The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-25
cause OF the delay ia the Settlement Of Soldiers and
other Claims in the Second Auditors Once.


o'her Claims la the Second Auditors Once.
* VIII offer no apology for requesting you give in
Hseruoh on ihe following statement IN your paper IL has
Hbeen withheld too long, for Justice both TO the public
kand myself has demanded it. MANY gentlemen who
knew the situation of this Office have urged long since
to lei the public know IT. Reluctance TO appear publicly
Eon snch an occasion has hitherto prevented IT, notwh
jslandng was daily suffering in character from the with
aholdng OF the truth
Numerous letters are daily reaching this office com
kpanng of the great DELAYS which attend the settlement
Eof accounts OF discharged officers and soldiers for ar
Erears OF pay &C. and OF the heirs OF deceased officers
and soldiers Tor Fathers and mothers, and sisters
kand orphans OF the dead every form OF distress, have
Eappled IN vain for prompt attention to their cases n
Hnany Instances the applicants poor and scksome
Heyen IN The charitable institutions OF the country; in|
Holhers, widows left without income, and With
Rarge families of small children, and perhaps sickness
Hadded to grief and poverty Often the soldier himself
discharged because OF wounds or sickness claims the
&country was ungraeiul in delaying long to answer
Hhls Just claims Many have appeared at this otfice|
@named in almost every variety of form, and urged their
Esuiehgs and their necessities as pleas IN behalf OF AZ
Mprompt attention to their Just claims. will not attempt
Ho detail the incidents which have occurred in this office
BIN the personal applications OF the near and aechonate
elaves OF deceased soldiers. Could they be painted to
EIhe lie, and the picture held up to the public eye any
arguments TO sustain their demands would be superero
cation
1t may well be imagined that sympathy for the distress
He'd II not regard Tor my duty and my character AMI
Nofcer would, under such smulants have urged me to-
4use every relieve them and to hasten the
oAAiSN ~ P"''"A~ W.
Emeut
d have done So In every way in which my exertions
k3couid De useful they have been expended nave alc
Ehe condition OF the office before the proper departments
Eof the government have explained its wants, and ask
bed for such aid as they required went far AS
Mo violate rule of the office, which, with entire Justice
kequires that each shall be taken up its and
certain cases of extreme distress, permitted and event
equested of the clerks to take them up and sette
hem before reached But, that unjust postponement
Koi equally meritoous claims should take place thereby
m directed that such should be examined and pre-
apared after The business hours of the office had expired
EStrange as It may appear this dsnterested effort to rel
eve extreme by extra and uncompensated labor
was made the occasion of Islander and deracton, and
was the foundation OF charges of avortlsn and corup
Xion The effort was discontinued
AS the months of lS47 rolled the business OF he
@oice earfuly increased, and the complaints became
onder and more frequent Some OF them being carried
Ho the Secretary of the Treasury, he authorized me to-
depa from the rule of priority favor OF distressed and
kSsuierng widows and orphans or suffering age, who
Exclaimed as heirs of deceased soldiers and also in favor
ol the SICK suffering, and manned soldiers; and even re-
Wqured me to form preferred class OF such claimants,
who should be first attended TO- That class swell
out to hundreds and far exceeded the strength OF the
EoHce TO give them prompt attention. The two classes
Estand SO now. With such clerks as can employ for
hat purpose, attention is given to the preferred class
HWhen that shall be disposed of, the general list, now
Namounng to thousands, and daily increasing will be
saab up in turn,
n Whilst have thus made every effort, with the made.
Equae my possession, to the Just claims
of the public creditors who knock at the doors of this
Eoce whilst my personal eXertions have been given even
go the serious, if not permanent injury OF my health,
Hhave been, and daily, made the object of personal
Aabuse for performing impossbilites In many cases
results from the irritation of disappointment in others,
rom ignorance of facts Such conceive to be the origin
of the letter which forwarded to this office by the gen
Eeman to whom twas addressed for answer, OF which
Hhe following is extract. After naming two cases IN
(which he had procured and forwarded evidence to show
hat certain relatives, O also ceditOS OF deceased
soders had administered upon the estates of the dead of
Ecourse debts alleged be due them, the wr
liter says
a.
Ihe proper least Jno McCalla-severa times,
Is aud they invariably that all is right and will
byp as
&don These men both reside here, and daily and
weeky, and monthly looking for their pay, check
the nearest paymaste to this place 1t is truly hard that
should be put OIL when their dues are correct. when
the and check at time that its officers
evidence to the long list OF evidence concerning the
ngratede of republics will therefore take it
APARTMENT and you by little persuasion, hurry
Htermed."
ii The italics are the writer's.
Ia The numerous letters like the foregoing not SO
apainfu to my feelings those which complain OF
Hncrease OF suierngs caused by withholding the
dears due to old age and sickness and poverty few
Hweeks since, the agent of soldiers widow, in New
Y ork, who had been pressing her claims with respectful
Emporunity wrote TO inquire what steps must be taken
behalf Of her heirs to the payment them
sshe had died in great dsress-a distress which have
Mo doubt would have been greatly alleviated by the
Fl ''But why is it that things in this condition " nau-
E5raly asks llave you applied for aid and il
tiso, what is the difficulty in obtaining it ~
ID applied TO the last Congress, at both its sessions and
Eurgcd the granting of additional clerks On each occasion
En addition of three clerks granted-not quite
ha of what requested On the 3oh September last, in
sthe annual estimate the Register of the Treasury
Hqurcd to show what number of clerks and what amount
i3of money would be required for the of this office,
I3estmated for additional clerks Before Congress
met such was the increase of its business, that for
Hwarded another statement, increasing the number to
8twelve. The subject was submitted to the House OF
Representatives, and referred the Committee of Ways
u land Means. subcommittee attended at this office
l4made examination into It's condition, and received
2such information as | could furnish it. have heard
lHnothng of the result.
n Subsequently and recently, the same similar ques
on concerning the of this Office has been referred
Mn the House, to the Committee OF Claims sub
Ecommtee of which also attended at this Office and very
Hpaeny Investigated its condition To that committee
$submed report, showing more particularly the in
decreased and rapidly increasing wants of the office,
Nhat less than oenty tco additional clerks will be made
FL luae to its mass of business When this addtiona
Aorce together with all suitable contingencies, shall b.
Msupped will hold myself responsible for subsequen
leays but not until then. Nor will rejecting and jus
Hmen censure me for not performing mpossbilities
y Respectfully, JNO. M: McCALLA,
n Washn yton, Feb. "a, 1913. Second Auditor
III Last night Of the
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