Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-04-09
from the National inttll'gsneer.)

MARCH TO- lOo0'
Gep,emen-My attention was called, by lrehu, on
,rdnadsv morning last 10 paragraph in the Iiooe o.
,s. n,ecedug evening. in which, by mlsstaeme"'
facts and erroneous differences am eRh'oto u Wv p
Ic a. either very inefficient or very allhess
On, in The First Auditor office. Immediately WIZ,
GU ,.,em.u, of the real facts of the case, ana sem
- . tho editors for insertion their next paper ~ "e
day following Of them called al me Auut'i I'D
and after foil xpanation in The presence VI '"e
tor promised to make the necessary r. ,, n,,
w,,ed two DAYS longer without Imminent Oh WV p
; and fearing that il has been entirely orgo"en' "
that the pc rformance will be so long ueiayfu 10 w
nearly equivalent to indctnite poStpohem'h.'
ones, the favor Of you 10 publish Inc
.If entirely TO facts, aud those winch reiae eA'."
s;reIv 10 ruvser | 90 not attempt to dslnto '"e III
ler.nr,s he has drawn from his own PREMISES lna'
81, was through his eyes alone: uhdei 'ie supe
vision of the Auditor and Comptroller mat the o,cey
.ayLd kuo1 ann thing of the vouchers anu HemS n ""a
twnuts accounts; thai, "whIe ms s0Da "s te,"'
bo from the beginning 10 the end, adjusted o"af'"nu'
business is praised for The Discrimination "h!ch ehaoeu
him to discover nothing amlss, and whose reasons 'o
the l,lu,e are ndiudged entirely satisfactory, the c's
ru who had nOthing bfore him but what came sec'na-
hnTded all. lump, made the sixth and D"al cause
of the defaicaiiOn say, regards this course oil rea
.n,,o il is not nv purpose say any thing, my sole
oil ect being maintain the character which have ever
sustained OF honest faithful and trust an efficient
accountant in the First Auditors Office.
To enable your readers 10 understand he case II will
"
ment applies, aud which IS as follows:
"hlr Underwood, whom the committee exto as one
who, 'uiM equal care md proprt,ty hscriminatsS be
tusea HE accounts Of Mr.. SeaTrout, &c is the very
clerk who from first 10 last has had the settlement of
Mr. Swartwout's accounts in the Auditors Office He
passed upon all the vouchers, and summed up oil The
statements of the New York collector. He saw that oil
was fair and the committee lmPute no negligence
no want Of vigilance in him for failing to detect the de-
felt, |, was through this mans eyes alone under the
supervision of the Auditor and Comptroller that the Sc
creary could know any thing OF the vouchers and items
of Swur wouts accounts. Butwhe this good HhS
Clerk who from the beginning TO the end adjusted
Swallwouts business is praised for the discrimination
which enabled him 10 discover nothing amss, and hose
reasons for the failure ududged entirely sa,istac
tory, the Secretary who had nothing before him but
what came second handed and in the lump, is made The
sixth and final cau.e OF The deiacatnn
The following is The statement which requested The
editors Of the Globe 10 publish:
"Messrs BLAIR and RIvEs: GEsTLEMsN: beg leave
respectfully TO that not the very clerk who,
from first To last, has had the settlement OF Mr. Swa-
wout's accounts in the Office of the First Auditor,
represented in your paper Of last evening" but on the
Contrary that nsrcr settled any account Of Mr. Scarf
,cout prior 10 that of the third quarter Of 1897 that was
engaged on said only during the sickness OF
the clerk whose proper duty adjust them; and
that the dcfaca0n not ascerLaned in the bonds during
the time the accounts examined by me- occurred IN
the Mrd and fourth quarters Of 1897 amounting 10 only
S7.746 10
at NAV also be added that the clerk who stated the
accounts Of New York in the First udlors Office coutd
not with any popriey be held responsible for the aecu
racy of the bond accounts as by regulation adopted IN
the office in Ie22. the duty Of examining them was as
signed Tn another clerk whom The delivered
they reached The office.
81 am, very respectfully, your obedipnt servant
"JNO. UNDERW GOD
"March 49, 1899"
We scarcely ever notice The audacty and mendacity
Of the Madsonian; but, in justice 10 clerk in the OIL
flee of The Secretary of the Treasury and at his sugges-
tion give fiat contradiction 10 the positive aVsrment
of Whilneys journal that The articles upon the report
of The Il Use Investigating Committee were written by
Mr. Ella The Editor Of this print was the author OF
every article alluded 10 in the Madisonian.--Giobs.