Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-11-03

pies, with anoutft of $4,000 and salary OF
$4,000 per annum--which office he now holds
X. IsSsNfact that for many years prior TO
the great ress'ision and Treasury bankruptcy
OF 1887 the ieceivers Of Public Moneys were
accustomed 20 pay over The Public Moneys
collected b. them about at their own conven-
fence; andnhat they would often have 5000,
900 or mon accumulated in their hands and
remain thsse for months, although their instruc-
tions wereperemptory TO deposite all they had
collected A. hast once a month. The Treas
ury Department would write them once in a
while, iniorning them Of the positive rule
which they how very well, and telling them
that they snuf pay over; and they would re-
turn some frYolous excuse or none at all, and
60 on Withholding and specializing or spend
| ing the ptsir money, for month after month,
until fpa' many Of them were unable TO pay
at ~ ssigned or were superseded
hopesoss lAsaostcrs io the ascertaincd amount
of nearly Two Millions of Dollars.
ri. II isN faot that at least one Of these
notorious defa,lters--Wiliam Linn, Receiver
of Public moners at Galena--was reappoint-
ed by President Jackson in 1885, while Martin
Van Buren, wasVice President and confiden-
tial councillor Il the White House and Levi
Woodbury. SECRETARY Of the Treasury, and af-
ter this same Lei Woodbury. had written i'm
at least three tines TO complain Of his defalca-
lions. He confined a wilful defaulter, Wood
bury continued his periodical admontlons,
and Martin Van Buren, continued them both
in office, until On the 7th Of January, 1888,
Linn resigned! hopeless deiaulter to the
| amount Of $500 O6--an amount which had
been steadily increasing under the Secrelary's
periodical remostrance and threats to have
him removed. UT. Woodbury. is still continu-
cd bxM Mo- nlt n
/ Treasury. [Foi,he official documents in this
case, see Investigating Committees Report,
(No. 3l3.) of 25h Congress, Sd Session, p.
l59-i66.]
XII. Ii is fact that known defaulters
have been kept n Office when they ought to
have been removed, apparently for no other
reason than this; that they were ardent and
influential Van Biren men, and leading politi-
clans of that faitl wrote to Washington that
their removal would hurt the party. Take
the following instances:
Hon. William Hendricks, who now heads
the Van Buren, Electoral Ticket in INDIANA,
but then Senate in Congress pretending to
! be u no party, bu in secret a confidential as
sociaie of Van Brren and Woodbury., wrote as
follows TO the later, in behalf of John Spen-
! Ger;
Madison, August 81, 1886.
| Sir--I am informed that some things are
stated recently to the prejudice of Col. John
Spencer, receiver at Fort Wayne, and ] am
requested tpwriie you. In doing so, can
only say that have been gratied in learning
that his deYosiies have been made to your sat
isfaction;' and If SOL hope that minor matters
ifmere irrgularities,t will be overlooked -
He is repwed to be an honest and honorable
man. and lido not believe that he has inten-
I l1x,o al x,ia IN
instructions IL icould to some eItent produc:
ercitementifhe rere remoped, far he has many
,carm and influential friends both at For
Wayne and in Dearborn County, from which
he removed TO his present residence. Beite'
:" 90 " VIM HENDRICKS.
Hon LAW WOODBURY., Sec OF Treasury.
This application had the desired effect. Nj
Spencer WIS retained in office!
On the 9Th of October following, Mr. John
Spencer tncs his own hand at an excuse fol
not paying over the money he had collected
He writes to Mr. Woodbury. as follows
"My Democratic friends think that ough
not to leave until after we hold our presiden
tial election, on the 9TH November, which
have concluded to await and shall leave OF
that evening, OF the next morning, to deposite
with all the funds on hand upto that time.
shall write you again before leave"
This excuse was accepted by the complain
Secretary
[For Official Correspondence in this case
as prepared for the public eye by Mr. Wood
bury himself, see Investigating Committee
Report aforesaid, page 2l4-224.
Again: Mr. Woodbury. had undertaken, il
his siow2snd-casy fashion, TO make Mr. Vile!
p. Harris, receiver at Columbus, Miss, pay
over the nice sum of SfSi COZ GO, which baC
been for some time accommodating 10 his hands
Aftef writing him dozen times, the Secreta
~ at last ventures TO threaten him, that if h'
does not paw up by the Is, Of October next, h
shall befnperseded. Mr. John +. H. Clai
borne, since, if not then,a Van Buren, membe
OF Congress, and then Van Buren, candidate
for Elecio: Of President, steps in 10 the aid o
Harris, in long political letter, OF which w
can only make room for the following extract
"Noihing would rejoice him [Senaior Poin
dexterl more than the expulsion OF Genera
Harris, whom lie knows 10 he one OF the mali
pillars Of the democratic cause, and one OF The
earliest and most distinguished friends OF tia
Administration in Mississippi. His family
and connections are extremely influential, ans
all OF them are cooperating with US IN the ar
duous struggle which We are now making. p
They are true democrats, and the bank. NULL
r tying, and White parties would shout 'yicto
~" at any blow aimed al them.
We are now IN the midst OF an electIoncer
in campaign. Gov. Runnels, X. Walker, MAJ
This Was Dot all true. Woodbury. had written /
bin just fourteen dsts PFIof % tie date al this eite
.um Of sioo,599 81. acknowledged to be IN b
{ hards.