The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-05-12


CONSISTENT WITH THEIR SAFE KEEPING,
SHOULD DE GIVEN TO EXECUTIVE AGENTS.
Gen. Jackson's Message, Dec. 1885.
THE COLLECTOR or oswEGO--THE
sUB-TREAsURY AND SUB-TREAsUR-
ERs.
In our last, we published letter from the
Collector at Oswego, in relation to an extract
Of a letter from the Secretary Of the Treasury
TO him, that appeared in our paper in April
last, reproving him for having permitted a
draft, drawn on him by the Treasury Depart
ment, for the amount of seven thousand dol
lars, in favor ofpaymaster Kirby Of the army,
to be protested. The letter Of the Collector
thus concludes
I" And, must be permitted TO add, that common
eandor and decent respect for the feelings and cha
racter of the humblest citizen required that this por
tion of the letter should not have been suppressed.
1t was far from our wish or intention to
wound the feelings or doinjury to the Collec-
tor. Our sole object was to expose the utter
fallacy of the Sub-treasury scheme, which
it has been declared has been in operation
since May last; and it follows, that the Col
lector of Oswcgo has been, during that time,
one of the Sub-treasurers. The protest Of
the draft on him was adduced as evidence to
sustain us in our position against the scheme.
From the character Of the letter Of the Collec-
tor to us, we take it for granted that he is one
of the advocates and supporters Of that bane-
fill scheme, which is to clothe him with lit
tie brief authority"
That we may do full justice to the "feel-
ings and character of the Collector of Os-
wego, as well as to exonerate ourself hereaf-
ter, from the imputation of having "sup-
pressed" any portion of the report of the Sc
cretary which relates to that officer, we give
below all the letters to him which we find in.
the document.
The first is the following by which it APP
pears complaint was made by the Treasury
Department of a want of "punctuality" on
the part ofthe Collector in depositng in Bank
the public money in his hands.
Treasury DEPARTMENT
February -, 1886.
Sir The last return of money received and paid
at the Custom House at your port which has come
to hand exhibits balance Of public money in your
hands on the 3is day of December last of ST. 263 o.
say seven thousand two hundred and sixty-ihree dol
lars and two cents which being in the opinion of
the Department, larger sum than can be required
todetray the current expenditures of your district,
have 10 request that you will deposite in the Mocha
MICS and Farmers Bank at Albany, to the credit of
he TrpaS pft he &IO0 ont q
above amount and transmit the cashiers certhcate
to the Department.
1t is proper to inform you that returns OF moneys
received and paid" should be made to this office
monthly BY you. l have therefore to Request that
the regulation may be punctually observed here
after. am, DC.
Csc II. McWHoRTER, Esq, -"o.
Collector Oswego Nc1 York. ~.
The second shows complaints against the
Collector of i,regularity in furnishing returns.
II is as follows: ......
49,. TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
April 10, 1887
Sir: am in the receipt of your letter of the Sd
instant and in reply, have TO inform you that this
Department has no discretionary power over the sub
jecl therein mentioned. All public officers must, in
compliance with law, place the balance OF public
money in their hands in some deposite bank. Were
to rfere in the manner you propose, and suffer
the balance due from you to lie in your hands, or in
any other than deposite bank, or previously
authorized by the President Of the United States, |
should myself violate the law, and become response
BILE for all the consequences. lregre extremely the
pressure on the money market caused in great
measure, though not entirely, at the moment, by col
Letting in and paying over such large sums TO the
States under the distribution or deposile act. But
Congress has directed it, my province is merely to
conform to the law faithfully Your monthly return
IF nd HOY hnfM rph
has not yet been received. You will be pleased,
therefore, to transmit it at an early date.
l. WOODBURY.,
Secretary Of The Treasury
GEO, II. McWHoRTER, Esq,
Collector, Os,oego, Nep York
s. The Mechanics and Farmers Bank of AL
bany is the institution in which you have been here
tofore directed to make your depoSes, in my letter
of the ID March, 1886.
The third is the one from which we gave the
extract complained of by the Collector. We
give it entire
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
august 3, 1887
Sir: This Department has, much to its surprise,
Just received notice of protest of the Treasurer's
draft No 1870, drawn on you in favor of +. Kirby,
paymaser in the army for seven thousand dollars.
! have, therefore, TO request from you an expana-
lion OF the cause OF this draft having been diShonor
ed, and to inform you that unless satisfactory
sons are furnished, it will become necessary to nsti
tute SUIT upon your official bond
Is deemed proper to remark, that the refusal of
!ne Ddhk al OSwego, (where YOU deposited the pub
nc money without authority Of the Department 10
pay specie Tor said dcpoSitc will not be considered
Justihabe cause for your not having paid the draft
in the kind OF money demanded; ana the necessary
sacrifice, if any, must hereafter be made to nav any
dram on you in specie, if il is demanded