Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-19
yOEgfgaE XXNV.---No. l0G.


ica,td 10 The committee of lie Senate, as will he seen
by reference To the following questions and answers
! Question 2G Did you know, when you "eTe before
The committee Of the Senate in 1884 that Mr. S~ar.
wout had not paid 10 the cashier the OF more
than $50 0G0 received by him for forielurss:
ANSWER | knew that Mr. Swartwou, had at that
! time than SO COG for ioGicurcs, which he had
not paid over To the cashier
/ sour lior u. Dad IuiUrm the committee Of he
Senate. orany officer Of she Treasury Departure nj that
Mr.. SwarIw'ul had not paid over the money received
| by him Tor inrei,ures; And, fno. why:
"Answer did not: becausc did n0t think ii my duty.
"Queson 80 Why did you not regard II Us your duty
to inform the Secretary Of the Treasury the cCm-
n'lee OF the SENATE Ma, sir Swurwout had not Paid
over the money ed from the marshal for !oreI'u'es!
ANSWER. because clerks Of the custom house
consider ourselves in die Of tie coietOr, and
not in Me Scruice If die Und SateS The collection
law does TO regard The clerks ni The collector az
in The service OF the gniied StGies the msker and
weIghers, &c, who appointed BY the Treasury De-
pnr'ment. We have always thought ourselves The pT.
assistants Of the collector il my duty TO rem
der the accounts uy, and credit the United States truly
as did; but not to inquire into the pr'Sate ansaci'ns
! Of he collector"
These afford valuable instance of CUSTOM
house morality and patriotism.
That the deialcatIons should lave been so long con-
craled from the department and the public, though at
first mailer Of surprise, will create no great astonsh
mrnt when MIR ShGI;z testimony Is consIdrrd
The manner Of keeping the accounts in the custom
house calculated eff Ct The Ctrct n! conceal
men The auditor Of the customhouse, ard The naval
officer, intended chscbs upon the collector, were Kept
in total ignorance the Stale oi accounts; snd
as The Treasury Department appended cm their slate
mens, II was equally ignorant.
Two Of The Witnesses, Ogden and Phillips, cashier
and assistant cashier o: the custom house say they re-
quenly made entry al all IN the cash book Ut mo-
neys distracted By S@aW for his private expenses
When bonds paid 10 c!rdt was gwen tor them
The cash book being in the possession OF these inc!V
duas they furnished such statements 10 Inc atCItuE rs
SUIT their purposes aud concerted the accurate ana
OF the account Some ,hort vas made IN The
cuurSr Of the investigation 10 show HAT Swart"Uut oil.
ways made 10 the department OF ashIngton true ana
accurate statements OF the aggregate amount oi MS ac
cUunts ANA thereby drawing an Inference t'at,H tney
had been carefully examined The deIacaiions could soon
have been detected ! he undersigned are OF opinion
such is the fact, and that It scarcely p"ssse,
uuder any circumstances, To make the Cetecioh IN
any other manner than by the personal Inspection OF
| the bonds and books Of the c"Stom.h"9Se. On tins
branch OF the SUBJ beg leave To refer 10 the USt-
mour of Mr Woodbury. aud he First Auditor Of WASH
! ng,Cn, as combined in The journal hr Fleming IHe
auditor that iIe and now auditor al The custom mouse,
very respectable and intelligent witness, tesuhes mat
he hd suspicious in June, 1851 that there was deh-
cheney in the bond account tie communicated Tie sus
picion Mr.. Phillips The assistant cashier WHO answered
him in very aconic MANNER ihal Gre Dat was gwen IN
the cash book for all the bonds that PAID the rest
were in suspense he also states, that though the ac-
counts Of SwaIlwout, transmitted 10 The department al
Washington, contained true ana accurate Statement I'll
| upDTfnEtc
cesImen OF the tue cDsd LaGnce after wards DIS
red by The examination of the cash GOOk n the Gus
house in SUN exceeding s0Uo,ou0 In lh's man
ner the fraud carried on and kept secret Hr fle.
ing also states that but for the suspension OF the pay
ment Of the bonds and specie payments by the banks
the frauds could not have been carried on without eSc!s-
) ing suspicion and leading 10 detection
Great Gre dit is undoubtedly due 10 the present coec
tor and auditor Of the custom house Tor making The Dig
avery az eI,y as il was made. The urgency OF the Tor
ner 10 have his settled and prepared Tor trans
mission TO Washington, IN great degree produce"
md FASTENED the otveioPement ,1ut Tor ms ciicum
.ance the combination and conspiracy exIsng IN Tue
ustoIn.huuse J.lrnud The Government, would have
,ad tie fret to conceal it much longer time.
f. may he cuniten tIy asserted that under the existing
laws and indeed under any safeguards that may Oe CO.
