Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-08-13
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(From Tho Norfolk Beueou.l

Have in iis'auct acted tshonesily or q non
ofably, either in the busiHes OF my agency, or In my
subsequen, attempts to settle MY account! Here we
are brought, ior i inoms mt, Audiiot's replies
10 nv anew rs 10 he old charges OF his honorable
irirnI The Secretary, which sball very b.sny des-
patch Ard ('asslng hy. ior tie present, Tie barge
sbout "rep;otucing my claim for addition J c'erS-
hire c) HE hrs, chsrg, rather tsinoofion against
me was, that he'd made regulations npon the De-
patmept, in the early part o. hley 1879, Tor con-
siderable amount Of money, when the monthly re-
turns Tor April Showed that had ~ my hands large
balances applicable TO the game objects COR hicb
nay r,qrslious we're drawu""~"hoh led Eim 20
write letter. requesting an espsanstion TO hea
he says, " nc satisfactory answer was gwen Now,
Auditor, the contrary, admits that my eArla-
nation tcGs or ought 10 have been, Satisfactory. At
least, he admits what may fairly arsue. il exactly
equvaer'; for he says, " Mr.. Kings s'atemert. in
relation the arrangement oil the different heads OF
appropriation ia bis cunts. /. substanslly tiue
He admits also, that the practice Of the Department.
was as have rspresen'ed ii to have beer; and ha
admits that " the agents cot much TO lie biaEi-
ed for accounting m This way, when they are post.
,velv ins, -uce,l do so" Indeed The practice of
the Department, AMI agents together, in his pariicu-
lar, was we'll k,o to all about The Government,
except honorable Secretary himself IL he ,ods ig
norsnt OF H. say, IL he 9CGs ignorant OF IL, because
10y the printed Documents accompanying tho
Presidents Message al the commencement oil thei"s
sesson,l that our Auditor made report linn, In
which he says When sgsn,s have called for mo-
ney und.r heads of apri opriai en-, which were ex-
hausted former Secretaries have no bpsitaed TO seEd
Them money under oil er head - For instance, an
Agent asks for $4,000 Under Pay oi The Navy
is sent HIN under " Provisions" il is intended
to he applied ard actually Is appl ed 10 " Paw" sc.
doc y. 269.) AID fnd further, that the Board of
Navy Commit scners. also, made report 10 our Sc
crearY, dard the 3l.t OF Msrrh 1929, (no, long be-
fore " the eMly pa't OF May, ls29.") in which they
ate the practice s more clearly and give an i'll
N.'ration oi IT, that ought TO haze struck has rye in
these word Z" To this paper, "a documrRt referred
'oD 'the Commits toners respectfully inrite yo'U
particular attention 1t shewf. that while Agents
osensibly lsrge balances in their hauds, under
ccrsin heads Of appropriations, they heve made over
PAYMENT, under others nsaly balancing them"
Ne a. nj m
h0nd. $l03, 24S So ut hehTd oreTrGid nm
der other heads q appropriation, SOP 259 Al, Mus
(Sec Dor. p. 24S '9) i, hen, Secretary gno-
rant of the practice this point i, was not surely,
for want Of ample and particular instruction; and if
he not .a;i.fed with my exclamation, all must
agree that lie ought 10 hare been.
