Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-05-13

the head Of the Department by charging the blundel
upon subordinate officers, cast off the responsibility from Ii
shoulders where the law has placed it, upon subordinate
When in obedience law he has made his statements Con
of the past receipts and expenses Of the Government
these found to be grossly erroneous is the Secretary
turn inqurng and indignant Congress and people TO
Register and he aged clerk and that clerk younge
one, and What the duties Of the Secretary OF TIL
Treasury His general duties the law prescnbes follows
in the ''act establish the Treasury Department" Of Sep
TENDER 2, 1889:
sec The Secretary Of the Treasury to be deeme'
Sec Q. That Il shall be the duty Of the Secretary Of thu
Treasury digest and prepare plans for the improvement
management Of the revenue and for the credit
eide ON the forms Of keeping and stating accounts and making
returns and grant, under the Limitations herein established
to be hereafter provided all for moneys be
issued from the Treasury in pursuance Of appropriations BY
law &c. and generally perform all such in relation
70 The finances he shall be directed to performi Stat al
large, 65, GO. 80 ss s.qF --t-sss ~
In addition to these plain provisions Of the law, refer The
House to most able report made some years since by com
mtee of Congress the duties of the different officers OF the
Treasury Department II points out the duties OF the secre
tary as follows
"The Secretary of the Treasury supernends the collection
and receipts and the disbursement OF public moneys In
sequence of this all authorities for transferring hemom
public agent aDoter for the final disbursement of hem
originate with him. He directs the drawing of moneys into
the Treasury and regulates the time manDer and crcum
subject the sanctions prescribed by law aud Judges
exclusively Of the other officers Of the Department when and
what disbursements be made subject nevertheless to the
check of the Comptroller who, in counersgnng warrants,
Jointly responsible with him for their being conormabe TO APP
preparations BY law and TO the further check and settlement
of the OF all persons whom he may have caused adj
OF public money by the Auditor and Comptroller All
warrants for the payment of into the Treasury or Tor
the payment Of money out Of the treasury are nrs signed "
him. 1t is also his duty decide the forms OF keeping all
public accounts I"
What is understood by the Secretas being the head Of
the Treasury Department Is il meant that he shall
perntend and direct the affairs Of the Departments that he
shall distribute among the different officers and clerks their
appropriate duties direct the modes Of keeping the accounts
and be furnished the materials necessary for fully
the condition the public Treasury, and TO enable
him to make his reports Congress word that ne should
be the head the clerks and other officers the hands
that he should DEVISE arrange, digest and they execute the
The specific duties of the Secretary relation to Treasury
notes follows
That it shall be the duty ofthe Secretary Of the Treasury
report Congress- the commencement OF each session.
Treasury which have been issued under
the provisions OF this the redeemed and the man
in which redeemed the amount purchased and OF whom,
lieu Of which redemption they ressued with the date Of
such reissue, during the preceding year.
flSfat Cd Sess seM Cong, soih Jan, 1s47, Sec. o.
Although SIR the Secretary il required by law Ito report
to Congress- at the commencement OF each session. the
o Treasury noe) essued stating in lieu OF which
redemption they ressued with the date OF such reissue
during the preceding year. he has fiji TO make amy
such report and informed the honorable gentleman
from Pennsylvania Mr SrRoaa) he has not learned from
the Department-what to almost incredibetha
any account whatever has been keps the Departmental all OF
the Treasury ressued either the amount or date or IN
lisn Of which redemption they are reissusd.
wish 10 know sir whether this violation Of the plain and
positive statute is the fault Of CLERK Of register and
ask what apology given for the omission OF these important
entries No Of the duties presented by this section OF the
has been ntelgby and correctly performed and one i'm
poant branch entirely omitted not only IN the report but
as suppose, in the books themselves
1t certainly true that clerks may commit mistakes in he
for moderate amounts which may escape detection
the careful and competent persons but these moi
such mistakes all Those 10 ,cleh formerly referred al
appear the face Of the Seerefnys report, with the
exception Of table furnished by the Secretary Of the Urea
ssy. 1t clearly the duty Of the Secretary The has any
day whatever to perform from the materials furnished by bis
own officers to make plain and clear statement Of the main
facts Congress- Invested OF all the echncaes Of clerks o.
registers. The only materials which then had from bis
report and the accompanying tables certainly had
the In the first place his duty the OBJ
Sous appearing the face Of some Of the tables by
comparison II them. II certainly his peculiar provinces,
the brief summary the first and second pages OF his
port make correct Of the materials furnished him, and
pot have made bunder in the first instance Of be ae
wards supposed, Sc, 000 and counter mistake now
nowledged, but long denied, Of than million four
hundred thousand dollars That very Of 900
actually contained in table b. furnished by the Register the
Secretary, and printed with bis report showing the re-
ceps and expenditures Of the first quarter Of the present fiscal
year. That table very short, containing but seventeen
entries and Of The tables furnished the Secretary
enable him to make his still more general statement TO
Congress This general contained in the three
first pages of the Secreays report and be leaves out this
most important from the Of the actual receipts
into the Treasury during the quarter.
Truly Mr. Chairman lift the duty Of the Secretary
to attend to such services know what his duties are
Next to the fact that such bundes could be committed by any
head Of the Treasury is the scarcely less surprising one that
such excuses should be made by his friends.
One word, Mr. Chairman. in relation TO the statement OF
domestic exports from this country and the poetic flights OF
the imaginative Secretary TO which referred
many other poeca works the authors cen so overload
the page with copous explanatory statements that the notes
sad 10 have away with the poetry Not 50 with MI
Walker. His poetry has surely away with his notes
He evidently considered these Treasury notes as very minor
matter, 10 be left 10 the registers, and clerks and other
udges about the Treasury, and that the field Of felton, The
enthusiasm the wild and exrnyasant visions as to the fu
tue, were not only his peculiar province but his sole duty
Since my former speech in relation to the Secetary report
have followed out the calculations the domestic exports
Of the country the basis furnished by him. for the period Of
twenty years from the 30h June, 1916, desirable
know what our ability would be pay up these loans which
we making young friend Of mine has done the fgur-
ing for me- and informs that IN the year 1866, the
principle Of table &C IN the Secreas report the Of
domestic exports would be 1884, 60 302 925 a. estimating
he increase at 4s per cent which would be than
nan, woman and child in the United States do not un-
etand that the Secretary supposes that the population Of the
country is also increase in the ratio Of as per cent
annually.
The learned chairman Of Finance Of the Senate seems
hink that in $40 shall have population Of 80 000 000