Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-04-04

THE INJUSTICE AMP pEGErIioS rRACTiSE ID; By TIE
BURY. :,
Ne alluded yesterday to the charge Of disregard OF
law the part OF the Secretary, in this. viz: thai I'm
portant book of record designed condensed
statement of III. accounts and liabilities Of collectors Of
toms ,oelfy monthly and quarterly hare been permuedto
fall into d>pse TINS is The only pretex, for the imputed
disregard Of law the part OF the Secretary and which
is alleged T. be "a primary cause oil the New York de
falc,,0n We invite the public eye the facts dlsclos
by the testimony IN the report, as 10 TINS alarming
xpscifca,,oi uf usg!rgenc" aud disregard of law.
The proof shows that these monthly and weekly re
turns e,e directed bv the Treasury circular, dated in
I7a2 and giving tins circular, the committee say
rTh,ough all periods SINCE 1892 ue as before and
tyVu ii. first gani=aoH Of the Treasury Department.
under ,ac art Of 1862 the ueskiy and monthly returns n
collectors ,xyTessy reserred in he abor. eyeuar haue
been -equi,ed TO be made The Secretary and hare been
S made
This 10 true. Those returns have been uniformly
made TO every Secretary, and TO MIR Woodbury. nyar
ab!y among tue rest. What then, is his offrnce in
card 10 thnse returns, We will show In what
ss,s from the record The jointly say OF their
"Eeery transaction hieh related to the reeen"e c8s there
bu brought TO the acquaintance OF the Secretary
D,partmen" Ana they CONTINUE. "wiih view 10 rem
der these still more available IN their important
uses by the Secretary well as in better state Ut
seryation they we're until at,erly, made component
part of the records Of his Department 7H cash trans
actions of The eekiY returns ere CAREFULLY selected and
condensed record drided INTO columns The read
der will mark these last lines for they make the tortoise
they are indeed 'e primary cause that, according 10
the committee brought sin into the Treasury. There.
fore, beg the country to pursue the proof about
these "wEEELY RETURNS CAREFULLY SELECTEDASD con-
pEssED INTO A RECORD DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS Here
is the awful fact about it, set forth IN the majority
report, and bazoned by Mr. Curtis through most search
ing nerroga,ory put the first clerk Of the Depart
ment. Oh, list!
page 5} o.,o., ..oa,,.a 80 ,,. ,on,n;, 90
large folio, having the inscription upon the back of it,
Wseky returns Of receipts and payments Of collectors Of
the customs 1884, 80 Is that book from the Office OF
the Secretary Of the Treasury From what data is that
book made up? when was It discontinued? Will you
please 10 10 your answer portion ot The last page
written in that book under the head of New York Sa.
mue Swar,wout with copies Of the last two entries, 10
show the character of the book:
"Answer The book referred TO is from the office Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury. 1t is made up from the
returns made 10 him by the collectors OF their receipts
and expenditures The entries therein, have under
stood from The clerk who had charge Of it, dscon
iinued in 1881"
Mr. Young here annexes under the date Of 1881, "Ms
ttco last The last page Of MS G0ok under the
head of .Ne,o iork."
The whole crime Of Secretary Woodbury. is that Mr.
McLane, in 1881, considered these WEEKLY Returns,
"condensed into q record and divided into columns,
not so valuable and important Tor reference as the orr
ena foil returns from the collector himself, and dscon
tinued this epitome while he made The original record
file the subject of close scrutiny and regular refer
ence. Hear MIR. Young further. Mr. Curtis asks,
page rs:
Since the practice Of making entries in the book
O.; weekly returns OF Collectors has fallen INTO dsuse
what disposition has been made OF the original weekly
returnss
"Answer Since the entries were discontinued in the
book mentioned the returns, ae. they received
referred to a clerk 10 be examined and filed WIS
the duty of the clerk if be should any thing suspi
cious the face Of the return to report 20 The Sece
tary myself After accumulation OF them for or
yo years they were removed from the files nd pu, in
room where papers placed 10 which it vas Suppos
ed no reference would be required
The reason why Mr.. McLsne dispensed with making
books tout of returns scrulnised and kept as ready
reference for the Secretary and first clerk during the
current year. and afterwards filed away was so,pIy be.
cause they were booked again and again the Auditor
and Comp,rolers offices, and because the full original
returns sent to the Secretary examination we're
surer guides him than the booked abstracts which
abe committee insist Neither the Jaw the repala