Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-10-07

debcnturcs certificates were not only refused
payment in specie, but were even refused TO be
received in payment for dutes.-Thc assertion
Of the Secretary that sthe department at first Of
fe.ed to pay" them in specie, therefore direct
" at variance with the truth. 1t not unit!
the injustice Of the refusal had been loudly pro-
claimed, that they were paid in specie or received
for duties.
Again he says
"The fees received for patents and refunded
since May, have also, when desired, been paid
back in specie.~
dared contradiction, that a gentleman paid into
the hands of the Clerk of the patent office. thirty
dollars in specie, for patent; but concluding not
to take that patent, twenty dollars was refunded
to him (the other ten being retained as fees Ne)
il check. The next day, wishing to take out
another patent, he offered the clerk ten dollars
in silver and the check he had received from HIM
the day BEFORE but TO his great surprise the lat
ter refused, and before he could get his pat
tent, he had to go and purchase twenty dollars IN
specie again, in the place Of the check; and does
the Secretary now say that fees received for pat
tents have been paid back in specie when desi-
red? We are sorry that facts show this asser-
ton to be untrue.
The Secretary further states.
.'In the domestic ore.at ous of the War and
Navy Departments. as well as IN carrying on the
public works not conducted with them. specie has
likewise been occasionally furnished to pursers.
paymastcrs, and other agents. to enable them I"
make change and pay small sums III their week
" settlements. These have embraced those per-
sons in the public employment, whether scarnen,
soldiers aborers others. at the yards, foris, ana
other places in which aiiona works were IN pro-
grcss.
"This department has likewise offered to pay
reasonable amounts in specie. when reqncstco,
towards the large sums due pensioners, III order
as far practicable, to accommodate 50 mcTiiocl
Gus class of claimants
We cannot express our feelings upon reading
these assertions. We did not believe 1t possible
that Mr.. Woodbury., with ali his modest assurance
would have dared to make a statement So direct
ly opposed to truth. So far from specie having
been furnished to disbursing officers TO enahle
them to make change and pay small sums III tle'i
weekly settlcments,-we state. and we 90 IL u
on unqucs,ionablc authority, that not one sag
dollar of specie has been furnished by 'hc go.
crnmcnt ''to make change and pay small SUMS,
at the Navy Yard in this city. On the contrary
when the mechanics who were employed at tbs
Yard, requested to be paid i'm specie, the small
sums under five dollars which were due them
they were tod that they must take shin plaster:
or quit rorI As to the assertion that the depart
ment has offered to pay reasonable amounts u
specie, when requested. 10 the pensioners. tn
following statement from the correspondent o
/ the New Iorl; Courier and Inquirer, VIII sho'
how far it is true.
1.-The Serrcant-at-Arns IS seen almost daiiE
parading the house with bag OF gold. pawn:
the members. Contrast this with the fact, TIA
the Pensioners Of the Revolutionary War we:
paid last week their miserable Pittancc IN tn
most worthless rags. No matter what You hear 4
the contrary | repeat aud challenge contradic
ton, that the revolutionary pensioners i'll this CIT,
were paid their pittance in paper rags, and aiiho
they solicited only fer dollars IN specie. WA
refused. l conversed this morning with one o
them, in his eighty fourth year, who was thu
treated, and this under the ewes of the Presiden
and his cabinet"