The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-22

ness at The Custom House. comparison with the
former mode" Mr. Phillips states, that Mr. Hoyl,
In coming into Office, adopted a course which, In
my opinion, is every way calculated to ensure
safe collection Of the revenue" He then gives
long detail Of the operations when he says, All
the moneys received paid by me to the collector
daily, AND ARE UNDER HIS SOLE CON-
troll On Saturday furnish him with an ac-
count in his hands available, which am enabled TO
do from the books; and he there places certain
sum at the credit of the Treasurer OF the United
States who is advised of the same and Is subject 10
his drafts only. And, the amount so placed is ge-
nerally within tpsnty.fue thousand dollars OF the
amount in his possession, with the exception of that
deposite for duties not yet ascertained, which is
not placed to the credit ofthe Treasurer of the Unit
ed States until settlement with the parties making
the deposite."
Here is the detail ofthe Sub Treasury as now in
practical operaton All these moneys whether
placed at the credit Of the Treasurer of the United
States or not, fare under his the collecors) sole
control" That part Of the money placed at the
credit of the Treasurer is not taken from the control
OF the collector II is only changed from one pocket
TO the other There is no obstacle the collectors
taking the whole OF the moneylhat at the credit of
the Treasurer-the balance of twenty-five thousand
ained on the eve of the departure Of one of the
steam ships for Europe and stepping on board of
her and escaping TO Europe, as Mr.. Price has done
At times he would have enough in his hands to ena-
BILE him to protect his bondsmen, and leave balance
sufficient to satisfy the future wants of reasonable
man. In such an event, what would all the statutes
that could be passed be worth, making the crime
felony, to be visited with ignominious punishment
The cuprit escapes to France, Germany or Italy,
subsists on the plumber and laughs at all the laws
and lawmakers. Ii the Government does not wish
TO venture to have the public money plundered by
hundred hands" then discard the Sub-Treasury
scheme entirely, and place il in banks, "where one
hand cannot touch it," The details are perfectly
simple, whereby system can be matured to prevent
repetition of these plumbers or the temptation that
leads to them But so long as Executive officers are
made the repositories Of the public moneys as well
as collectors long will they continue TO be tempted
to do wrong.
In his Report at page s. the Secretary strives TO
throw from himself all responsibility with this defal
cation of Mr.. Swartwout Messrs. INoHAM, McLANE
Duane and TANEY are lugged in by the head and
shoulders and then, he says their settlements
are devolved on them Qhe LIST Comptroller and LIST
Auditory Alone by Congress, without requiring the
vouchers and to be submitted TO the head Of
the Department, or any other officer, either for re-
view, appreciation, or election"
That is all very true: yet it does not prove that
the Secretary himself had not the means of detecting
the defacation. In communication dated LIST De-
cember 1888 made by the first auditor to the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury, in answer 10 an inquiry, why
it was not in the power Of your office 10 report his
(Swartwout's) defalcation when il first occurred 7"
He said I" it not in the power Of this office to
report his defalcaon when 1t first occurred because
it never possessed the means Of asceraining It,
Afier making some suggestions as modihcations OF
the existing laws regulations, whereby TO detect
more Immediately populations, the Auditor says,
these improvements in addition to the ioeekty and
monthly returns of moneys reeeiped and paid at the
Custom House the return Of debentnres abstracts
of bonds PIT in suit summary statement Of duties
coleeted schedule of bonds taken and liquidated DC,
required for the Seeretarys office, agreeabyto ancient
regulations and usages Of the Treasury Department,
embodied in the circular of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, dated 18th Nov, 1885, if properly ar
ranged and compared with each other and with the
.,,4rseyfv account current of the CUSTOMS who formerly
enered on tho ----.arv's book as soon as received
at the office of the First Auun.., ,,d !, i be,;ev
cd furnish the Secretary the means Of asceIs...-.
defaults like these Immediately after they occur"
II is thus shown by this official report Of the First
Auditor that the Secretary of the Treasury had all
the means of detecting the fraud that any other
officer had and that he did not do arose, doubt,
from the circumstance that he did not enforce his
own regulations.
II will, no doubt strike every one with surprise
that after Mr. Swartwout has no doubt purloned
more that million Of dollars of the public money,
which appears he had on the 3lst December 1887
Mr. Woodbury. sent him warrants on the Treasurer at
five different times, between the Both October and
18th December, 1887 amounting TO SSl7OO 600 towards
defrayng the expenses of the office
These facts show the loose and neglectful manner
in which the affairs of Mr.. woodburys Office have
been conducted, and how little he knew about those
affairs of which he should have had perfect know
ledge .".... .... ..t..
In the House of Representatives Document, 18th
Congress- Sd Session. No. 297 at pages G. 7, and IL,
are TO be found evidences of M. Swartwouts irregu-
larilies, of which the Secretary of the Treasury
(Mr. Woodbury. complained, as long ago as March,
1885; and yet he was continued in Office until the
summer of 1888, without any examination into the
affairs of his office, while these enormous pecula-
tons were committed And now, both the President
and his Secretary seek to make the banks bameable
and responsible for them
The Globe has, at last, found an occasion to let
loose its long smothered fires of "whe," "red' and
"yellow sulphur" upon Mr. Rives. The labor Of
the volcanic mountain has been great but the off
spring is really ridieuluS mus. If the Globe had
let off manly broadside at the long intended vic
tim, we should have met it fully with the word,