Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-04-04

individuals whose names appear on said
staIe;neul-the Committee having called
for, and been furnished by the Depart
ment, with the answers of the receivers to
the letters Of the Secretary OF the Ireasu-
ry, as contained 10 House document No.
297. These Fifteen cases are reported
specially, as examples merely Of The man
ner 10 which the President Of The United
States and The Secretary OF the Treasury
have executed the laws in respect to the
public money and other property of the
United States in The hands Of this class Of
public officers, and III respect TO their off,
cial duty.
The law provides for the appointment
by the Executive, with The concurrence
OF the Senate, Of receiver OF public mo-
neys at each Of The places respectively
where the public and private sales OF the
lands are TO he made, who shall give bond,
with approved security, for the faithful
discharge ol his trust; who shall transmit,
,pithin thirty days, in case OF public sale,
aud quarterly In case OF private sale, an
account OF all the public moneys by him
received to the Secretary of the Treasury
aud to the registers Of the Land offices, as
the case may be. He is allowed salary
of five hundred dollars per annum, aud a
commission OF one per centum on The mo-
news received: but his salary for any one
wear shall not exceed S3lhU. The Sec
relary of the Treasury may allow 10 lhe
several receivers of the public money al
The several land Offices, a reasonable COM
pensalion for transporting TO, aud deposit
ing such moneys in any bank Or any other
place of deposte that may from time TO
lime be designated by the Secretary oflhe
Treasury Cor that purpose. He is alone
authorized to prescribe such further regu-
lations in the manner of keeping books
aud accounts by the several officers in the
land offices, as to him may uppcar necessa-
~ and proper 1t is made his duty, at
least once in every year TO cause the books
of the officers Of the land Offices to be cx-
amined. and the balance of public mo.
news IN The hands Of the several receivers
to be ascertained.
The foregoing synopsis Of the law rela
tive to land receivers, and the correspon-
dence with portion Of those who have
proved defaulters aud faithIess to their
trusts, are submitted without further rom
nnnl Than that the facts and circumslau-
ces here exhibited show such derelic,ion
of duty on The part OF The Executive de-
partment, as calls loudly r searching ex-
animation in this branch of the public SER
vice, and for thorough reform.
The practice which The foregoing cor
rasp0ndence exhibits, of retaining men in
oIfice after gross and repeated violations
of law, In keeping and using the public
moneys for private speculation, and The
character of the correspondence itself, but
too clearly point to the inference that such
officers were retained in place because
they possessed extensive political inhu-
ence, and were useful and active par;i-
sans. Whether such a-administration
constitutes official corruption in those SUI
perior officers of the Executive depart
men's who kuew aud permitted in their
suhordinaes The condncr which has been
referred 10, is question whichthe Com
mittee submit 10 the House and the coun-
try TO decide
PART v.-Facts connected with the fore
goiag Dsfulcations, and deemed materi-
al to deuetopc their true character.
In conclusion, the Committee cannot
forbear rcnarkins, that, during heir whole
Investigation. ;hhcy have nol found the case
10 which The laws, as they already sIisi,
do not apply, or in winch they are defec.
tive. The permannet provisions of the
laws constitute every necessary check up.
on collectors, receivers. and disbursers of
public money; anal The checks which, by
law, have been aud may be created, in
the discretion of the Executive. have OIL
ly to be attended to aud applied by those
whose duty it is to superintend The cxecu-
ton Of the laws, 10 ensure faithfuness, and
detect derelictions or defalcations in pub
lie officers.
Indeed, in all the new recommends
tons which have been proposed by the
President or the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry, the Committee has found either what
already exists, or what might have always
been prescribed and enforced in the form
of Treasury regulations, and which if en-
forced, would have prevented the late de-
falcations; and these new recommends
tions can, indeed, be regarded as 50 many
proofs Of what regulations in respect 10
The late defaulting collectors, receivers,
&C., have hitherto been wholly neglected
by the present Executive aud heads Of
Departments.
PART vI.-Mr. Hopkins special concur
renee in the report of tie Committee, ap-
pended thereto by uote Of the Committee.
1 have not had the requisite time for
scrutinizing the report Of The Committee
with that care and attention which its
length and importance deserve, and which
| would have desired; and | should have
nTo~r raI e. al