Our Sscre' ary's meas Ch',ge sg.ins me, was, that
my ontGly ,eiuu to the Navy Department, had ne
agreed with quarterly returns 10 die Tre
Department AID NY ahgwer toit was, tina, under the
cid practice, (*ha;evrr may be tie case under The
ac,D th-v coud not, and ought moi to hive agreed IN
their statements of disbursements, Tor the plain
son that Pd'tial payments 0H"tneuts, and
tnuing conhGcis, appealing IN tba monthly bat not,
appearing III the quarterly returns, recsssr y
sioned d-reuces tetwevn !en aud, added also that
these paitiS payments could sppear in the quar-
ery returns, although receipts were Of taken
for them, because TIE Department, o itself from
the ntoerahs trouble Of examining separate
receipts required lie 10 send single cOuchers
Tor the uhofe sums, winch could Gully be obtained when
the work in hand. or o'her business was Completed"
Now, Auditor adults that ny staten nj this point
is sub aDa'ly us-hough c does II, oi course in his
Hi words are, al 10 hi. statement also there
some truth. The aciice in relation 20 al!ofmsnts is
in ger eral. he ststss;' and "ddvsnces en-
"n TO dealers ard contractors doubtless made by
him There afmsi' obviously quite nour h. for
my purpose. "But he hid "ths practice is in direct
violation Ct law" Yet u more So presume. than
tire detsngeUen', Of the heads ly The some snthory,
which he adults me from the fIrmer charge
The truth Ia, he Observance Il the strict letter
of the Law tNis poitt probably found iB3pOSsi
Die. Atany rate it must he obvioua, hat the inSruc
al m N NV
subordinate agency. Indeed, he is med 10 adj
nit rnuch although he still afIecs TO doubt whether
they give any instructions not 10 send up my
recerts for parafpaymenis 1T The ends Of the quar-
tsrs have stated lis However, quite certain iht
they did so; ard have tie cd Accountant aud Fourth
AUDITORS ieuerS, and remaiks in Rsconcements, TO
prove il most amply. whenever it may become
sarY A. pressi for the fun satisfaction Of tie public
on this point, submit note, which appears in Re-
conciiemen'. from de LIST of January 20 The 3i.t Of
y cembtr. 1920, sent 10 me from the Fourth AuGor's
Office shortly after the last date, (Thic nearly
years before Tie FIST requirrg Of o1iy returns in
these yori Wilh The vi~w o. Lei able 10 ascertain
correctly the state Of the Aeeus he is rsquest
ed 10 introduce irto HE summary column fur mo-
ncys dipdnced on account. 10 be hoNGHer account
ed |OT, acoonp2ni,dby Abstcact eNibiI such ID
10 whom advanced ard for what psI pu--
po.e M payments FIR Gllotaents must also be incui
ed in he ssd abs'rsci TPhen he pnlaenfs are COM
plcted. then The P0irer Of Attorney or oHsr rouch-
tTs 10 be transmitted To this Cf1ice as hereto
fore directed" (Sieued) Constant Freeman, Fourth
Auditor. Tbs presume. viii he allowed 20 he per
feet authority bob for my statements and FOR my prac-
ice accordingly. J may add, too that il a. pe ars by
note Al the foot 81 the Rsconcemen, that several
youi here for payments account which, ii seems I
had Inadvertently sent Up, Notwithstanding the Depart
neufs previous directions alluded to, actually re-
TUNED to me. be kept back I'll Tie proper time a
grecably the order. Moreover az to the mo-
| five Jrdson which | assigned for the order, I
fed IL stated ia letter EOm the same Fourth
| Auditor, dated the FL March, 1915 ihu "ihe ar
rang enPnt" lin relation 10 sllnpcnts ~ Iessf) was
intended te much trouble in fh- examination and
adumfnt Of both The agents and Pursers accounts at
flee q on poin hen
he regsrded az absolutely complete.
For the rest. although the Secretary fas ssd "ii L.
scarcely necessary TO remark" that these monthly and
quarterly returns "shond sgree" Auditor in de-
fsnd him against my aUtweT admits a. al "thpre NAV
without blame 10 the IS eut he snail discrepancies be-
tween them. Osth' backing His honorable friend or
is " backing ouf1' Surely these partners sbonld
aeroe) Bu' he Immediately add ''wbeBever tbey
amount TO 600 honestly or dish0nesfiy il is time
FIR coYefnmCn nj TO its interest by change
fAfenls" Yet, u The reason Hhi,h have given
,t these discrepancies is the right IL IL easy to see
hat they may have been large we'll small, with
out fsUlt a lie fgen', any danger the Gov.
eminent, Tor their size obviously have depended
in general, uroo the amount OF partial payments al
otrrns, ard on cOnirects--that ", In fact The A.
mount OF tie businesss oi the agency MOREOVER that
hose Which appeared in my returns entirely in
necen', he readily inferred from the fact, at al
though they bal existed. We haze sseo, from the
6Fst requiring 81 the monthly ones Ia 1872, hey
never regarded a. eiher STANCE OF alarming Ivy any
Seer. tAty or Auditor ttllFe the present.. A. TO the
pariicsr instance Of The discrepancy Of $40 COO be-
tween ny monthly anil qnsucfly returns or June. TO
which he alludes Auditor apra emily torgets that
iIe actual discrepancy tctocen tben deducting the
sv0,rnts on account I'm ibc ahstfact Of Advances was
nat %lJ 600 bat $50 $50 96; ard correcting The error