, and az my accounts subjected TO the
most capiious criticism all possible points deemed
u entrely correct to prefer claim for nv extras
cording to these established rates; and I therefore
male out new account against the Department in
which charged them at those sums, from the com
mencemen OF nv service. and gave il credit far the
said sum Of S3255. which had already received a.
for so much account The items thus only corrected
and not exactly "reproduced" were of course ICON
sideraby increased in amount" but only because had
ignoranHy wroDged myself by Undercharg-s for Them
ih my FORMER accounts. IL may be proper state.
however, that this account did contain one single
new item, which placed by itself and was. "to ex
ha clerk hire from the 10th Of April 1920 TO hs date
l6th April 1920 At $500 per annu & lOOa' for as
similar charge had been allowed to ohsr NAVY AGENTS
(as even TO myself also from that prrod0 could see
no good reasCn why il should not be aIIowfd 10 me