The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-18

should not have embraced The Dh0te da0IM IN your
possession at the time Of such deposiie as the in
structions require"
On the 18th Of November he wrote and said,
"your letter of the list inst, and return for The
month OF October, is received: As your deposites
of the public moneys are made at Columbus, no rea-
son whatever can be seen why the whole money in
your hands, at the end OF each month"; is not depo-
sted. II is expected II will be hereafter" On the
18th January, 1886, he wrote him as follows: en-
close a copy of letter from Henry Plaltmen com
planning OF your official conduct, and have TO request
that you will furnish prompt and satisfactory expla-
nations" On the 4th Of February he wrote him and
others, stating "your returns for the months of Oc-
lober. November and December, have not been re-
ceived" and added, "unless your future returns are
received at the Department, within the month next
succeeding that for which the return is rendered. II
will place me under the disagreeabe necessity OF
reporting the facts to the Executive in order 10 COM
ply toth The general rule in this class Of cases." On
the 18th March he wrote again, complaining of
neglect to forward his returns and again held out
the threat that If "on the return mail the usual
statements for the months in arrear" were not re-
ceived he would "be under the disagreeable neces-
sty Of again submitting the subject TO the President
for his immediate action"
On the 9Th Of June, he wrote, Seeing the balance
Of public moneys In your hands amounted to $l2s,
sSi 10, at the end Of that month, (ApriD have to
request that you will explain why it was that the
whole of the public moneys, in your hands on the
last Of the previous month, was not deposited in
stead Of part in conformity to explicit and fire.
quent instructions on that point" On the 2lst of
September, he wrote the following -" Your letter of
the 9th ullimo addressed to the President has been
~, J,,t;a, Da,a
of course have closed, been suspended after the
3lst ultimo the time when you propose your reSg
nation should take effect; immediate steps, it is
hoped, will be taken TO adjust your accounts, and
pay over the balance Soon the President re-
turns, a further communication will be made you"
On the 10Th Of November he wrote the following,
have received your letter of the LIST inst, by the
mail Of this morning, and REGRET to inform you
that as long ago August last, steps were taken by
the Solicitor of the Treasury attempt to secure the
balance due from you" This Mn. HARRIs, was re-
ported defaulter at the last Session, for $l09 l7S o.
had been continued in Office Notwithstanding he was
constantly from February 1884, up to June, 1886,
violating and neglecting the established laws and
regulations, as is shown by the following extracts
from the letters written him by the Secretary OF
Treasury, who, on more than one occasion, ex-
pressed his "regret"-and finally, his regret
that the Solicitor Of the Treasury had taken steps to
| attemptto secure the balance dne"H
Whose fault was It in this instance, that more than
one hundred thousand dollars OF the peoples trea-
sure was jeoparded, perhaps entirely lost 1t was
not the fault OF the laws; was the fault of those
| who we're entrusted with the duty Of seeing them
carried into execution and the character OF the
appointments made to Offices of such high trust and
| responsibility. ... .>":.
We will venture to say, that were security-ships
abolished altogether, and ii be made imperative on
the Executive to remove, forthwith every officer on
the first delinquency that far less money would be
lost than under any other system that could be de-
yised. There would then be appointed to fill those
Offices men OF known character and responsibility
who had something risk and lose, in the place OF
| mere brawling politicians, as reward for services
| rendered expected
| The Secretary Of the Treasury urges the change
proposed by him in the mode of keeping tho public
money, on the ground, among others, that it "will
have a tendency to preserve, not only the Govern
ment, but them and their securities, from those
losses which it was never contemplated they should
| hazard The Secretary, as we have on frequent
occasions before shown, authorized speculaions
with the public money, in despite of the precedents
of his immediate predecessor to the contrary, 10
which we have referred in the preceding; by au-
thorsing them TO exchange the money they received
from sales of land for other moneys.
On the 4h of August, 1884, he wrote the receiver
at Augusta, Miss, as follows " There is no obJec-
ton to your exchanging the specie received in pay
ment for lands, for bank notes. which will be receiv
ed by the depose bank, and credited as cash. such
exchanges are, however, to be made at your own
| risk" Under date of December 10th, 1884 SINH
lar letter was written to the Receiver at Lexington,
| Missouri For what other purpose than to speculate
and make money out of the transactions did these
Receivers wish the permission 10 exchange money
received by them for other money, or for 7" bank
notes of inferior value" as stated by Mr. fancy in
his letter of the eth Feb, 1884
This is but one of many instances ofsmiar char
acer which are to be found in the Treasury reports
to Congress In the documents to which we have
referred there exist the evidences to show that, as
long ago as March 1885, Mr. S,carteout was guilty
OF irregularities in his transactions with the Treasu-
~ Department, and of neglect in sending his &C
counts
The example set by MIR HARRIS appears not to
have been without its effect upon his successor in Of
fee, Mr. G. d. BoYD. Or him Mr.V M GAREscHE,
who was sent TO examine into the condition of the
land office at Columbus, and other places gave the
following account In ms report 10 the secretary OF
the Treasury, dated June IA, 1887, he said, " the
account of the Receiver which have made out and
transmitted herewith presents against him balance
Of 55,965,54 His own account makes 1t S53,272,-
70. il is also annexed His assets, of which send
you list amount to SOL $40 49, rating the land
81 25 only but might possibly realize double the
amount. The man seems really penitent, and am
inclined to think in common with his friends that
he is honest and has beenled away from his duty by
the example predecessor, and certain ooseness