The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-02

your hands on the 30Ih umo, amounted 10 the sum OF
S247, 26I "a rhieh amount . the accumulated re-
cents Of your Office since the la of January last
Won cannot but be that the retention OF the public
moneys in your hands beyond the period Of one month,
unless the receipts of such month be less than 10000
is a violation OF your instructions.
THE object Of this letter is, lst To require that the
whole balance on hand, az the time Of the receipt
Of this letter. shall be Immediately deposited and
t6ca,e Of such depose transmitted TO the Department
without delay.
I'd. To inform you that the Department cannot
overlook the omission do your future ntgscfto
deposi,e monihy and 10 transmit your monthly returns,
accompanied by the evidence OF your deposte, IN ume
TO he received a, this office within the month next pre-
cedlng that for which the return Is rendered
sd That arg neglect or inaitenton to these re-
qurements unless satisfactorily accounted ior WIZ re-
que Of me- from Of official duty, that you be
reported TO the President with a recommendation that
you be removed from office.
"[Sgned by the Secretary and directed to the same
In the two letters above referred TO- the duties OF the
receiver are also clearly Defined aud the consequence TO
him of future neglect explicitly stated, that 1t would
seem there was but alternative LEFT for HIM That
s strict performance Of duty his part, or prompt
removal from office the part OF the Secretary, by re-
porting hun TO the President.
Secretary Of the Treasury to Ethan A. Brown, Esq,
Commissioner of the General Land Office,
"SIR: II is desirable that an examination should be
oil
| request YOU TO notify Nathaniel West Jun, OF lndi-
annapolis that lie has been selected for that purpose aud
forward him the usual instructions, and particularly
direct his inquiries into the causes oil the delay on
the part of the receiver IN forwarding the returns re-
quTed under the regulations OF the Department, anu III
making deposltes TO the credit OF the Treasurer, mat
officer has lhtely made deposlte Of large amount,
which has been accumulang for several months past
| The examiner viii ascertain If possible whether the
receiver or register had been using the money received
sales in any manner, by loanlng II or Otherwise ana
what the for the delays IN dcpostng the mo-
ney and making returns, by both the register and re-
ceiver"
To which Mr. Brown replied, giving certain infoma-
tion by his letter OF the LIST Of July; to which Mr.,
Woodbury. replied as follows
"JuLy l. 1886.
=" SIR Your letter of this date respecting the exa-
mination OF the land office at Fort Wayne, has been
received. see no excuse in the papers presented
with your letter for the receiver not having deposited
a dollar from March ill June, nor having sent any
| monthly abstracts 10 in that time nor anSrered
my letters demonstrating against his neglect. These
things | wish specially investigated, as well as the
present state of money on hand &c. and the points
before indicated"
This is the tone in which the Secretary speaks at
the bare suspicion which attached 10 the receiver
But see how changed, how soltened, his tone, how
ready to find excuses for him. when all the facts and
more than he seemed to have apprehended, were es
| tabshed by Mr. West, the examiner!
From letter of the Secretary &C the Treasury to
+. A. Brown Esq. Commissioned otthe General Land
Office, dated July g. 1886, il appears that
"The returns of the receiver for the month of
May have been received and exhibit balance OF
money in his hands at the close of that month
amounting to $60l $50 49, He has transmitted, I'M
der date Of the 9Th umo, certificate OF depoSite
in the branch bank of Indiana, made on the 9th of
the same month, of $40, i33 90, leaving balance
in his hands OF $609i7 10. l have to request that
you will instruct Mr. West the examiner referred 10
in my letter above stated 10 make special inquiry
into this matter and TO report TO the Department the
result" &c. &c.
Mr.. West was appointed, and entered on his du-
ties on the 18th day of August, 1886. In his report
he says he shows balance OF Sis, 795 03 then due
from said receiver to the United States He says:
"Why this balance of $ls, 195 O3 appears, has not
been exp2 med and il any explanation eoaid De
made Mr.. ;pencer's absence precludes me from
giving it, His clerk thinks he has still more money
Richmond but as he left for collection there, on
the LIST of June, what they the LIST day Of August
finally passed 10 his credit have thought this not
very probable. His clerk, though called up, gives
me no schedule OF The money he took with him 10
Richmond when he went to make his deposite on
the lst of June. :....
II think MIR Spencer could not with propriey
urge when he went TO make deposite on the 1st of
June as good cause for delay in not having done
so before tie state The roads as free passage
open for himva Los ansport, and no difficulty in his
way" ..' .... .... ...'
(See his apology in his letter of the 20th Of June,
1860 He represents the books papers, in the office
as being very negligently kept
To be continued