Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-16

pcndcn fund, belonging 10 Government though |" "''
ke. ping , ,,,,, ne G,rbam A
With The Cashier of the City Bank, The present coz
Lara, has druosrd public moneys III his hands WIN a
II. nix which could not, under The law pfo"0'''"s
I.,ion of any bank as Dc posltory when nus ~
,r The denomination of five dollars, oe st iee'eu "
t So,.,,,v or the Treasury himself as depository
r moneys carried to the credit Of The Treasury q '
United States. ,:a t tho said
Ilh That the mode adopted and p'actlsed 'y 'He Ia,u
c,r.cIur of Keeping and making returns OF inc p"u'
,,,,oy coI,cird by HIM Tor UnnsrcIidnru uH'eS ""
under protest. IN The language at !hs resent h''o9
General of tie u. s., 'cOud never have 'een ''e INV "
lion OF Congress-; and being 'tofrm'ea ~ nus If
IN the language of the same high ohcer' l"e W
~ colcc,or to pns poue The ascertnnncn, OF nu' L"
in the mean time he would have the uncohIfo,'u use -
tho nancy" II has also III the lulhmens ni 'he lea
sonrng If the Attorney GrneFai, 'He't"SeH ~.
If cuIcssness in The collector, by permitting iatSe
,,n,unIs of money 10 remain with him, ana uuuef u"
ndvidua! CONTROL instead Of being IN the Treasury u
tn, U. 5 - ,. ,o,,,
,be IL nor and spirit Of all revenue laws seem 10 III
cucac the idea TIA, the intention OF Congress mas a.
all times been, that money collected Tor revenue souu
lie promptly placed in the Treasury, and not DC PR
m,,irh T., remain in the hands OF the collector -
Slh That the returns OF the naval officer IN Ne" DIN
have no. been Correct it is found in The testimony Of
the present GrruIy naval officer ''ihat the naval oict'
yyGr It's trisiiug sIcH not enabled, either 10 Ge'eI
mine wha amount bonds has bren taken by the COL
hector for duties in any quarter who are the parties 10
sad bonds The dates of said bonds or when they are
payab.e or when such bonds paid or "helh"r lhe
COLLECTOR does does account truly Or sucn bonus
PART w. DEFALCATlONS AMONG RECElN ERS
OF PUBLIC MONEYS.
The Committee, in tufment Of that portion OF The
duty assigned them by which they were diFected 10 IN
oulfe into any dralcatinns among receivers: &C. which
may now exist report the House. that the lmeo Pc
ricd which they had for thorough investigation OF the
subjects with which they were charged and the uhe ne
cessarIy cOnsuItd in the examination OF me cases o' 'e
late collector and district attorney of ~ York. have pre-
vented minute investigation OF the extent. nature, ana
causes Of the decalions Of receivers oil public moneys
arising from the sales Of public lands Inc Committee
have however prepared tnm reports maze by the otCte
larv of the the last and present session oil Con-
gtcss tabular statement, exhibiting The names OF suGh
dcfauers the amount due from each when due and the
penalties OF their official bonds respectively; also, the
correspondence had ben the Treasury Department
and fifteen of the individuals whose names appear on
said saIcnleni-!he Committee having called Tor, and
been iurIshd by the Department, with the answers Of
the receivers the letters Of the Secretary OF The iea
sury as contained in House document No. 2J7 These
fifteen cases are ported specially, examples merely
uf the manner in which the President OF the u ana
the Secretary of the Treasury have executed the laws
in respect the public money and other property oil lhe
u s in the hands of this class of public officers, and in
respect 10 their official duty.
