Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-10

oi the department. a sum of that kind Of money of
Ns,ooo and np~ards, appearing TO be IN your
hands"
We give these Facts in relation Ia ono class Of
public officers, which the "rctorm bill contcm-
plates creating the Repositories and the keepers Of
the peoples treasure. W haze no desire to add to
the excitement which they well calculated to
produce upon the minds ot the public by any cx-
p,ess,ons OF our The facts need not be agra
waited. The simple form in which they exist and
come before the public, will IN our opinion excite
one universal burst OF popular Indignation against
the proposed abominabc Sub treasury scheme IN
any shape.
The SINGLE OF the office aud officer ut loSIA,
shows the utter inability of vaults locks, bars, and
bolts, To make the public money secure from the
hands o depredators. OF what use woulh have
been tho al, drosta,ic balance" " the sliding
draws" in this ease They would have served on
" ~ hntts tof ldiculc-Tho loss of the money with
which l. is reported the receiver abscondcd. IL moth
,ng compared with the consequences To which the
temptation led. Here was an individual, who :" al
WAYS sustained hah character Tor intcgrii," under
the anring temptations of tho system, winch lie was
unable 10 Withstand. pfccplating himself IN fatal
hour, 10 The lowest depths OF rnin, intamy and dis
grace The evidence that case alone affords,
should, III our op,nion, forever stamp the whole
scheme with the condemnation OF all honest men
hut "halevcrmay be our own opinion ms 10 the
ropneiy oil the polIcy pursued winch permitted N
ee,sine the public moncys to be continued III office
month allet month aud year after year, guilty OF such
irregularities ot conduct, until they ut last became
deiaulieis IN vast sums, shall leave the public 10
drawn then own conclusions from the facts.
We have selected receivers located IN every see
ton OF the county, the preceding history OF their
transactions and it appeis to MS, that n " certain
looseness IN the code OF morality" which Mr.. TIT
resche describes as moving not I'm limited circle IN
Msslsslpp has not been rircunscrlbcd within any
more limited sphere in many OF the other Offices oni
OF that State.
We cannot, however but express surprise, that
any individual, with all these facts aud proofs OF
maleasances aud deal,atons 80 constantly happen
ing, rs We have shown, could have ever rcrommcn-
ded the ensiod, and sale keeping OF the public mo
ney To be ini,uslod 10 such class OF public officers
And still more, that the recommendation should
have been renewed acr all the disasters which are
shown 10 have occurred subsequent, to the I,,me the
recommendation WINS irst made. We th,nk the peo-
pie will moi be less asionslicd than ourselves when
they read the facts.
We NOW tutn 10 the other classes Of public officers
III whose hands II ~ contemplated under The 3" ie-
form bill 10 place the Leepng Of the public mo-
ncys. The COLLECTORS OF Customs. The following
references 10 the report Of the Secretary are made
10 show that Tins class not altogether tee o IL
lepularles. connected with their public duties.
On the ooh OF November, 1884, the Secretary OF
the Treasury addressed circular TO seventeen coll
leelors, rs follows " Your return OF moneys icee,v-
ed and expended under the act for the reei OF sick
aud disabled seancn for the quarter ending the 3Oih
Sept. last, has been received" Again on the 30t
Dec, 1S3i, he addressed two Of them as follows;
As the returns referred To IN my letter OF the 20lh
uli. have not been received. have to request thai
YOU will state the reason Of tins continued neglect
On The l2ih OF November 1886, the Secretary wrote
10 the Collector OF Boston, complaining mat the
accounts for the expenditures under the approprln
toms made by the act referred TO IN my letters Of
the iIth have not been rendered to the accounting
officers. beg leave to call your attention TO the sub
lect.'
Under date OF August Sd, 1897 the Secretary
writes the Collector NJ OswcgO, New York The
Department has, nuch TO its surprise just received
notice oil protest OF the Trcasuiers draft, No. ,267
drawn you IN favor OF T.. Kirby, paymasler in the
army, ior seven thousand dollars. | have, there
fore request from you explanation OF the cause
OF this draft having been dishoDorcd, aud 10 inform
you that, unless satisfactory reasons furnished,
will become necessary TO institute SUIT upon your
Official bond"
We could enlarge our quotations from the twenty
odd pages OF the report IN relation to the dcIngu,n
cirs OF the Collectors; but consider II quite un-
necessary.--Enough we appchend, has been gwen 10
satisfy the public mind the liregularity OF that
class oi officers.
After such an exhibition we have here ven Of
the lice ularlties and dciacations of recent occur
renee land they but small pant oil what the re-
port contains, which have occurred since 1884 } will
the people be satisfied that there Is any security IN
leaving The public moneys, as proposed, ~ the hands
OF these individual executive agents !-Bondsnen,
vaults, and safes, afford protection against NAL
easance, irregularities. aud pervcrson ot the use
OF the peoples money. Hdd,son'an.