The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-07-01
The Triumph Of Truth.

4 We publish this day, says the wash
ington Union, the report Of Messrs.
Bedinger, Clark, Hall, and La Sere, o.
the Committee on Public Expenditures
and hope that the great length Of this
document will not prevent its perusal.
| 1t is thorough, clear, and demonstrative
| each position being accompanied by
the proof. II shows that the Secetary
| Of the Treasury has committed not one
OF the errors imputed to him in Mr..
Stohm's report. The errors alleged by
the committee are not in the Secretary's
| report, but in the tables Of a distinct
and Independent officer o: the govern.
ment, whose duty it is by laU to pre-.
pare and certify these tables to the Sec.
retary, and it is the duty Of the Secre-
tary BIZ law to communicate the tables
thus certified to Congress. The Secre.
tary keeps none Of the books from which
these tables are prepared. Those books
are kept by the Register, whose duty
| ii is TO prepare these tables from the
books in his own Office, and to certify
these tables to the Secretary. No
Secretary has ever prepared such ia
bIes, nor compared such tables with
the books; nor is it any part of his du.
ty to do SO; nor could he do so without
neglecting the duties assigned 10 him by
Congress. On this point the law is
quoted, and is clear and express. If,
then, errors did exis. in these tables Of
the Register, the Secretary is in no
way responsible for them. But it is a
fact, that the committee have not them
selves discovered a single error in these
tables, but only pointed out clerical
error discovered long previously by Mr..
Hunter, of Virginia, ackno wledged BY
the Register, and explained in the
speech Of Mr.. Atherton TO the entire
satisfaction OF the whole Senate. This
error ofth Register grew out OF efforts
at the request OF the Secretary, for the
first time, to bring the account down to
the lst of December-the middle Of
quarter, and few days before the
meeting Of Congress-instead of the
usual period, the 3olh Of Sept. and the
end Of quarter. This grew out Of the
fac: that Congress made the first year
Of the operation of the new tariff com.
mence on the lst Of December, 1846,
and close on the lst Of December, 1847.
instead of the 1st Of October, ls47,
as recommended by the Secretary Of
the Treasury, Mr.. Walker, in his
draught Of the new tariff bill as submit.
ted By him to Congress in February.
ls4e. The difficulty growing out Of
the closing Of the first years operation
on the first of December vas foreseen
by the Secretary; and he therefore re.
commended at the time that the opera.
lion Of the bill should commence on
the lst October, snd close the 3oth
Out ofthis grew the mere
clerical error committed--not in fact
by the Register, but by his principal
clerk pho prepared this table, who is a
very experienced and able clerk, whose
business it has been for nearly thirty
vears to prepare these tables, and who
low is, and always has been, member
If the whig party. His error grew ont
If the immense pressure in bringing the
ables down to the lst December, and
be middle Of a quarter. y 4. ''hl
The errors of the committee are then
howed and proved being sixty.four
n number, and exceeding thirty-three
Millions Of dollars. " 7 i'l'etp' -
They then examine the charge OF the
committee against the Secretary, of
making defective return Of certain
,ortions Of the public debt, &c I, as re-
uired by the act Of the '28.h January,
s47, and show that the committee had
ntirely overlooked the Secretary'sre-
,ert Of 18th December, Ie47, in which
his very information is given in full de.
bill, and in It's proper place; this report
oyering 4a9 printed pages-being
House document No. 4. phG 1896
A contrast is then given between the : :
perations Of the treasury during the
var Of 1912, and Mexican war; during !
he former the defaults being numerous,
nd during the latter no defaults what ..
yer; and the Secretary Of the Trea!
ury having obtained $l5,soo,ooo :
lore il specie for $4,000, 900 stock i.
nd treasury notes, than was obtained :.
specie OF. its equivalent for $780, o,oOo,-
90 Of stock and treasury notes during :
,e war Of 1919, II is shown, also,
lat under the constitutional treasury, =
10 receipt in specie into the treasury, .
ON all sources, since the lst January. :
s47, amounted TO upwards Of sixty :
,ven millions Of dollars, and the dis :
during the same period ex. =
pedino sirtv.nine millions Of dollars in q