Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-03-14


somewhat confdingly under the guid-
ance of the several special reports which
had been made to the House upon the
subject ofMr Swartwout's deialcations,
by the Treasury officers, previous to
the appointment OF the Committee
combining, in this view, reports from
the Secretary Of the Treasury, the first
Comptroller, the Solicitor, and First
Auditor of the Treasury, as exhibited
in House document l3. Il, however,
very soon became evident that those
reports were not TO be implicitly relied
on as auxiliaries in finding out cithe:
the law or the facts Of the case and
that on the contrary, they furnished but
an oblique view Of both the causes and
duration of Mr. Swartwout's defalca-
tions, as also Of the law and many ma
terial facts which developc the true
character of those defalcations. OF ne
cessity, therefore, these reports, altho'
cmanating from the highest order Of Of
fetal lunctionarics employed in the col
lection and disbursement Of the public
revenues, became the subject of as eau
tious and critical examination as any
other portions Of evidence which the
case presented and as such II will be
obligatory upon the committee to- treat
them in this report.
In reviewing the details of their la
bors, SO that the progress and results OF
them may be presented in the simplest
form, the Committee propose to con-
sider-
PAnrI. The defalcations Mr. Swart-
won't.
PART II. The defalcations Of Mr..
Price.
PART III. The correctness of the re-
turns which have been made by the
present collector and naval officer of
the port Of New York, respectively.
PART ". The defalcations among
the receivers Of the public money.
PART V. The facts connected with
the foregoing defalcations, and deemed
material to devclope their true charac-
ter.
Each of the divisions thus proposed
will properly involve the law appertain-
ing to it, as the appropriate adjunct OF
its facts. And as the language OF the
law itself will in each instance be cited
in detail that its authority and injunction
may be correctly understood by every
one, so the language of the individual
testimony relied on in each instance
, will be adduced, that its import anc
force may be left neither TO uncertain
construction or doubtful Inference
The increased fidelity ofthcir report,
in the estimation Of the Committee, will
be, by this mode, an ample offset to it's
consequent enlargement.
Before proceeding to the general
topics of this report, as already laid
down, it may be proper here to express
the deep sense of disappointment and
regret which the committee feel, in not
being able to communicate TO the House
one document that was called for at an
early day, regarded as having an i'm
lportant ard interesting influence upor
| the judgment which the House nigh
form on the subject Of deialcation
among public officers, and the caus
which have led to their multiplication
1t will be perceived from the following
!. letter, that the committee availcd itscl
of the earliest period after their organl
zation to make call upon the Fresiden
ito furnish list of the defalcations tina
have taken place among collectors, re
ccivers, and disbursing officers of pub
lie money, and other public officers
since the 9TH Of March 1929, showing
the amount of each, sc.
II More than four weeks have now
elapsed since that call was made upon
the President, and the only information
| (which the committee has obtained tc
report upon to the House is contained
in the following letter; the distinguish
ing feature Of which information is, tina
still more time than even the whole re-
maindcr of the session will be requisite
to answer the call From this the com
mittee arc compelled reluctantly to in
fer, either
lst. That tho accounts and records o
the several Departments, in general
are so incomplete and defective as no
to exhibit, without great labor and dc
lay, the true relations of collectors, re
ceivers, and disburscrs Of the publ
money, and of other officers of the &c
vernmcnt, as to distinguish debtors froI
, dciaultcrs, and creditors from both.
edly. That the number Of the dc
IIfaulters have multiplied so rapidly sine
/, 1929, under the system Of account abil
. ty pursued towards collectors receivers
= and disbursers Of the public money, an
= other officers, as to preclude tho pra'
: ticability Of receiving an account Gu,
rent Of their dc.alcations with all th
, clerical force at the command Of thos
iIDcpartments, under existing laws On
. appropriations.
If either inference be just, (and non
other Of equal weight seems to be fairl
p dcduccablc from the letter of the Secre
, tary Of tho Treasury it manilests
4 laxity of administration which demand
the earliest application Of su'tabI
n remedies within the reach oil Congres
e. and of the country.
!. For the papers Nos. and 2 refer
r. red 10 in the subjoined letter, reierenc
!, is respectfully made to the journal
= y the committee, p. 40 and onward.
n Thr..uRr DspARrMEsr, Feb. is, 1880.
- Sin. The President, on the Odd ultimo, y
a.. I'll