Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-03-13

| Collector and NGrdt Opicer Of the port
Of Netc York, respectively.
Part IV.--TRe dcfdicaiionS among the re-
ceirers Of The pubic money.
Par. w. ThefaetS connected niththc fore
.going detatcaiioas, and deemed material
10 develop their true character.
Each Of the divisions thus proposed win proper
" involve the Law appertainlng IL, as the arpro-
r.isie adjunct of its facts. IS the language Of the
law win in each instance be cited in detail that It's
authority and INDUCTION may be correctly understood
by every one SO the language Of the individual tes
tiaapay relied on in each instance will be addaced,
thai IT'S import and force may he left neither TO IN
cestein construction OF doubtful inference. The in
creased fidelity of their report, in the estimation OF
the Committee, will be, by this mode, an ample of.
| set 70 It's eausegnenk enlargement.
Before proceeding TO the general topics OF this re-
por, as already laid down. il may be proper here 10
express the deep sense of disappointment and re-
grer which the COMMITTEES feel, ia not being able
| to communicate to the House document that
was called for at an early day regardad a. having
an important and interesting influence upon the
Judgment which the House might form on the sub
iect OF delacRtions amorg the public officers, and
the rauses which have led to their Multiplication.
II will be perceived from the following letter that
the COMMITTEES awaited itself Of the earliest period
after their orsarizalion to make call upon the
President TO furnish list of the deialcatons that
have taken place among collectors, receivers, and
dishnrsing officers of public money and other pub
he officers, since the 4th Of March 1929, showing
the amount OF each, Ne
More than four weeks has now elapsed since thai
call was made upon the President, and the only in
formation when the Committee has obtained to re-
port upon The house is contained in the following
letter the distinguishing feature Of which nior.
nation is that still more time than even the whole
remainder Of the session viii be required TO answer
the call. From this the Committee are Reluctantly
compelled toi infer, either
L. nat the accounts and records OF the several
Departments, in general SO incomplete aad de-
fective as not 70 exhibit without great htboT and
delay the true relations oi collectors receivers and
dsbursers of the public money, andof other officers
of the Government, as to Distinguish debtors from
defaulters, and creditors from both.
9 That the number of dcfaulters have multiplied
so rapidly since 1929. under the system Of aoconn.
liability pursued towards collectors, receivers, and
disbursers ofthe public money, and other officers,
as 10 preclude the practeabty Of receiving an &C
count current Of their dealcaons with all the ceri-
cal force at The command Of those Departments,
under existing laws and appropriations
Ii either inference be just (and none OIL er oil
equal weight seems to be fairly dedueble from the
letter of the Secretary Of the Treasury itmenIiess
a axity Of administration which demands the ear
hest application of suitable remedies within The
reach of Congress and the country
For the papers, Nos, and 2, referred To in the
subioined ,ter, reference is respectfully made To
the journal Of the Committee, 40, and onward
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, February 10, 1889
SIN: The president, on the 23d ultiuo, referred
to this Department this following resolution passed
by the Investigating Committee:
Resoloed That the President Of the u States
be requested to cause this Committee 10 be furnish
ed by the proper Executive Departments with
table showing the defalcations which have occurred
among the collectors, receivers, and dlsbursers OF
public money, and other public officers, since the
4th day Of March 1929; the names of the desult-
ers; the amount of each dcfalcaiion when each
case occurred the length of time cash case has en-
listed; what steps have been taken by the proper
Departments officers TO prosecute the defauiers
and 20 secure the u States. IN each Gaze; ind what
defnaters are retained ia the same Offices IN which
they became deiaulers, or have been appointed to
other Offices"
He accompanied it with request that all the in
formation desired should be procured as early as
practicable, and submitted by me 10 the Commit
Tee. Accordingly, on the same day, lenclosed CO.
pies of it TO other Departments, and also the pro-
per bureaus in the Treasury Department, and desi-
red that replies might be furnished, so far as IN
their power, and as soon as IA their power, 10 the
several inquiries made. ! further requested the
any extra assistance that conld be adyantageousiy
applied TO Fastening their answers.
| would now inform the Committee that greal
progress has been made in respect to those parts oil
the answers connected with the Registers ofhce,
and all which could be made, consistent with the
difficulty and extent oftho labor, in the Third Audi
tors office. But it is feared that, on account OF
this labor, and the great of calls by Commit
tees and by the two Houses of Congress, which are
also to be answered, besides lransscting the cur
rent business in the different bureaus, the whole de-
tails and the tabular statement required, cannot be
completed during the session. livery effort, now
ever, which, under all the circumstances, can be
made, is believed 10 be exerted to meet the call al
the earliest day practicable.
In respect to the last branch of the resolution,
asking what defaulters are retained in the same
Offices in which they became defauiters, or have
been appointed to other .fces," | am able TO pre-
sent the report OF the Register, from his office,
which exhibits such names as are on his books con
nected with the State and Treasury Departments
1t is annexed and contains name MS 10 this, and
but one as TO the State Department. That one IS
Commodore ID. Porer; and by the correspondence
annexed it will be that he does not consider
himself defaulter, though he stands charged on
the Registers books for considerable sum on ac-
count Of prize money as explained in the papers
(Nos and % Respectfully -
lSecretaryefthe Treasury
Hon. JAMES HARLAN,
Chairman Of the Iqeestigating Committee.
| PART 1.-THE DEFALCATIONS OF MR..
SWARTWOUT.
1.-The ertent Of Mr.. Swartscout's detail
cations. - Conclusions Of The Committee.
| lst. That Mr.. Swartwout is defaulter to Go
yernment, appears by bis own returns, as adJus'
| ted from time to time at the Treasury Department.
| in the sum of one million two hundred and twenty
| five thousand seven hundred and FIVE dollars, and
! sixty nine cents.
/ Cd. That this amount ofindebtedness has eccu'
INFLATED upon the face Of the quarterly accounts
regularly returned by him for adjustment at the
! Treasury Department, without the omission Of any
Of either items debit credit thereon Until II be-
/ came an absnlnte defslcAiion