The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-26
Treasury Department,
August %, 1885.

~
letter OF the 10Th June, II has become my dsagreea-
BILE duty 10 report your continued neglect 10 the Pre-
siden who has instructed me to say to you, thai u
the monthly returns required from you by the regu-
lations OF the Treasury which are In arrears, are
not received al the Department on or before the lUn
OF October next you will then be dismissed from
Office. lam, &c. nn,nv
Secretary OF the Treasury
William p. Harris, Esq. 80,
Receiver OF Public Money, Columbus, Miss.
There. sir. told You SO If Mr. Harris don't make
his returns by the 10Th Of October, he will be dis
missed; the President himself mas said ~ ana Gen.
| Jackson Is a man OF his word.
Ia The mean time, however, the Secretary gives
! him another hint:
| Treasury Department,
| September %, 1885.
| Sin Allow me to inquire why il is that your de-
posites not made in the branch Of the Planters
Bank, at Columbus, instead of the parent bank at
NafcheZ1 Does the branch refuse TO receive them,
and credit the amount at the mother bank
lam, &c. LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary OF the Treasury.
Receiver Of Public Money, Columbus, Miss
p s. Your return for The month Of February last
has been received to-day, and shows large amount
on hand not deposited and you are hereby required
! if not already DONE to deposite any balance still on
hand In the above branch TO the credit Of the Trea
sury and forward receipts therefor in order to save
|
Before the fatal 10th Of October, the kind hearted
man writes still again, that he may give the victim
one more warning before the day Of grace is past:
Treasury Department,
September %, 1885.
/ SIR: regret to say that the reasons assigned In
| your letter Of the l4h inst for Withholding your
monthly returns cannot hereafter be deemed salts
factory. can perceive sufficient cause for their
/ being delayed longer than the first week in each
succeeding month, as there can be no difficulty In
ascertaining at once the amount OF money received
within the month, In stating the amount Of your
disbursements and deposiles during the month. This
Is all that Is required In them. The object Of these
returns is 10 afford the Department the earliest in
formation in regard TO the money operations OF the
land Office and the punctual transmission OF all the
moneys received 10 the bank of deposile. They are
therefore OF paramount Importance, and cannot be
permitted 10 await the completion OF detailed book
entries the perfection of other business be its cha
''''e' "'A' !" nay 49, LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary of the Treasury.
w. p Harris Esq
Receiver Of Public Money, Columbus, Miss,
And now, sir, am sorry to say this contumacous
receiver paid attention TO these kind warnings and
friendly solicitations He did not make his returns
the 10Th Of October past, and Mr. Harris is doubt
less removed; for General Jackson and Levi Wood
bury have both said It, But, softly here is letter da-
ted the 18th Of October; debut it is the letter Of
dismissal. Let's read it:
! Treasury Department. October IL, 1885,
Sir: Trusting to the given in your letter
Of the 18th ultimo, and to those OF your friends made
in your behalf the President has consented upon the
facts now before him. TO continue you Office until the
18th Of November proxmo; them unless your monthly
returns all rendered. and satisfactory evidence that
the whole Of the public moneys with which you
chargeabe deposited, lis received you must be
moved from Office however painful to both him and this
Department. am, &c.
LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary Of the Treasury.
w. P. Harris, Esq
Receiver of Public Money, Columbus, Miss.
Well, this is strange repreve and based upon
Mr.. Harrs's letter Of the 18th ultimo? Why, the Sc
cretary says in his last that the reasons given in this
letter Of the 18th umo for Withholding the returns,
are unsatisfactory; that he can perceive no sufficient
cause for their being delayed.
| wish Levi would explain why he and General
Jackson violated their pledge in this confess
don't understand il. thought il Harris did make
his returns he would certainly he removed But If he
does make all his returns and deposites by the 18th
! November, he will positively have TO CO. "however
painful" to both the President and the Department.
Lest he should forget all about the matter, the Secre
tary in q few days writes again:
| Treasury Department, October &c. 1885.
Sir: have TO observe, in reply your letter Of the
9th instant that the allowance authorized by the regu
latons Of the Department, compensation for travel
ling expenses, and risk the transmission of the public
moneys to the bank Of depose, only be made when
snch expenses and risk have actually been incurred and
not IN any where both avoided by OF the
facilities afforded by the mail or deposite banks more
over nasmuch the branch bank Of Columbus receives
and credits the moneys received by you in the first in
stance can perceive reason why each deposite in
past months should not have embraced the whole
amount in your possession at tho time Of such deposte
as the instructions require. | am, &c,
LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary of the Treasury,
Receiver Of Public Money, Columbus.
Sir, the 18th Of November arrived and passed and
yet Harris had failed to deposite the public moneys with
which no was chargeabe, according the requston Of
the Secretary's letter Of course he dismissed
without further hesitation, you excaim Not fast
don't be rash in your conclusions. have become
picous about the matter since the reprieve. don't
believe, now, he was removed at all.
! And, sure enough, he was not. Here is the very
next letter from the Department, talking to him as
| mildly as If he had never offended.
Treasury Department, November %, 1885.
Sir: Your letter of the 18th instant and return for
| the month Of October, is received As your depo-
sites of public moneys are made at Columbus, no
| reason whatever can be seen why the whole money
in your hands at the end of the month is not deposit
ed 1t is expected that it will be hereafter.
am, &c. LEVI WOODBURY.,
Secretary Of the Treasury
Receiver &C. &e Of Pubic abH Money Columbus Miss
Very true no reason can be seen why he should
not have deposited the money, and no reason can be
seen why he was not removed for failing so long
and so repeatedly TO do it, But to the correspon-
dence.
Treasury Department, March %, 1896
Sir: Your letter OF the 18th instant enclosing
your return for the month of November is received.
| Again 1t becomes my unpleasant duty TO complain
OF your neglect in this respect, and to inform you
! that the omission to transmit the required monthly
statements for whole quarter after they are due,
cannot be permitted in any public officer; and es-
neciallY afier having been heretofore so often re-