Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-02-15

appropriated for these payments might be accumulated
III an unnecessary degree at given point, and might
DC wanted elsewhere, in consequence oil dIn
nished supply at other places desgns,ed BY In.
Secretary for the payments. Blu, the ground taken
OF this supervisory regulation Of the head Of the De
partmen' whose duty the law make. !, 10 see ,hs,
"dreeon, and at such "tines" and .n1. u,'.a Is
may designate. The Bank. in effect ssysrws have d.'
cided that we are the proper agents make the
and therefore the Government shall In no case haze az
power to withdraw the property which has
placed in possession. Such principle II applied m
all other cases Of deur'ing officers, who may assume
the ground that they have been dealt with would
lead which do require TO be stated
and could not. Tor a moment he tolerated.
II the Bank, when the demand made for the hooks
papers, and money Of the Government In is
had protested" il they thought the demand jes al and
had then delivered them up and had afterwards appealed
to Congress the Judicial tribunals such redress or
decision as The nature OF the might call tor their
position would have been Tar different from What IL now
s. Assuming TO decide the law Ter themselves and ar,
rogang the power that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted; they assume power heretofore unknown TO our
laws and institutions Claiming define their own legal
rChs, they have far forgotten the rights oil the pubic
as to withhold vouchers and iuns which can have
no title.
ither appears TO the committee, that the change di.
rected TO be made by the Secretary oil War; called
by the circumstances. u Is understood that the change
has been confined to substitution Of the banks Of de-
posie Tor the Bank Of the United States aud lie
at those places where local banks Of epose have been
selected Where the public funds yet deposited in IN.
branches of the United States Bank these brancbe, arc
yet the agents for making the payments by appointment
Of the Secretary Of War; under the act oil June 7b 1892
Where the change has been made the business il 10 be
uohe oy INC new agency without any charge whatever
the Government.
The and proprie,y therefore Of the measure ara
obvious The object Is 10 direct the Banks holding The
public money TO pay out this money to persons claiming
II under the act oil June 7h, 1892 instead of ing the
funds drawn from these banks and placed in the United
States Bank and It's branches, for the mere purpose Of do
ing what the former may do well. To have continued
the agency Of the Bank OF the United States In naLnr
these payments-when the public moneys were in Other
a bee Phi nnne rtf,
power OF the Bank Of the United States BY Of the
public funds to draw large amounts OF specie time 10
time from the selected B'nks, TO hoard IN s own vaults
thereby TO increase for its own purposes and
! unjusiihabie pressure on the people.
ltre,nain' TO be considered what ee this lin aranabe
act the Bank may have upon the future payments be-
made to the officers and soldiers entitled TO the benefits
| oil me provisions OF the act Of 1882. The committee
called upon the Secretary War Tor normaon nm ,bs
point and herewith submit the answ which has bee
ceived II appears that on the LIST OF January last the
Bank, as dsbnrsing agent Tor the payment Of claims un.
der the act Of June 7th 1882 held OF ubc none drawn
from the Treasury for this object the sum OF $40 o.
Since then, Other payments, to comparatively email
amount may have been made and il is possible, that sub.
scquent settlements may further reduced this balance
ihls sum had been regularly drawn from the Treas,.
ry by warrants IN the usual way. and placed in tho
possession OF the Bank TO be dbursed The act of 1882
makes standing appropriation oil the amount
to carry its provisions into effect. The Bank bv Win
holding the sum which has in possession stands in the
situation OF any other defaulting discussing agent and
sum equal TO that which il thus REALMS must
be drawn from the Treasury, and applied the payments
| ered he
detention oil the books and papers by the Bank will not ne
cessarly postpone the payments until the possession of
such books and papers may be from The bank
but II will render necessary for the Department of War
| to make out new lists of those entitled TO nav and
there is no probability that this can be done .ucien,Iv
early to enable the payments under the act Of lime
1857 TO be made on the 4h Of March next especially
at the distant agencies sgreeaby the established usage
The labor OF preparing lists and papers understood
10 be great and with all the that be TAKEN there
will be liability to error many cases. until the
agents settle their accounts resulting from the uncer-
,alny oil the periods TO which the payments may have
| been made But as no surviving claimants have been
paid TO period later than the 9TH of September last all
who are now living may be paid the 4h of March, for
the hall year ending at that time
If any Inconvenience should be felt nv anv NJ ,bose
veterans oil The Revolu ioB the committee believe it
will be by all by The delay which will take place 10 the
nbnted 10 the unjusable conduct The Bank in n.e.
posing TO thwa the views Of Government in withholding
nom the officers OF Government the public money and
public property which they do moi pretend to have anv
claim The committee cannot condemn in terms too
strong the conduct Of the Bank in this transaction The
Bank wi'hholds from the public service the large sum of
Tour hundred and seventy thousand five hundred and fortv
six dollars and ninety eight cents and thus puts the Go.
70 the nconvenence Of applying other funds
the objects for which the they retain was sppropra
| ted and drawn from the Treasury.
SO tar as respects the delivery of the public property
IN their possession they refuse obey the instructions
Issued but so lar as respects the termination Of the duty
oil making payments, they yield eady and
YET there Is the same authority for the order for
the other But in the former case. they have direct
Pecuniary interest in the they pursue 10 the lat
er ner interest is not at stake, and suffers but
me Government, which must advance other funds to sup
Ply me piece Of those illegally retained by he Bank and
the veterans OF the Revolution who must wait for the
amount due them, until the necessary documents can be
prepared TO justify the pay nient.
The existing laws are, I'm the opinion of the committee
adequate TO enable the Government 10 effect recovery
from The Bank OF its money and property, and therefore
they propose no measure OF legislation in this respect
Neither is any further appropriation required 10 supply the
place oil the sum thus retained by the Bank; for
been already remarked, the act OF June T. 1892 makes
standing appropriation of the necessary TO carry its
provisions into effect ID the Bank any other disburs.
ing agent for the payment of these claims become de.
auters and refuse TO pay the public placed
IN their hands TO make such payments, the meriorious
class oil ciiZens provided for by the act cannot on that
account, be deprived Of their rights though some of them
may experience delay in receiving the due 10 them
conduct OF the Bank, in withholding the public books and
papers, by which tho amount Of their claims is 10 be
ascertained.
The committee deem the course of the Bank such in
tins case as 10 justify the repeal of the several provi.
sons constituting them pension agents, under the invalid
scfs and the acts OF 1918 and 1920 There seems to be
no popricy in the separation OF these duties but as one
may be conveniently performed by the agents selected by
me secretary oil War, may the other here seems 10
be propiiey too, in coDding a responsible officer of
'be Government, the duty of making these payments,
rather thon leave il in the hands of irresponsible cor
Pora'ion They therefore this course and re-
port bill accordingly
On motion Of Mr. Polk, the bill and report were order
ed TO be printed.
Mr.. Blair OF s. c., sad, that the subject was one Of
the roie TO allow him 10 the printing OF an extra
number Of copies
The motion was agreed TO- and Mr.. Blair moved that
be printed. 'e
The Speaker stated the motion must lie one day before
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