Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-01-09
NEW PLAN FOR COLLECTING THE PUB.
Lie MONIES

" AIhFfS AAsbh 1<nAt Ds tS13s
NEW PLAN FOR COLLECTING THE PUB
Lie MONIES.
Mr.. William Cost johnson gave notice, in tho
House OF representatives few DAYS since, that he
Intended bringing forward new plan for coliec.
ling the public monies, and keeping them out Of
the hands Of the rapaci,us Sub Treasurers He
promised to bring il forward, whenever tie Chair
man Of the Committee Of Why's and Mean. should
take il upon himself to urge the Sub Treasury upon
the consideration Of the House, The following
sketch Of the plan is given bya correspondent Of
the Baltimore Chronicle.
IL wasin few words hs---ta, the Cut I'm
House officers and all the public receivers should not
touch one dollar Of the public revenue.
That tho Virginta system should be adopted
by the General Government. That when an inn
porting merchant, fnr instance had to pay revenue
duties he would frat have to find from the Custom
House officer the smouni-that then he should eepo.-
lite in such bank or institutions az the State would
entrust with It's the amount Of his bonds
or dnties--and thea obtain certificate Of the
amount Of deposite. That when this was given
20 the Custom House Collector he would then give
receipt to the importing merchant. That when
the government has to pay amount it would give
the government creditor draft on the depository
$50 that no Intermediate agency would touch the
receipts or disbursements of the public revenue
The system was simPleand reasonable he thought--
and no would add one view further. He wa. op.
posed to the whole system Of s.curities--that he
was opposed toany public officers giving security,
for two rcasons-the first was, IL you did allow
him to touch the public money, there was no neces-
sty for giving security. Tho second wal, that If
You dispense with securities it would increase the
responsibility OF tho Executive to appoint gentle
'nento oiec-tor some securities were but satellites
around Jupiter tho plea was, il you place de-
graded or corruptibe man in oiae that it was OF no |
consequence, Tor bis securities we're liable.
lie opposed the plan and usage OF securities, as
no always opposed in State govonmon,. the exis-
tence Of an executive council ;-Jecause il divided
responsibility. 1.-THE public eye rested upon the
officer alone, and not upon hs securities, the exec
utive would be forced by ths moral feeling of the
nation to appoint enc worthy and well qualified for
the Office.
lie would not attempt to enlarge upon the cor
ruptibility of human character The divine lesson
had taught US all in early infancy to guard against
temptation.
Iheie were bat few men in these DAYS of pecu-
iation that he would entrust with million or a |
halfa million of the public money.
lie would say further that he would desire lie
repositories of the public money to be those which
the States entrusted with their public unds--and
in States or Territories where there W. re- no Stale
depositories-he wouldin allcases require Congress
not the executive to designate the place Tor making
the deposites The plan would work as we'll in
The west as in the east-tor when the repositories.
banks or institutions oil such character az might be
named, were known, purchaser of public lands
would have but to deposit the amount which hs had
to invest, in any of those institutions, get cerf-
cate OF deposte--and that certificate would be- re.
ceived at any land office in the nation He would
moi trust traii human nature with large amosnt of
money He could yo,o for the ,ub-treasurv
system-because it placed the public officers in i'm
mediate contact with the public money they had
TO reel and TO handle H-and in doing SO, il led |
them into temptation. Itrcaly soduced them in,o
corruption He could not trust men with millions
unless those receivers were themselves placed in
'safes'-and such safes as had ncithera door nor
window to creep outat."