The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-06-08
Jons G. CALnous, Esq,
Ssereiary Of STATE.
To the Editor Of the Hadisonian /:

ed il necessary, while defending the claims OF the
Register aud Treasurer Of the United States, Tor
signing 63,099 Treasury notes, between September
llth lS4l, and May 18TH 1912, amounting TO S7eS Is
EACH just legal and proper, and heretofore thor
oughly examined aud properly allowed at the Trea-
sury, to introduce my name, without stating all or
any of the facts connected with my action on that
subject as Auditor in fact, not stating per-
milling 10 be inferred from the statement made, that
had acted at all my duty required
l am thus placed in attitude before the public
which am willing TO occupy, and the painful ne
cessity is imposed upon me OF taking up my pen on
bed Of Sickness from which have been unable 10
rise for nearly four weeks to do that justice TO my
self, reference 10 my conduct as public officer,
which has been, doubt Fundamentally, withheld by
the writer above referred to.
would gladly have avoided saying word on
the subject Of those claims, in their present connec-
tion and shall therefore simply say what deem ne
cessary in my own vindication.
Here is the paragraph to which allude
"Iu the fall of IS43 MIR. McCuob, the present
Comptroller, examined the subject with the sricte st
care aud on the 10Th November. l943 he addressed
! a letter TO Mr.. WISE the First Auditor, and stated
that the act of the 18th October, 1897 required The
lICSsulCI anu TebstcT W siRn iTeasuly nOtcs anu
appropriated money to compensate them for that
service; that they have been with the appreciation
of the Secretary OF the Treasury, allowed and paid
for all the Treasury notes signed prior to September
| 18th, lo4l, at the rate Of 81 % per hundred
notes that between September lltb, lS4l and May
18th, 1872 ii appeared that these Off ers had each
! signed 5000 Treasury not and on the said day
Of May, each entitled, for that service, at the
same rate OF compensation, L. s7SS 70 but that pay
ment could not be made out OF the appropriation un-
"A Tho, d taH. tIata
| preparation became exhausted in April le42; aud
| that payment could not be made out of the APP
preparation under the act of May 18th, 1872,
because that act provided that part of the aPpro
praiion thereby made should be expended for sign
ing Treasury notes but that, nevertheless, it his
OPINION thai neither the proviso in the clause Of the
act OF 18th May, 1872 the Sd section Of the act
| OF Sd March, 1882 nor The 18th section Of the act
of August Goth, 1912 did or could impair their right
to claim and be allowed the Of S7S6 70, for ha-
wing signed %, O9y Treasury notes. between Septem.
Der IL, le4l, and May Is, 1912, nor the authority
and obligation of the proper accounting officers of
the Treasury TO allow The compensation, nor the
right of the Secretary Of the Treasury to cause the
same 10 be paid out of the appropriations made TO
SATISFY miscellaneous claims not Otherwise provided,
oil which there Xpended balance IN the
4 reasury the 18th May, 1912, exceeding So, Geo
| The Comp troer ANXIOUS to do justice to the Co
yernment reviewed has reasons and conclusions, and
on December 9th ls43, admitted and certified the
account for signing 5000 Treasury notes, between
September IL, lSil, and May Is, 1912, at the rate
of one dollar and fourth per one hundred Trea-
sury notes and payable out of appropriations made
from miscellaneous claims not otherwise provided
fol-"
1t is known TO every one who IS acquainted with
the organization Of the Treasury Department. that
all claims required to be settled by tie First Auditor
aud the First Comptroller, directed by law TO be
frat laid before the Auditor, to be examined aud adj
justed by him, and his reports thereon, with the
statements and vouchers 10 be transm tied TO the
First Comptroller. Then, and not till then, it be-
comes the duty Of the Comptroller TO examine for
himself, and to make such alterations and corree-
tons as he may deem proper which action is FINAL
and conclusive.
IL, however, the Auditor refuses to allow claim,
the usual and legal course is, TO return il to the
claimant with his reasons for rejecting it, and the
claimant may, at any time wit in six months ap cal
from the decision Of the Auditor, TO the Com ptrol
Ter. Then, it becomes the duty Of the Comptroller
in other cases TO examine the claim, and 10 make
such allowance, If any, as he may deem just AID
proper, and such decision Is also final II
would appear however, from the paragraph
quoted above, that the Comptroller, contrary
TO law took up these two claims originally, exam.
inod them HIMSELF the Auditor all the while sitting
quietly in his Office, having nothing TO Jay to do Ia
the settlement OF important public accounts. Thai
the Com ptroler, on the 10th Of November, lsi3, adj
dressed letter TO the Auditor, informing him Of the
conclusions TO which he had arrived but, even then
the Auditor is represented, by irresistible inference
remaining equally quiet and Indifferent as TO the
public interest, and his own duties, ne Their obcyng
nor using 10 obey what would have been, as rep
resented By the writer, the illegal instructions Of tie
Comptroller. II would, moreover, appear that the
Comptroller, after waiting the proper time upon the
do-nothing Auditor, concluded again TO take the pa
pers into his hands, and "anxious to do justice
to the Government, reviewed his reasons and conclu-
sions, and on the 9th Of December, lS43, admitted
aud certified the accounts payable out of the appro-
pration made for miscellaneous claims not other.
wise provided for This, indeed, is very uponva.
bic position Tor an Auditor to occupy but the facts
are not as they would appear from the statement Of
the writer. The claim Of MIR. Smith was regularly
presented TO the Auditor sometime in the fall Of
1912. lie examined il with care and elaboration
and came to the conclusion that, as the approrria-
ton under the act Of October ~ 1897 for the paw
ment Of expenses for issuing Treasury notes had
been exhausted, out Of which the Register and Urea
surer had regularly received payment for signing
previous to the incumbency Of the present Auditor
and the act Of the 18th May, 1912 making further
appropriation for the same purpose, had expressly
prohibited any part Of the same from being paid for
signing, Congress intended 10 say 10 the accounting
officers thai no part Of the public money should be
expended for any such purpose without express d
rec,ion from that body; at any rate the Auditor
thought it better that application should be made to
Congress for an express appropriation rather than tc
allow payment Of the claim under doubtful circum
stances With that view, the Auditor returned the
claim 10 the Register with his reasons for