Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-05-21

WINCH zoe are authorised to say, was approved by his
whole Cabinet, according with every verdict rendered
upon the issue in the case, and yet the Judgment is con-
demned-and this upon the ipse dirit of the defaulter
himself, who has never yet been able TO show a colorado
prctext for an acquittal. The event only serves to show
the effect OF lenity on an evil dispositions.
WARRINGTON l1th Nav, 1888.
SIR: Agreeable to your request, L make The following
statement Of the agency 1 had in the examination of the
account Of Robert, b. Randolph, late acting Purser Of tho
United States Ship Constitution, and the result Of that ex-
animation.
necessary TO say a lew words relative TO the time Of my
appointment as a clerk in the 4th Auditors office, and 10
the account OF John Is. Timberlake, deceased, the Pursef
whom Lieutenant Randolph succeeded.
L was appointed a clerk in the 4h Auditors Office, on
the lst OF June, 1929. The account Of John B. Timber
lake, deceased, was then under settlement by James ii.
Handy, a clerk in the office, who died about a year ago.
As it embraced a cruize OF nearly four years, aud as the
found to be in confusion, aud defective In many particu-
lars, the settlement was not completed until late i'm The
Summer, or early in the succeeding Fall. The result
OF the settlement was, that MIR. Timb.riake appeared
TO be indebted TO the United States between Ia and
Slo,OOo. This result was so unexpected TO his friends
and relations, and so unaccountable TO all " ho knew any
thing about the usual profits OF a cruize for that length of
time, on board a vessel Of that size, that the Auditor was
ed 10 assist Mr.. Handy mi The REORGANIZATION, though
very carefully made, did not change, materially, the re-
suit of the settlement made by MIR. Handy. The officers
receipt-book, which was more necessary to the invesiga-
ton than any other, or, indeed, than all others, could not
be found. In the meantime, Commodore Patterson, who
commanded the Constitution at the time Of Purser Tim
berlake's decease, informed the Auditor that he had a
large sum of money on hand when he died, aud that, of
necessity, he must have lett a large quantity Of slop cloth
ing, stores, Sc.
None of the money was found to his credit ON the books
OF the office, nor any Of the Slop Clothing, stores, &c. e-
cept $6OT Il, the proceeds of sale made at Boston by the
order Of the Secretary OF the Navy, soon after the arrival
oil the Constitution at that Port.
Recourse was then had to the account Of Lieut.. Ran
dolph, who succeeded him as purser, which was settled i'm
October, 1928; but il was found that no credit had been
given to Purser Undertake in 1t, except for 1907 2l, the
proceeds of the sale at Boston above mentioned. Instead
ot credits TO Purser Undertake., there were found char
ges against him. for Bills paid on his account, amount
ing to S4,273 "a, which had been allowed to Lieu
tenant Randolph, and charged to Pufser Tinberlake on
the books OF the Office, and made so much OF the BAL
ance found against him in the settlement above mentioned.
a further investigation showed that Lieut.. Randolph
mad paid to the menon board, and received credit for mora
Stop Clothing than he had received from the Government;
and, alter that, had returned into the Navy Store at Bos-
ton, for which he had also received credit in his settle
ment, more Slop Clothing than lie had received from it:
namely, that he had received from the Government only
SI42 90 in Slop Clothing, and had paid TO the men on
board, with that article, $,5I' Co. and had turned into the
Navy Store, $764 GA, making together. $i6I6 sO-being
$S18 so beyond what he had received from it. If he
had sold all the Slop Clothing to the men, which it is not
probable he did, he could not then, 'rightfully, have been
entitled to a credit for more than SSl6 10, on that &C.
count, as he was not authorized to charge them more than
io per cent. on the government prices. A memorandum
book which belonged to Lieut.. Randolph, showed further,
that from the I'd April, up to the oath June, 1928, only ten
days before the end Of the cruize, he had sold to the men
on board the same kind OF Stores used by Purser Tim
oeriake, and carried the proceeds OF the sales to his own
books. The amount l do not now recolIect; but my i'm
preston is, that 1t was not large. l an convinced that
these were Undertakes Stores.
Lieutenant Randolph's account was then examined 10
ascertain how his receipts and expenditures stood previous
to the arrival OF tile Constitution at Boston. 1t appeared
from il that he had paid away prior TO, and Oh the LIST july.
1878, three days before his arrival at Boston, $S,9S7 4S
more than he had received FROM the Government, and had
received credit for il in the settlement made with him in
October, 1923. There is no known fund from which he
could have obtained this excess OF expenditures, except
rom The government, or from the money and effects OF
the late John Il: Undertake.; and il is known that he did.
not receive II from the former. I do not believe that
Lieutenant Randolph or any of his friends have ever pre-
tended that he had any surplus money Of his own from
which he could have advanced so large a sum to tho Co
vernment. l have found among the calculations made
during the progress OF that investigation, an account stated
at large, which proves the above result TO be correct.
The following is a copy of it, except that ii is made more
iull than the original, for the purpose of making il plain
TO those who are not conversant with these accounts:
ROBERT b. RANDOLPH, Acting PuTser Of The u. s.
Ship Constitution, an account Nth the u. s. Navy
Department, from The I'd day Of .aprit, the time Of
Purser TIMBERLAKE's decedse, to The list Of July,
is2s' three days before the landing Of the ship at
Boston Dr..
1928: