The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-10-24
PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE
SUB-TREASURY.

PRACTICAL ILLUSTNAEioNS Or The
sUB-TREAsURY.
Nearly the only example the Sub-treasury-
ties have presented in aid Of their arguments,
has been the disbursng system of the army.
Paymasters and disbursing agents, they have
told us, illustrate the economy, efficiency,
convenience and safety Of the Sub-treasury
system, having, in the keeping and disburse-
ment Of great many millions Of money, the
ignorant ones imagine, never lost a dollar, or
been guilty Of peculation, embezzlement or
fraud. II all this were true, il would be hardly
just to compare the officers Of the army with
citizens. The former are permanently situated
with a certainty Of support, and hope ofPro-
motion. They are accustomed to cherish q
nice sense of personal honor, which would
hazard their standing, if exposed even to sus-
picion. They are, therefore, under the con-
slant influence of motives which seldom ope-
rate upon civil officers as class, particularly
when they are as remotely situated from social
restraints as the receiver in the back woods of
Mississippi, described by M. Garesche. But
nevertheless, and notwithstanding the peculiar
circumstances operating upon army officers,
it is great mistake to suppose that the 60
vernment has not been subjected to loss by
that species of Sub-treasury, which their dis
bursting system presents. The losses to the
Government by the officers and disbursing
agents of the army, have been about equal to
the losses of civil officers, and more than all
the losses by banks as repositories. We do
not touch upon a subject connected with the
army, with any disposition to emulate the fe-
rocous Goth, who has illuminated the Navy,
to tie immortal infamy Of every one connect
ed with the transaction, but as necessary
defence to the anti-Sub-treasury bulwarks,
and for the purpose Of awakening the people
to the folly and absurdty Of the system which
would expose their money to be plundered by
hundred hands where one cannot now reach
it.
We believe it will appear in the end, and
we challenge proof to the contrary, that not
one single penny will have been lost to the
government by the deposite banks selected
under the act Of 1886, unless it be by one Of
the Family banks Of the Secretary of the
Treasury which exploded at Boston. On the
contrary they will have paid up every cent
left with them, principal and interest.
We have heretofore shown that the losses
by receivers and collectors in the same time
two years) has exceeded six hundred thou
sand dollars, and that at other times the losses
by the same system which the Sub-treasury
now proposes to extend has exceeded the
enormous sum of two millions.
To these we have now to add the losses
by individual agencies in the army. 1t is
true the amount of actual loss never may be
accurately ascertained But the books of the
Treasury show how much money is unac-
counted for and is unreturned. The exhibi-
ton will appear in the shape of "balances on
books of the third auditor"
In House document No. 4s, these balances
are stated in compliance with acts of Con-
gress. The document consists in part Of
statement of accounts in the Office of the Third
Auditor OF the Treasury, which have remained
unsettled, or on which balances appear to
have been due more than three gears prior to
September 80, 1886, furnished in pursuance
Of the act Of 1909.
The amount of accounts, on which balances
were due more than three years prior to 1886,
arising from moneys advanced prior to March
3, 1877, is 1928, 1856. The balances yet due
and unaccounted for arising from moneys
advanced since March 3, 1917, amount
to $506,475 90. All this has accrued
since 1909, amounting in the aggregate
to one million four hundred and thirty
four thousand sir hundred and sirty-
fire dollars. On moneys entrusted to Off
GERS prior to 1909, the government has lost
$306,s5s 43.
The waste and loss by agents in the Semi
mole war, will not yet be developed.
The losses by agents in the Indian service
are yet also to be added to the grand result of
this antecedent ub-Treasury experiment in
miniature. ..
Thus we see the best example to which we
arc referred, TO reconcile US to Sub-Treasu-
ry system, exhibits to us losses and deialca-
tons amounting to nearly two millions OF dol
lars The result Of suits against these Off
GERS, as appears by the remarks of the Solici-
tor of the Treasury, has been, generally, re-
turns of non est inpentus, nulla bona, despe-
rate, dead, nal habet, &c. In many cases the
balances appear in consequence of suspended
vouchers, and therefore unsettled accounts,
most of which will probably never be adjust