Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-16

w. ah,,ssn,enI of the public revenues, became the
suh,c,s o. a. cnu,i"us nnd crIuca examination Is al"
oie NOS lions evidence which the case presented anu
as such il will be ooilgato'y upon tfe No"''"''e ~
them in this report
In reviewing the details fheir abors, tina, the pro-
oress and results Of them may be presented in The sim
Pies, form, the COMMITTEE propose 10 c"ns'dr,,
P.RrI The dealca,ions OF Mr. Swartwont
PART H. The detalcat!ons OF Mr. PIce'
P,Rr ILL., Tile correctness of the returns which nave
been made by the present collector ana ha'a o"'''
the port of New York, respectively ru
PART ". The dealce!ions among receivers u '''
public money ci, IA
PARr V. The facts connected with the foregoing De
alcations aud deemed material to deVel"pe ''' ""e
character. -, ,r =,
yolve the law apperainDg 10 the appropriate a!"II,
of its facts And the language c' me Ia" ~; AID
in each instance be cited in detail that us ah''.'S ~
Injunction NAV be correctly understood Dy every NV
co the Ianouage of the individual testimony fci'tu VI,
in each instance will be udduced, ana lis import ''u
force may be left neither to uncertain "
doubtful Inference. he lncFees'u n.,n oil, ia nv
po,t in the estimation Of The C"mmlee VIII NJ W
This mode an ample offset 10 lis consequent ehA!se
ment -,,o,,
Rsro nrocceding 10 the general topics OF this report
as already laid down. 1t may oe PfoPsi "e'e W ,t
the deep sense Of disappointment ana regret "nc Tue
Committee feel in not being able 10 communicate 10
the House one that was called tor al an carry
day reua,ded as having OH important ana interesting
Influence upon the Judgment which The House ih'enl
farm nm IN. suhiect of defacaons among public OIL
GERS and the causes which have led 10 their multiplied
ton |, will be perceived from the following e'e Una.
the Committee avued itself of The earliest period aver
their organization 10 make call upon Inc fresnene ~
furnish list of the dealealiors :hat have taken place
among collectors. receivers aud discussing oce's o.
public money, and other public officers since The Al" o.
March, 1929 showing the amount VI each, &c
More than four weeks have now elapsed since that
call was made upon the President, Snd tic only nior'
nation which the Colmtce has Obtained TO report upon
to the House. is contained in the following letter; lne
dis,ing uishing feature Of which information u.s. a' sun
more time than the whole Temance OK Inc ess'o"
will he requisite TO answer The call From this, the Com
mi,re are compelled reluctantly to infer either
Ist Thu, the accounts and records Of the several De-
partments in general are so incomplete and defective Us
not to exhibit without great labor and delay the true re-
atons of collectors receivers and dbursers oil The pub
lie money and Of other officers of the Government as
TO distinguish debtors from deauers and creditors from
both .
pdlv. Tha, the number Of the defauers have multi
ped so rapidly since 1899 under the system of accoun-
liability pursued towards collectors, receivers and dis.
bursers of the public money, and other officers, os 70
preclude the praclicuby OF receiving an account cur
rent of their dealcaiions with all the clerical force al
the command OF those Departments, uhuer eXsuh laws
and appropriations
weigh, seems be fairly deduche from the letter OF the
Secretary of the treasury II manests iaXIty OF ad
mnistraiion which demands the earliest applications oi
suitable remedies within the reach Of Congress and Of
the country. "
For.,he papers Nos. and p referred 10 in tho snh"in,
ed letter. reference is respectfully made 10 the Journal OF
the committee, 40 and onward
TREASURY DEFARTMEHT, Feb. Is, lcE'.
SIR: The President, the 23d ul,im", referred 10
this Department The following resolution, passed by the
Investigating Committee:
R,sojr,d Tina, the President or the u s. be request
ed TO cause this committee be furnished by the proper
Executive Department with. table showing The detail
cations which have occurred among the collectors re.
c.iyers aud disbursers of public aEd other pub
9TH Gav al MArcl Icy the
of the defauers The amount o. each GriacalIcn when
each case occurred; the length II" lime each case has rX-
isled what steps have been taken by the proper depart
menls or officers to prosecute the driaulers aud 10
cure the u s. each and what deiaul,ers are re-
tanned in tie offices in which they became default
ers, or have been appointed to other Offices
lie accompanied it with request that al! the mfr
nation desired should be procured early practical
be and submitted by I" the cor"ii,tre Accord.
inpv 90 the same day, enclosed copies cf ii ~ Tie
other Departments and also 10 The proper bureaus ~ The
Treasury Department, and desired Tia, replies nigh, be
furnished, Tar in their power, and as SOON as IN
their power, 10 The several inquiries made further
rcunesipd the bureaus connected with this Department
To employ any assistance that could be advana
geonsy applied in Fastening their answers
! would now inform the committee that great progress
has been made respect 10 those parts OF the answers
connected with The Registers office, and oil which co"d
be made consistent with the difficulty and extent o! the
labor The Third ndor Office. But IT feared that
on of this labor and the great mass OF previous
which are also be answered. besGrs ransacug the
current business in the different bureaus, The whole de-
tails and the tabular statement required cannot BE- CON
peted during the session. Every effort, however,
which under all the circumstances, can be mnde Is be-
eyed BE- eXcted TO meet the call the earliest day
practicable.
In respect the last branch Of the resolution, akng
"what deaucrs retained IN the same Offices III which
they became de'au!Iers, or have been appointed I" other
offices am able TO present the report u the Register,
from his office which exhibits such names on his
books connected with the State and Treasury Depart
mens 1t is annexed, and contains name as TO this
and but one as to the State Department. That ono is
Commodore D. Porter and by the correspondence an
nexed il will be that he does not consider himself
defauI,er though he stands charged on The Registers
books for a considerable sum on account OF prize money
as explained in the Papers mos. and y
Respectfully LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary Of the Treasury
Hon. JAMES HaRrAY,
Chairman Of Investigating Committee.
p.sr THE DEFALCATIoNs OF MR..
SWARTWOUT.
!. Extent OF swARTwoUT s pEFALcArioNs.
Conclusions Of Me COMMITTEE.
lst That Nr SWanwcul is deiuuIler 10 Govern.
rnemt appears by his returns, dius'ed from
time to time at the Treasury Department III the sum Of
one million two hundred aud twenty-five thousand
seven hundred and Eve dollars and sixty-nne cents
Cd That this amount Of Indebtedness has
lated upon the face of the quarterly accounts regularly
returned by him for adjustment at the Treasury Depart
ment, without the OMISSION OF any oil either items, de-
bit or credit thereon until il became absolute delul
cation.
o THE DURATION R. swARTw"UT S DErALCATIOss
Conclusions Of me Committee
LIST Tha, all monrys received by Mr.. Swartwout as
collector prior to 1897, regularly accounted for by
him in his quarterly returns 10 the Treasury Depai,
ment.
Cd That so much Of all moneys received by Mr.
Swarwout prior $50 and accounted for to the rea
sury Deparlm nj in his quarterly returns, were not
under the Iarii acquescence of the accounting officers
of the Treasury and regularly carried forward deblted
10 himself in the balance of each subsequent quarterly
account rendered by him TO The Treasury Department. to
the close Of the term of his office.
3d. That his omission carry debit to himself Of
the moneys received by bin from the Treasury from