Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-03-21
SPEECH OF MR.. PRENTlSS,
On he DefazcatiOns Of the Government.
Friday, December 20, 1888.
TConJiaued.]

Latter 10 the receiver at Augusta, Mis-
III . . dated August A, 1884, he says:
slSs lPo1 The subject ofthc equest> made in
o,,or of the 9th instant, have 10 OBJ
you, tha,the Department cannot TeldT 'a@e
seLG I,ons prescribed for The periodical dePostes
$,Se puDlic money"
o % The sOth January, 1885, he writes to the
,ocsiyer at Helena:
fe1 "T%o Depcrtment having received no dupli-
THE monthly returns required by its reg
cav a"t;oas showing the transactions oil your of
S"0 since your appointment, it becomes proper
u. NV oolI YOUR immediate attention to this duty;
"'S j to inform you that punctualny in this res
a loc and in the deposite Of The public money! are
= +, recarded as paramount duties, and will
bs insisted ON accordingly"
70 Linn, receiver at Vandalla, he says, Feb
ruary l2, 1885:
.,,o, observance of the regulations of the De
o,rtment for the periodical depositc Of the pub
r. nonev. and the transmission of your ac-
counts and returns, are paramount duties, the
oeglect (which will be reported for the action
| orthe Executive"
To the receiver at Demopois he writes, Feb,
ruary 70, 1859:
DIembrace the occasion to say to you, once
] for all, that puncually in making your re-
gurns md deposiies of the public moneys, are tc
he reoarded as paramount duties, the neglect OF
which will be reported for the action OF the Ex-
.ecutive."
Again, February 20, 1885, in circular to
some fifteen receivers:
"Lcannot omit the occasion 10 impress upon
Kan the necessity of q strict attention 10, and
Eunctnal compliance with, the duties required
6fyoa in regard to the prompt deposae OF me
bubble money, and TRANSMISSION OF your returns;
Ind 10 say TO you that the performance Of those
duties must be regarded as paramount to all
O,bers in yo,tr oGicial station"
Again. July 80, 1885, the Secretary writes
No the receiver at Helena:
"The regular depositc of the whole OF the
bubble moneys, as prescribed by the regulations
br the Treasury, and the punctual transmission
sof your accounts and monthly returns, are par
amOmt official duties" -.
give these extracts from the letters and cir
1culars Of the Secretary, to show the periodical
depos!tc of the public money was paramount
Amuorthe collectors and receivers.
Il, then, | show that the Secretary neglected
DO enforce the performance or punish the neg
Beet Of this paramount duty, il may be lalrIl
Entered that he is either unwilling or lncom
potent TO enforce, in his subordlnatcs, the per
formancc orany duty whatever.
4 come now 10 the case Of Harris, which
lwi present in the shape of fourteen letter
from the Secretary; and rarer specimen 0
official correspondence cannot be easily found
Mr. Harris was receiver Of public money q
Columbus, Mississippi The correspondent
commences during Mr.. Taney's Administrative
of the Treasury Department, from whom Their
are some three or four letters to Harris, con
planning Of his neglect Of official duty,
Twill quote, however, only Mr.. Woodbury.
epistles; and beg you to mark how well he eI
forces the performance Of paramount duties
Hlsfrst letter follows: