The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-21
THE WAY THE SECRETARY OF THE
/. TREASURY MANAGES THE AFFAIRS

During the past year we have laid before the pub
lie numerous evidences of the la beetle manner in
which the Secretary Of the Treasury has conducted
the affairs Of the people, connected with the duties
OF his Department, particularly with respect 10 the
public Receivers of land sales In the case of which
we are about to give detail facts, the neglect of
duty proven upon the Secretary of the Treasury,
surpasses almost every thing we have seen. We
forbear to charge moral turpiude. But to the facts
M J. ALLEN appears to have been appointed Re-
ceiver at Tallahassee, Florida, sometime In 1886
In Document 297 we find that on the 18th Novem-
Der Of that year. the Secretary of the Treasury in
formed him that the punctual deposite Of the public
moneys being enjoined by the requiscns Of the de-
partment, he called his Especial attention" to that
duty and required that the amount then in his hands
should be placed al the credit Of The Treasurer in
one of the deposite banks. To save trouble and ex
pense OF travelling the Secretary authorized him 10
purchase drafts and to allow reasonable premium
for that purpose" On the 2lst February, 1887 the
Secretary writes and complains Of neglect to render
| returns for November, December and January, ard
calls his immediate attention to the subject. On the
l2lh April following, the Secretary writes and says
the monthly returns in arrear from your office, are
those for November and December last as you have
already been informed. On the llth Of November,
the Secretary addressed circular and among other
receivers to the one Tallahassee saying that their
returns for the month Of August had not been re-
ceived, and calling for them without delay.
| On the 18th day Of January 1888, the Secretary
informs Mr. Allen that he had that day been inform
ed he had "refused to pay five drafts Of 5000 dollars
each, drawn by the Treasurer" upon him. and he
adds ia satisfactory explanation of this refusal
shall not be received by return mail, it will be my
imperative duty to lay the before the President
/ f,r IL. Gal -. u
to the great injury of the public service Again on
the I'd February, 1885, the Secretary writes and ac-
knowedges the receipt of his letters of the 18th and
18th ultimo, and says, he /" cannot recognise any
such excuse" "ior the failure to meet the drafts in
specie" Says he, "the receipt of bank notes has
been expressly prohibited" 81 shall expect full
and satisfactory reply" &c. On the 9Th February,
the Secretary writes and after referring 10 what he
| told Mr. Allen" that he could not recognise the
act" and :" that he must meet the drafts Of the De-
par'men in funds satisfactory to the holders Of our
drafts" says, II can see other alternative consist
ent with the law !" and if the banks will pay you
! specie, your most obvious course is "to procure
FUNDS elsewhere to discharge your obligation to the
government as speedily as possible"
Now alter all this correspondence, after the Trea-
surer's drafts for $4,000 dollars had been protested
for non payment, and threat made by the Secretary
TO report the facts TO the President what do we next
sect Will il be beieyed3 Why, in Document 295.
under date OF the 10Th March, 1882 the Secretary re-
ports the Receiver at Taahasse as one OF his Sub
treasurers and that he then had in his hands 1927 1853
81 deemed araiablc for the public serrice and sub
jeet TO draft" In Document No l22, dated 2Sth
January, 1889, M. J. ALLEN is reported defaulter
for $26,69l 57-with the remark " suit pending"
| Would that We could stop here with the disgusting
detail of these transactions. AT the very time the
Secretary reported the above sum applicable the
public serriee and subject 10 dra il appears accord
ing to Document l22, beginning at page u, that he
must have had in his possession charges made by
JonN G. GAMBLE against M. J. ALLEN of having
been in the practice of exacng an exorbitant dis
count in the bank note currency Of the country, when
offered in payment of public lands" Says he, I" in
one case the discount was fourteen, in another if
teen per cent" In the same letter Mr. Gamble said;
!" it is matter of complaint, that citizens have APP
piled to enter lands, their money was refused, and
afler having converted their bank notes into land
Office money upon another application for their
land they have found il entered by the receiver"
And what does the Secretary do2 Why he, as usual
calls for an explanations The Receiver denies the
| charges The Secretary then calls on Mr. Gamble
for proof. He furnishes proof generally Mr.. Allen
bubbles at il. As late as the 2lst June, 1885, Mr.
Gamble is in Washington City, on his way to Eu-
| rope; and failing TO see the Secretary, on whom he
called, he addresses note to him, enclosing further
proof OF some of the charges denied by Allen, and
says, /" repeat what said in my letter of the 18th
April, that volunteered in this business from
sense of public duty which must be performed by
some one" Says he, 81 did not anticipate that l
should have had devolved on me the trouble of hunt
ing up the evidence in support of the charges. l
thought the investigation would have been made in
Florida, where Mr.. Allen and the witnesses would
have met face to face" Well might Mr.. Gamble
complain OF the manner in which he was treated for
doing what he regarded as "pnblic duty" And
what did the Secretary do all this time In relation to
these 27 900 in the hands Of Mr. Allen, sos 1000 Of
which he had refused to pay the drafts drawn for It
in January previous7 Nothing whatever. That
money still remained in his hands, and furnished
him the means, in part of subscribing to the stock
OF bank to the extent of $500 in money and real
estate, as he admitted himself in July. The last we
see of what the Secretary did, in this matter is at
page 81 Of Doc. No. l22, under date of the 4h Aug
1888, he says is hoped that his (he Treasurers)
drafts will be promptly met by you"
Now, in this affair throughout, there was not only
the grossest neglect of duty, but downright viola
tion of the law, which we give as follows:
The act of the Sd Of March, I795, section Sd, pro-
vides,
If any collector OF the revenue or receiver of public
money other officer who shall have received the pub
lie money before 1t paid into the Treasury of the u
ned States shall fail TO render his account or pay over
the same in the manner within the time, required BY