Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-04-09
POLITICAL.

THE WIG CLERKS IN THE DEPARTMENTS
We intended in this evening semi weekly Globe. TO
give Mr.. Underwoohs note TO us; but II seem lhls !
individual could wait the first paper which would
carry his explanation 10 the subscribers who had
received notice Of him; and he therefore throws |
himself into the National nelIgencer. under The idea
il would SEEM that his Wing friends would gain
advantage from his early appearance before the public
We understood, on special inquiry, from Mr. Miller,
the FIRST Auditor, that Mr. Underwood was the clerk
in bis office who settled Swartwouts accounts. We |
understood, also, that MIR. Underwood a clerk Of
many years standing, and this left the impression that
he had beer the accountant who had charge Of the New
York collectors returns from the first 10 the last OF
Swartwouts relationship This conclusion render
ed the certain, not TO say inevitable by the crcum
stance that the majority of the Wise committee rely on
Mr. Underwoods testimony. and sa; that she (llr I'm
derwood) wiM equal care and ropriety in his testimony
discriminaes 6etpcen tie accounts Of Mr. SrartrOm rem
dered prior, and those rendered subsequent to The
Of 1887 The fraudulent cOneeGlment Is nat
made by him 10 attach TO any returns prior 1887 but 10
The abstract IF bonds taken and paid in 1887"
MIR. Underwood now complains Of US for considering
him voucher for the fairness Of Mr. Swartwouts
prior TO 1897 and says that he only settled the
accounts the eo last quarters Of 1887 But do not The
committee refer TO his testimony vouchlng for the fair
Of Mr. Swartwouls returns up TO "Ahc commence
m,nt Of the yenr 1872" Certainly. And how could
Mr. Underwood 10 this, without at time
pairing the returns and vouchers, and settling the
counts Of Mr.. SwartNout from first to ast' We sup
posed from this and the declaration of The Auditor, that
and on that knowledge had borne his testimony relied
on by the majority Of the committee But lie now says
thnt he only settled Swariwouts for the last
two quarters. He does not, however explain how he
could safely that nil fair in SvaTtwouts
counts hroughou until she commencement Of The year
1897, and that The fraudulent concealmen did not at
nch to amy returns prior 10 when he only settled
''he last quarters Of 1887. We care not how The
Wing witness clears VI hs aeui c he sfn""a
which we draw from the facts, understood them
| rl,1oh tLo
ed, personal interview the First Auditors Office
with Mr.. Miller and MIR. Underwood.
In this interview with the First Audor and Mr. Tn.
derwood, we learned that Mr.. Coylr another hg
clerk, had settled the accounts of Mr. Swartwout up
the last quarters OF 1887 Falling SICK he was su.
perseded in this duty by Mr. Underwood. who began
this business with The third quarter Of 1887. Another
Wing Gle rk had the charge Of Swariwous bond &C.
count This clerk had, il seems, with the consent Of
The good old Wing Auditor, Mr. Harrison, who proceed.
ed MIR. Miller, permitted the business Of checking of
the bonds, is caedlhat is, marking off those that
had fallen due and been paid pnt in suitto fall in
arrear 1t stated to that Mr.. Harrison, finding
The other business of the clerk full employ mrnt
COVE up keeping The check book Of the bonds the
port of York. from necessity, and as Of too little i'm
porance to require new force IL this checking had been
kept up it would have discovered Swartwouls fraud
about the time it was made apparent by the coec.
tors Investigations in the cusomhouse itself
So much for the facts. Now for the application and
this most naturally arises from the the majority Of the
committee make Of their willing Wing clerk witnesses in
| the New York custom house and Auditors office.
1t will be perceived, that the majority report labos
to show that there deuication on The part Of
Swartwout until 1887. Their object, is to saddle the
whole delalcation Mr.. oodburys administration
and although it is shown clearly that Swartwout Con
vered hundreds OF thousands Of public money his own
prior TO 1897, yet Underwood that all was
fair in his accounts up 10 1887 there was fact no de
iacaon II was. then, just before the suspension of
specie ymenls that the fraudulent concearent of The
application TO his own Of the bonds paid sorted
| To h,o,t
upon Mr. Fletcher, the honest auditor of the custom.
house, who told by the cashier MIR Phillips al the
instance Of MIR Swartw0ut, that the bonds due were I'M
paid being suspended consequence of the bank sus
pension, which had interviewed before MIR Flechers at.
enlon was drawn 10 The immense amount of bonds due
and unpaid.
! By fixing the public eye upon this grand pecuatinn.
through The bonds aud combining it 10 1887 the majority
wund make the impression that The whole fraud and
defalcalion the work Of epoch under the control
OF the present Secretary OF the Treasury But even on
then own showing they fail in making him responsible;
for while they exempt the accounting clerk, by Gecar
ing that all fair the face of The returns and also
the bond clerk here, well as The auditor Of the New
York custom house. by proving that fraudulent conceal
men in the bond account Representing it suspended
10y the bank failure covered the half million actually
paid they show that the inference that the Secretary
might have discovered il from his weekly returns was
utterly al'acous These weekly returns only exhibited
the aggregate Of amounts received and paid by the
collector; and bore their face precise that conceal
nenr of The payment of the bonds which characterised
| the statements made 10 The Auditor
Now, we ask, when The subtlety of Nh Swartwout
such 10 eluce the clerks settling both his returns
and bond accounts, and enable him. while furnshinG
precise statements OF items and vouchers 10 escspe the
suspicion of those nanis whose business IL was 10
watch him. and which the committee so far from con |
STRUNG into negligence in those officers whose special
duty it was 10 every particle Of the collectors re-
turns and vouchers, praise as intelligent and dscrim.
natinghow can they charge The Secretary a, waning
in acumen tor not seeing in mere aggregate weekly re-
turns, that fraud which well concealed ma n ea
cape detection the incest scrutiny by those whose only
business ii was 10 settle and detect the errors of his
tended and particular accounts?
The state OF facts presents only ground on which
the Administration can be ncu paed. In our oninon
the accounting officers who surrounded Swartwoui nj
New York. ought not 10 have been of his own appont
ment This made them accomplices, and il was the IA
OF the law, which gave him their nomination fl is
however, the fault Of the ADM ton tina, Wh;r
clerks and accountants relied look into errors
and abuses, and detect, in embryo that maversaton in
collectors and receivers on which the Opposition depend
as means OF destroying the confidence of the peopIe
in The Heads to whom they have entrusted their con
IL these Wing partsans perceive suspicious signs
in the returns of whose defacations NAV bring dis
grace on the Administration may they not button Them
selves up conentedly and say alt affair of Ours
if the Treasury is robbed; will be nformet,: the
country will visit the wrong the Head of the Depar,
ment"
10 our opinion should be entrusted with an oc
fee where want of vigilance could bring dsrepu,e m
the Government, (mueh less ruin its finances ! who
did not take active interest in the success OF the Al
minstrato - Globe