The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-06

returns Lisn;gsn clerks would DO required tc carry
on this business. The number necessary wouu as Z,
pend upon the quantity Of details, which ean"0'
| estimate. 49,
To the same poin, may be cited Mr. Miller. the First
Auditor
| Question 80. Have the books which wr'e sooP'.s
| and n.ed nv former Secretaries OF The treasury %
check, on collectors Of the customs VIZ; "weeky re-
nrns of receipts and payments OF collectors OF 'ne Gus
| toms. Coleciors' quarterly accounts current aho
s.oun, Of bonds taken and quds,ed." been regn.
,.,y attended 70 or have they fallen Into disuse ana
| hsen neglected for the last four or five years.
Answer There do appear to be some books ~ the
s.erc,srys Office that seen to have fallen into disuse
for number Of years past The condition OF those IA
the Auditors office, IN regard TO The bonds taken ~
New York, also suffered TO fall back, as has been
| fully explained.
Question ST. r. those books had been regularly kept,
woull they have furnished means 10 detect any de-
falcstion Of any collector Of customs
| Answer ! have not examined The books alluded 70
with care, bot am Of opinion that, u the returns required
by the several circulars OF the Secretaries oil the irea-
sury TO be made TO the Department properly entered
and compared with one another, any material error of
fraud praciised by collector must be discovered soon
thereafter unless The naval officer and collector and
their clerks should combine defraud the Government
by making false returns Of the real aonnt OF duties Sc
cured within the quarter The books alluded TO. nm
desiand used 10 make entries In, IRON The said
returns.
II is, then, sscrbable TO want Of proper application
and use OF the actually within the reach and con-
stnng important feature IN The archives. OF The Be-
eretarys Department, tina, the detacatons Of Mr. swat
won't escaped detection IN that Department, Is they did
in the subordinate departments from like causes -
Whenever these have been used with dlscrnina-
iion and for tho purposes which, IN the opinion Of the
committee. suggested their necessity and 70 apparent
that they were sometimes so used by the present Secre
laalt IN fnOtll nd m
PLANTATION For instance: in disclosing 10 the commit
tee portions OF official correspondence with Mr. Swart-
wouf the following letters are Of the number and indi-
cate tho practical worth Of proper attention 10 the re-
Of collectors TO the Secretary as eheeGs upon the
collectors in conjunction with their use as mere esti
mates Of receipts
Treasury Department, August IL, 1887,
Sin: perceive in YOUR return No. 81, "of moneys
received and pad' for the week ending the 9Th inst,
the sum OF 500, 1876 IS for payments on account Of
revenuecutters and boats. contingencies, DC !" and
ALSO in the succeeding weekly return, No. 80, the adj
d,iona sum Of $92003 81 is charged for similar OBJ
jects As expenditures for these objects have been
heretofore but small in comparison with these, and a.
there is press for money at your port, will thank
you 10 inform me Of the Of the great increase Of
expenditures for these purposes
am, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary Of The Treasury.
Samuel Swartwout, ESQ,
Collector Of the Customs, Nen York
CusroM HOUSE,
New York, Collectors Office, 7
August 10, 1887.
Sin; In your letter Of the l7h inst, received this
morning, il is stated that in No 81 Of our weekly
turns Of moneys $92 1919 35 is charged 10 payments
Of and boats contingencies,
&c. - and IN No. 49, 800, 003 81 is also charged for
similar objects 5
| would first observe, respectfully, Ito correct an
error that these have been reversed at the De-
parment, through mistake, as will be found exami-
nation Of the returns that in No 81 the latter amount
is given, and in No 80 the former amount.
With regard to the great increase OF these sums.
have to state that is owing to the amount Of Treasu-
ry drafts, aud which thus explained On the credit
sido Of the return enter, as so much money, the
amounts received bonds and cash duties by drafts
and to coun,erbaance these sums, charge on the
opposite side the aggregate amount OF the drafts them
selves But there being no express item 10 the RETURN
to which could distinctly apply the drafts, they
placed under that Of e-cutters and boats
| tingencies, &c"
This the nny ,nlars where ,h".eh' nroner TO
payments account Of collections. but there
it woud be blended with other sums. "
The true amount in No. 81, Of payments actually
account Of "revenue and boats, contingencies
&c" is -. $i,8i4 II
The amonn, Of Treasury drafts s4,l5s ~
S92, 003 81
The amount in No. 80 for the same object, is as
follows:
s4.o9s So
5000 81
500. l96 SIS
II our course should be dsapproved, we might for