Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-28
So thatthe whole sum paid to Rec

So thatthe whole sum paid to Rec
side which is founded on nolaw, ~
and on no apparent justice Slio,l S4 90
Z If the name OF Mr. RESIDE makes thus prom.
s;nent figure i'm this summary, it is because
does soin the Report, and not from any prefer
ence of ours. The private pecuniary uansao
tions of tie same citizen with the postmas'e'
General and with the Chief Clerk OF tne ueno
raj post Office are also brought into view IN coh-
nection with the largeness OF his extra aiiowah-
COS So also are his loan to the Chief CLERK,
RI BeowN. and said BRowN's alleged part
nerships in the contracts oil r.. PORTER, upon
which large extra allowances nave peen l'aoo'
&c. In relation TO these passages VI .ile ~. !
mort as il is impracticable for US 10 give .,,e |
Whole we forbear making extracts when mlSnt
onv give partial and imperfect view OF theill; |
Hdverting again to the generally confused
manner in viii h the largest and most i,pPUU'
ant accounts of the Post Ofhce arc KEEP, lne re
mort presents the following curious instance, ioi
which. to make room forl we use s''a''e'
type: 49,, oooount If Jas. Reside
,,our COMMITTEES found to his credit the iollow-
"77j1sss. April 80 Cash deposited in the Wes-
tern bank of Philadelphia, $50, 600, ,;,
"Your Committee, while IN fniiaue'p","
examined the Books of the Norm Wes'eih
Bank, and obtained statement oil ms transac
tions with the Post Office Deparmentoy winch IL
| annears that this sum was raised by feesIde Oh Il
! draft drawn by himself in favor OF IL. =. oloch'
ton. and accepted by o. b. Brown Chiel Cleik,
dated the Goth day of April, 1884, and payaoies
three months after date, which draft was palu
| bv the Department at maturity; so that, as the
transaction stood at the time the account VI
Reside was made out represented TO the Com
mittee he was entitled TO no credit arising from
this transaction. If a credit were entered on
the books at the time the draft was negotiated,
then when the draft was paid by the Department,
| there should have been charge OF an equa
sum against Reeside, to balance 1t. ms was
not done: and this sum stood as credit to Ree-
side and heped to reduce Il balance OF Sol,-
ago or. which, Notwithstanding his large extra
allowances stood against him on the books OF
the Department on the lst April, 1854 ! our
Committee called upon Obadiah b. bfowh 10
! explain this transaction: he stated that the
draft on which Reside raised this money mao
not become due until some time in the month OF
| November that since that time there had been no
| settlement with the Bank so thatthe credit could,
in the ordinary course Of things, be entered.
member of YOUR Committee, then in the hear.
ing of the witness, asked for the statement OF
the Cashier OF the Western Bank OF PhIadei-
mia and the paper not being in the Committee
room it was sent for, and the witness was dsmls
sed until il should be brought in. Alter snort
time the witness returned; stated that lie had
been mistaken: that the charge against Mr..
Reside was omitted by mistake and was also!by
mistake entered against II. &. Stockton, but
| hofhe Ind promptiv corrected the entry on the
books and that it was now all right. Your Com
mittee directed the witness to bring in the books
in which he had made the correction; he did SO,
and it showed no less than seven erdsnres$ Chan :
ees of eni7-v which he had caused to be made IN
the books in the short time that your Committee
had respited him from examination. The credit
which is due TO books thus kept and thus altered
TO suit the emergencies OF the OCCASION can be
| readily appreciated by the Senate"
! After reciting the testimony of c. X, GARDNER,
one Of the Assistant Postmasters General, in re-
gard to this particular transaction, the Commit
tee sum up the case as follows
| s:Thus when these acceptances are made, they
| sare credited 10 the contractor as so much mo-
'ney paid by him to the use Of the Department,
though he: in fact, pays nothing but merely
| Lends his name a drawer or endorser-
the same sum is charged to the Bank as so
much deposited to the credit of the Depart
'ment, and the draft is at last taken up by Il
'check, which is certified to be for trdnportations
Shy the three officers who, according to the i'm
| proved system of checks, or disbursement,
adopted by Mr.Barry, are required to certify ev-
'ery check which issues from the Department.
8 But, by examining these debts, and credits,
and certificates for transportation, no account
ant, however skilful, could ascertain that such
eXpedients had been resored to, or money
received in that manner These certificates
upon whatever grounds they may be support.
'ed, are contrary to the plain fact OF the case"
After adverting farther TO the erasures in the
books of the Office the conflicting testimony Of
Witnesses &c. all of which we are obliged by
want Of time to pass by for the present, the Re
port comes to the following conclusion, to which
we give insertion at large, as no less due to the
importance Of the subject, than to the indetati-
| gable labors of the intelligent Committee by
whom it has been prepared:
! $50 numerous and SO great are the abuses
which have grown up in this Department that
reform has become absolutely necessary; but
& the measures by which it isto be effected are by
no means free from embarrassment. They are
the more difficult, as many Of the evils which
require remedy do not arise from dele cts IN
{ the existing law but from an habtuaI disregard
of plain legal provisions. They may, however,
be principally traced to the absolute ana un-
checked power which single individual holds
over the resources and disbursements, and all
the vast machinery oflhis Department
| "The checks OF various inferior officers upon
each other are Of no value, when all are guided
and controlled in their acts by one dominant