,ahshtd prot the public purse, without honor ana
integrity in tic public officer, may and VIII lie PUN
der D. and the fact concealed for considerable time WIN
The possibility oil discovery
The business If the house al New OH is SO
us and conyl Gated that under the provision &" Inc
act Of Curyr,.s the collector allowed three months
alter the expiration Of each quarter TO make his returns
Frequently necessity, ths Gme has been eAehCtu
/ /, four months Two or three mo;tis ale consumed IN
TIE Auditors and CUmptrocrs othccs at Washington,
III auditing and settling these accounts Until inns ~
done the dealcu.oBs cannot be certainly kno"n so nat
thsvInay be conCeaied tr" five to seven months and mat
uud, tie operation OF The law
Ey reference the journal VII be seen that l!ore vs.
some discrepancy the Testimony the subject at Tie
ex.e, the loss Most OF The witnesses ogfee that Tue
amount of Geiucatun responds with ile s.a'e!nr!s
h,rriore made by the officers Of the Government v no
were sent 10 New York, r:mrda'cIy ncr The same
was made know and whose reports lave been submit
ted I" lle !IOuse.
The witness, Mr. Shulz, before ALLUDED TO- former
nud,io7 of the custom uuse, aud who for long p'Iod
IF Inn. he'd liza; station Tt Guces b. his testimony the
amount Ia considerable drgrtr The lous' las before
seen what reliance h'uG n piacrd on tie evidence Of
Mr. Shunz As additional evidence Of the confidence
20 Le uycn him. the journal is referred 10 where Mr..
M IL o
q the Treasury, under the regulation At the department.,
included the oeu"'ss and p'necs, aud which,
n ms upiuon would have enabled The Secretary in h!
zen minutes 10 have detected The criscaI"n so lar as
hess items are concerned though testified TO with great
uufdrnce with an apparent knowledge cf the Tact,
IS totally dsproYed by Tie chief clerk Ct lie Treasury
Department., aud tie documentary evidence derived
ron, that drparlmenI, 10 wit The weekly returns them
elves Mr. Shnz il also a very aged man, Infrm IN
BODY and IN mind and, like most old persons better obe
% uvc clear aud distinct account o. transactions Uf
NM standing than recent occurrences
u, whatever may be the accurate amount, the 0sten-
abb. sum total established By unqupstI"nabe testimony,
.ycty .rre he actual or real amount, however, lost
% The Government, concerning which no irtorms,lon
ian be Obtained III impossible 10 say aid can be only
subject 81 conpc'ure
One fact brought forth by the investigation, is Of
atkabe character. AID deserves notice NJ! lhonp'
son The CASHIER Of the Bank OF America lht one -" the
puosi;e banks that checks OF different amounts,
SONG for very large sGms were IEGisciimrneiy dfhSh
~. Gu ,,,x,u, or his deputies and paid BY The bank
This practice dangerous at all times 10 the Government
and The collector, peculiarly hazardous under me
administration Of the late COLE cto whose business hn.
oils did no, qualify him for strict scrutiny nto thu rs.
cal Affairs O.! It's uce. By it an opportunity vas afford.
ed ard temptation gwen to PecH'aon :" The custom
house. ----J.-- =, r,
ton are various.
The frs, vas the UHf'r'nnae appointment by the
o. ;ior, md cunGnna0n by the Senate, for two sue
ire 10 rms of u man like SwartwOut. who. from
jis and pursuits, totally disqualified TO discharge
h dn,;rs Of collector at New York a port the most
n,ouan, the Union, ond where one.haif if not two
bds of the revenue of the Government, is collected.
The second the disposition Of Sworlwout to engage
IN large and hazardous spCcnlaons; passion the most
Il In incIe asa