The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-06
PART ].
THE pEFALcATIoNs OF MR.. swARTwouT
fc..<f,.dedl

rHr pEFALcATToNs OF MR. swARTwoUT
(Coaeiuded)
M, Young, chief clerk in the Department OF the Sc
,.,.,v az he Treasury examined by Mr. CErtis tes-
fed a. follows;
,s.,,oo ~ Can you. or any other clerk Of the De-
mariner, known 10 You, 10 the Department speak with
,,s,.,y OF The import. eeect, and meaning Of all the
sa,,;ss 4, the bond book" under The head Of coec-
,or on New York;" Who formerly had charge Of il 7
Aaswef | am not aware Of any clerk who 10 con-
yerssnt 10 sufficient degree with the entries in the
book referred TO- who could satisfactorily explain them
Having already stated what believed the object OF
requiring the returns which entered therein, have
never had occasion, myself make myself acquainted
with the manner IN which IL made mp. The clerk
who kept IL for many years died in December last.
William B. Randolph examined by Mr. Curtis.
Question !. Are you employed in the Treasury pe.
psrtnenll What situation have You held ana Sha'
situation do you now hold How lang have you peen
connected with the Treasury Department.
Answer. ! am employed IN the Treasury Deps''"ons
at this time chief clerk in The 1reasorers once ana
have been connected with the Department ~ sese's'
Offices and situations for nearly ihirty.one years
Question n From the examination you have made
Of the bond book from the Secretays oiice aud OF
the entries therein. you speak with certainty o. ne
import effect, aud meaning Of the entries Of bonds taken
Answer cannot explain them all satisfactorily to
myself
Mr. Woodbury., Secretary Of the Treasury, examined By
M. WISE
Question %. Is any book Of registration, in the ma
tue of leger account other Transcript made IN tho
Department Of hh Secretary of the Treasury. OF the
monthly returns Of the collector Of the port OF New
York. Of bonds and revenue scciuing; by which regis
trsou or other transcript the balances differences
in said monthly returns can be sscertaned without
recurring 10 the original retnrnsi If yea please ex-
hht the for the year 1887 and the first quarter oil
1888
Answer I am not aware that any book Of registra-
ton Of those returns is kept up or made IN the
Department. have not been accustomed 10 resort TO
il or examine it, il one is. Bot when have had &C
cason to know the aggregates in any OF The weekly or
monthly returns alter they passed out OF my own hands,
have sent for the returns themselves, and Obtained
the Information wanted from them My impression, ut
the lme is, that such book was formerly kept,
into which these aggregates copied, but that the
copying Of them has been discontinued Of this fact,
however, cannot speak with certainty without exainl-
nation In the great amount Of business in my office.
and the extraordinary increase Of It during the past
three four years. the making up Of the records and
entries and the immediate regulation and disposition Of
the books IN which they made, from necessity
devolyed different clerks and the supervision 10 see
that they made and proper cases. must
be insted, in great measure, to the chief clerk In
the office, under general instructions from the Secre-
tary. Whether similar practice not always in
existence the older clerks in the office will be able 10
explain.
James H. Smooi. clerk in the Treasury Department
was sworn witness.
Eraminedby Mr.. Gurus
Question l. Are YOU clerk in the office Of the Sc
creisy Of the Treasury, and how long have you been
such clerk
Answer | am. | was made permanent clerk in
the Department under the act Of June %, 1886 pre-
vous to which had been employed for some eighteen
months or a temporary clerk.
Question ?. Have YOU charge Of the weekly or
monthly returns Of collectors made the Secretary Of
the Treasury!
Answer. have charge only Of abstracts Of bonds in
suit and Of debentnres, which reach the Department
very ireguIary. Such as have reached my desk have
been faithfully preserved II is not in my power TO
state certainly anything like proportion OF such as
should have been received being ignorant Of the bust
Of the I'm houses. believe they are requr.
ed once month. Some Of the collectors make returns
"nonc"
Question g. What your orders respect to these
returns Has the Secretary called
in your possession Are they bound ia books, or
they loose and filed and endorsed
Answer. My orders simply to preserve them on
taking possession Of The desk have lately received
directions 10 have them bound, and to continue that
practice ] do not recollect that the Secretary has
called for them am satisfied he has not They
are loose, and not bound in books. They are not
endorsed, save that Of them in lead pencil naming
the port.
seems 10 be the opinion Of the present Secretary
OF the Treasury, (under whose administration this i'm
porant system of recod-checks has teen permitted 10
fall into neglect and almost oblivion that the returns of
collectors to him. from which il is made only for
the purpose OF enabling him to obtain vague estimate
Of the receipts OF the Treasury. This may ex-
plain his neglect Of those returns although Is NOT
justification Of IT, But if this their acknowledged
and sole purpose il Is most apparent from the tcslimo.
ny before The committee that such OF them by the
Secretary has been but inconsderabe aud exceedingly
sparng.
The far different use Of which they are susceptible,
and which made OF them is illustrated in ,ho
following examination:
The examination Of Mr.. Randolph By Mr. Curtis
Mr.. Curtis exhibited to the w,aess the following ex-
tract:
The abstraction Of the amounts paid on bonds ne
yer returned rs lqudaed forms about one half OF the
entire deial:a,ion Of the late collector at New York
vi the oher nioety, the two principal items are, cash
hed on deIose to meet eraincd duties and cash
retained os!esby to refund duties paid under protest
" III connexon with the abstraction Of those sums as
well as OF those paid bolds would observe that
un' lew years past the current received al
Inc ONCE OF the FIRST Auditor, with the quarterly ac-
counts OF collectors, were called for and compared in
the office ct the Secretary of the Treasury with re-
cord there kept and with the several returns rendered
20 me secretary 10 conformity with the acquisitions Of
ms circular dated the l4th of October, 1918, and
peafed ON the l4lh Of November 1885
The list OF returns thus rendered embraced the fol-
lowing:
weekly return Of moneys received and paid
monthly return Of debentures paid;
monthly abstract Of bonds nut in suit during the
month;
monthly summary statement OF duties collected;
monthly schedule OF bonds taken and liqudated
during the month
A quarterly return OF the moneys received and paid
under the relief sick and disabled