The law provides for The appointment by the Execu
i've with the concurrence OF the Senate, oil receiver
where the public private sales Of the lands are to be
made who shall give bord with approved security, for
the faithful discharge Of his trusi who shall transmit
lcithn iriy days, case OF public sale, ana quarterly
in case OF private sale account OF all The public mo
news bv him received. 10 the Secretary Of the Treasury
aud 10 the registers the land ebceS as The case may be-
He is allowed n salary of $500 per annum and COM
mission OF per cenlurn on The moneys receVed' mn
his salary for any year shall exceed $4,000 The
Secretary of the Treasury allow TO the several re-
ceves Of the public money at The several land Offices
reasonable compensation for transporting deposiung
such moneys any bank any other place OF depose
that ma from time TO time, be designated byhe Secre-
tafy of the Treasury for that purpose lie is also au
,horsed to prescribe such further regulations in the man
uer of keeping books and accounts by the several 9th
GERS in the land Offices 10 ham appear necessary
and proptr II made his duty, at least once IN every
wear to cause the books of the land Offices To be exam
med md The balance Of public moneys IN The hands OF
the several receivers 10 be ascertaned
The foregoing synopsis of the law relative to land re
ce!vcrs aud the correspondence with portion OF those
who have proved deauers and iathlesS TO their trusts
are submitted without further comment than That the
facts aud circumstances here exhibited show such de-
reelection Of duty the part oil the Executive Depart
nenl as calls ludly for searching examination into tins
branch If the public service and ioI thorough reform
The practice which the foregoing correspondence ex.
hibs Of retaining in office alter gross and repeated
violations Of law Keeping and using the pubic moneys
for private specualion and the character Of the
pondemce itself but clearly point 10 the inference that
such officers retained in place because they pos
active partisars. Whether such INSTRUMENTATION
constitutes official corruption in those superior officers
of The Executive Departments who knew OF and per
miied in their suhcrdEatcs the conduct which has been
referred 10, is question which The COMMITTEE submit
10 the House and the country 10 decide.
Party. FACTS CONNECTED WITH TIE FORE
GOING DEFALCATiONS. AND DEEMED MA
1;ERIAL no DEVELOP THEIR TRUE CHA
RACTER
In conclusion the Committee cannot forbear remark
ing that during their whole investigations they have not
found The case which the laws they dtrsady crtt do
not apply or in which they defective. The perma.
urnt provisions OF the laws constitute every necessary
check upon collectors receivers and dsbursers OF pup.
lie money: and the checks which, by law have oeen ana
may be created the discretion of the Executive nave
only TO he attended To and applied by those whose duty
II is tc superinend the execution OF the laws 10 ensure
fahfuln,ss and detect derelIctons or teiacatlons IN
public officers
Indeed in all the new recommendations which have
been proposed By the President or the Secretary ct the
Treasury The Committee has found, either what area.
dy exists. or what might have always been prescHbed
and enforced in the form ct Treasury regulations, ana
which, # enforced would have prevented the Iaie deial-
CATIONS and these recommendations can indeed, be
regarded many proofs OF What regulations IN re
specl TO the late rfaulrg collectors receivers &c have
brrn lther wholly neglected ny I've present HAeCu'e
and heads of Departments
RENEE IN THE REPORT OF THE COMMIT
TEE. ATTENDED THERETO BY VOTE OF
TIE COMMITTEE.
have not had the requisite time for scsutipi7ing The
report Of the Committee with that care ana attention
which It's length aud Importance deserve, and which
would have desired and ! should have preferred, Tor
this reason 10 have rrtscr the journal OF The Com
mI,lre without comment 10 the House Of Representa-
lyrs Blu, Il. conflicting opinions preva IN the CON-
mttre and are 10 be submitted 10 the country IN The
shape Of formal reports consId my duty to say mat
concur it'll The Committee ~ oil the conclusions al
which hry have arrived, 9" lar as those conclusions n
,;v IN the xcnl and character of the dealcatIons of Sa
Inuri Swartwuut and William NJ Price.
should be aith!ess to my duty, und do violence To
the nest conscientious convictions at my judgment, II
did not also declare my entire concurrence IN those con-
cIus,rps of the Committee which relate the conduct