Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-02
CON RESS ION A l..
SPEECH OF MIR. WISE,

nitrate into the late enormous defdiedfton!
hthare been discorcrcd in sereral department.
f the General Government
II We extract that part which is in reference e
DIN SPENCER, Receiver in the Land Office
aFor. Wayne, in this Congressional District
Previous to the last election for a member o
Congress, Mr.. Spencer was announced as ii can
aidate for that office, but having lost the conf
dsace Of the honest portion OF the Van Bhien par
4 fybe Withdrew his name few days before the e
lection. That the public NAV fairly UNDERSTAND
the diyhonorable and dishonest conduct OF Mr.
Spencer, we mako the following selection from
Mr. Wse's speech
We also append the closing remarks from the
same speech Read that ye may learn the truth
Bat, to proceed will give YOU the case of the
sRecciver at Fort Wayne" To save time and
mace, instead Of reading all tho letters and docu
ments, | will give you, SIR, the synopsis OF tins
ca,e as detailed by my friend Ii. Peyton, in his
testimony before the select committee OF which
vas chairman
| believe the Secretary Of the Treasury has
been guilty of violation OF official duty, IN re-
mining in Office Col. John Spencer, receiver OF
uublic moneys in the land office at Fort Wayne,
Indiana 1t appears by letter from tho Secreta-
~ Of the Treasury, bearing date April %, 1886.
il his report to the House of Representatives of
the 4th Of February inst an extract OF which l
herewith file, part of my evidence, is in these
words:
"The returns required to be made to the Secrc-
tary, as YOU will perceive from the enclosed CIR
cuar are monthly, &c. As these statements,
far January and February last, have not been re-
ceved at this department., | must claim your at
ten.ion 10 the olnlss,on and insist their trans
MISSION IN future Immediately after the close OF
each month At the same time, would also
claim your strict attention to the regulations OF
the department in respect TO the periodical depo-
sites of the public money! and to the duty OF trans
hitting the usual evidence of such deposites to
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Instructions
require.
Designed by the Sec'y of the Treasury, &c"
In another letter ofihe Secretary to said rece-
Yer. bearing date May %, 1896, he hold. this
language:
Since the date of my letter 10 you of tn 18th
ulnfno, your returns for the month of April have
been received from which | perceive that the
public moneys your hands the Both ultimo
amounted 10 the sum of S2i7 pol Cd; tchich
amount is the accumulated receipts of Your office
since the lSt + January last. You cannot but be
aware that the retention of the public moneys in
your hands beyond the period of onc month, unless
the receipts of such month he less than $4,000,
Is violation oi your instructions.
"The object of this letter Is, lst. To require
that the whole balance hand. at the time of
tbe receipt of TINS letter, shall be Immediately
depositcd II certificate of such dcposito transmit
ted tho Department without delay.
> -S2d. To inform YOU that the Department can
not ov erlook the omission TO do so; ~ your future
neglect TO dcposic monthly, aud TO transmit your
monthly returns, accompanied by the evidence OF
yous depositc time to be received at this office
within tho month next preceding that Tor which
the return is rendered.
'3I. That any neglect or InattentIon to these
requirements, unless satisfactorily accounted for
will require of me, from Il of official duty,
that be reported To the President. with Il re-
that YOU he removed from office.
assigned bv the Secretary and directed to the |
same
In the two letters above referred to, the duties
Of the receiver clearly defined, and the
consequences to him of future neglect So explicit
iy stated, that 1t would seem there was but one
alternative left for him; that is, strict perform
ance OF duty on his part, prompt removal
from office the part of the Secretary, by repor-
ting him 10 the President.
Secretary Of tic Treasury to Ethan A. Bro,rn,
Esq. Commissioner of the General Land Office
''S'r: II is desirable that examna ton should
Do made OF the land office at Fort WAYNE, Indl-
ma And requestyou 10 notify Nathaniel West,
IN OF Indianapolis, that he has been selected for
nat purpose; and forward TO him the usual IN
tructions, and particularly To direct his inquiries
nto the causes of The delay on the part of the
eceiver III forwarding the returns required under
he regulations of the Department, and in making
eposites 10 the credit of the Treasurer. That {
ticer has lately made ii deposite of large IA
'ouui, which has been accommodating for several
ionths past. The examiner will ascertain, if r
ossibie, whether the receiver register had been
sing the money rece ived on sales IN any manner "
y oauing il otherwise; and what are the real
oas for the delays in depositing the money, and g
! making returns, both by the register and re- n
ever n
10 which Mr.. Brown replied, giving certain o
formation. by his letter of the lst OF July; to h
hich Mr.. Woodbury. replied, as follows: II
'.July l, 1886 II
"Sir: Your letter of this date, respecting the G.
animation of the land office at Fort WAYNE, tr
Is been received. | see no excuse in the papers a
csented with your letter. for the receiver not &c
,,ssins deposited dollar from March till June,
having sent any monthly abstracts TO me in
- time, nor answered my letters demonstrating
ainst hs neglect. These things | wish special
investigated, as we'll the present state of
oney on hand, &c; and the points before in in
cated- fo
.a's Is the tone in which the Secretary speaks
. 'ae bare suspicion which attached to the re-
'"er But see how changed, how softened, his up