Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-01-15
GOWQHMSas
rwENrY-rIKsr coNcars-ssrcoN,, sr-x1
MONDAY, January 10. & zaa ,
IN SEN NATE. 49, -


structIng her Senator'S and requesting he's Represta
lives in Congress to oppose measures which may
be proposed by the General Government Tor ut pro
motion Of Internal Improvement. They, we're a, mo
ion Of Mr.. Troup. laid upon the table. ~ 4
message OF an Executive nature, was rersiNe ON
the President Of the United iaes by A. j. ID ,or .
Esq. bis private Secretary.
a communication was received from tbe Seer tSry
OF War, Transmitting an abstract OF the operate o.
The Indian for the year ending on ths sob
ot Sept, $780,
"A comuut ication was received from the Sscsstary
Of the Navy. transmitting statement OF the Duu o.
C'eSs, their nam' salaries, aud duue', employ oil in
shat Department
Mr.. Forsyth presented the following memorid from
Joseph Nourse, late Register Of the Treasury;
TO the Senate and House Of Representatives. a The
United States, ira Congress assembled
The memorial and Petition OF Joseph Nourse, late
Register OF the Treasury OF the United States respsct
fully sheweth-That your memori.list aher heving
served in the military and civil departing ns a the ,up
try during the Of the Revolution and the aiiol
which interviewed between its Termination and 'or-
NATION Of the Constitution Of the United ates va
upon the organization Of the Government. appointed to
the situation Of Register of the Treasury.
Shor iy alter this appointment the daily exgenc'ei OF
tho Department required that psrsan should
be employed to act as the Agent of the Goverune Ia
d'sbursng the fund appropriated for its contingen
penses. The powers and innc sns OF the several iii
by law and the duties which would devolve upon such
an agent did not appertain to any particular ndiv M
The Government might have created special otc Cor
these purposes, hut, considering the great amount o
responsibility which must be incurred AMI conua Ss
that with the amount Of compensation which could ttb
poprie,y be awarded this appeared ;nexpedient. 6a-
nsinora'ist, holding high and responsible station M
tie department charged with this additional lly.
and during he period OF his continuance in office not
les. han fifteen ri nc and separate agencies hs hso
conhded TO his care reference 10 the various hcts
OF Congress which relate TO the office Of Register OF
The Treasury will clearly sbew, that OF these
agencies had the xion with tina, Office
la the performance of these additional duie', your
memoria.ist was also Obliged to occupy those hours
which did no, ordinarily belong to the public, aud at his
own house and during the evenings, he engaged in
the necessary discharge OF this important and reponsi
BILE trust.
An examination of the accounts Of your m amor!as,
in his capacity of agent will sbew the great OF
labor and the extent OF IN. responsibility which were
incurred and from this examination il will appear that
in the absence OF specific appropriations for the objects
which came under his charge, Ia has, various tines
been 10 advance TO the Government to the amount OF
| several thousand dollars.
Your memorialist could not erain apprehension
that tor such services faithful rendered, and for
sponsbili extensive, eccaionally aud necessarily
involving him in o'ses Notwithstanding all his the
Government would be dsposed to withhold reasonable
compensation. lie was Ia Hliar with the daily practice
OF th- Government in all it, departm ,nts and he kpew
that such for such services was
iy allowed in anaogou. caes. IL the year 1921, he
broug hit this matter TO the notice Of the Secretary OF
Treasury, butt was not de6nitvely acted upon.
municaion recently received from Mr.. Crawford upon
subject, shews that in the opinion Of that gentleman,
these services, thus performed by your memoraiist
"formed no part OF the duty OF the Regster and that
he "always considered him entitled the per centage
allowed Tor the disbursem oil the public
ney The late Attorney General, in his official char
acer, has declared concurrent opinion in .logous
case, upon the strctest principles Of law.
| On the LIST. OF June 1929, your memorialis dis
missed from the Office OF Register of the + e,sury.
Within as RET period practicable, he prepared
| and presented statement OF his accounts with the
Government in which be claimed per csntage of two
and a hall upon these disbursements. This was the
the rate OF commission usually allowed in the various
departments for extra-oicia disbursements of public
moneys when attended with far less re responsibility
ynnr
less than $500 per annum during the period in which
these services were rendered.
| The accounting officers of the Treasury, however,
disaowed this item oil credit and reported balance to
| be due from your memorabilia TO the Government.
Your nemoriais conti1ing in the justice OF his claim
made repeated efforts bring to satisfactory and spe
dy determination the points upon which he and the
accounting officers were at issue. Finding thom ine
iecual, and the State Of his health requiring
ldxaion and change OF air, the 81 OF July, 1920 he
informed the Comptroller of the Treasury that he had
been advised to take journey for the benefit OF his
health, but that, whilst his with the Govern.
ment remained unsettled, he did think proper to
leave The District without aPpriziDg the Government
| through him Of his intention.
He left the Distr this journey the 18th of Jn-
| Nv, and during his ab;ence, 10 wit, about the
2Oh day OF tn same month"; watran, of distress
Issued by the Treasury Department under the act of
Congress OF May 18th, 1920, which laid upon his
real estate in the county OF Washington and the same
time all his household articles library wardrobe and
bedding, were seized by the officer whom the war
rant was directed.
-.
and, with as little delay practicable, filed his bill for
an injunction to restrain proceedings under this warrant
IN conformity with the provisions OF the act Of Congress
before alluded TO. In the suit thus instituted mass
OF testimony has been taken for the purpose Of estab
fishing the amount and value OF the service rendered
| by your memorisiist which not embraced whif
the duties appertainng his Off Al the stion
OF the District Attorney himself, to which the council
OF your memoriais DbesatiDgy asssDted, the Dis
tTct Judge referred to three gentlemen OF great expe
and unquesOnabe character in every partcua
to examine aud report upo0 the exhibited by
the undersigned, and to estimate the value OF his SER
vicss
the value OF these services at 1923 $50 H. and your
mor'sist confidently asserts tnat commercial man
10 the United y ses would either have esma ed them
alter they were rendered. az less price, would
aIiarily encounter the trouble and responsibility
TOR smaller apouDt.
This report has been sanctioned md approved OF by
the Dist let Court IL was not, however comre ent
the Court TO do more than 10 perpetuate the injunction
against the United Sta'es No powers conhIed to
II In In which the Government il party, 10 en-.
force the performance Of what justice would dictate
aud your memoalisi is compelled resort TO your hon
CRADLE bodies TO obtain payment OF debt asceIianed
TO be due to him, by The Judicial tribunal Of his coun.
Try BY this tribunal, acting upon the report tf the
Auditors, appears that there Is due TO your
ist the sum Of $l2,33l 90
Under these cfcumstances he submits his cause 10
the confederation OF your honorable bodies and asks
such relief as TIE TePref entayes Of the raiop will az
ford JOSEPH NOURSE.
The Memorial was referred to The Committee on
Cisns.
Mr., Barnard and Mr.. Marks, Of Penn.yfvania, pre-.
sented several memorials from The Inhabitants Of he
city and county OF Pb14n'lph'a rsmonsiraitng aSanN
he enforce Of bs law Of lat session for the re mo-
val Of the linden west Of the Nasi sippi They g,e