The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-29

charged, do not appear BY the settlement books to be
discharged because the vouchers yet in the hands Of
some of the public officers In the keeping Of public ac-
counts, las any will be convinced on reaechon)
e necessity for many forms, to prevent fraud and
spard against erros-al which forms must be relgously
observed.
Perhaps Mr.. Gallain will say that though our expla
nations satisfactory far they co. yet treasury
accounts ought to be kept in such way to be nte
gbIe without such explanation. They ought to be,
admit; aad If they not the faults much less that OF
the peselt officers of the department. than of those who
preceded them many years ago.
AT very early day system Of actions introduced
into the Treasury Department; some OF the effects of
which thus described in letter from Mr. Jefferson,
dated August. 1902:
81 think it object of great importance to be kept in
view, and 10 be undertaken fit season. simplify
system Of finance, and bring within the comprehension
Of every me.rber OF Congress Hamilton sci out IA diff
en pen In order that he might have the entire govern
men II his machine he determined complicate it, as
that neither the President Congress should be able to
control him. He succeeded in doing this
not only beyond their REACH but that length he could
understand himself"
As stated in an article on the fiscal system of the
United States, published in the Democratic Review for
January, 1870
"A fictitious treasure, fictitious treasurer. and 6c
ous treasury having been substituted for the
the real treasurer and the real treasury intended by the
constitution and the organic law Of 1887 fictitious mode
of keeping accounts was the essary consequence.
When Information is at the Treasury Depart
hen Of money being in hands of collecting officers
warrants are issued for Paying the public service
may require Then, '.0er legal been received
at the Treasury Dep Arment that the money has been paid
away warrants are issued for bringing it the treasury
Thus under ms precious system of cons money i, paid
OUT the treas ary before il is paid in
warrants are duly drawn A. b, C, and D. in Arkan-
'as gan, or Louisiana, directing them to pay certain
sums ho tho treasury man of plain sense would sup
pose the thy were to be forwarded the persons to whom
hey are IA dressed How great would be his surprise ON
being INF med that they would never leave the depart
men' How much greater would be his surprise on being
INFORM ed that the very which these men We're direct
ed pay into the treasury they had actually paid away
Oh ublic account, might be month previous"
The constitutional treasury act was intended to do
away with the fictitious treasury, fictitious treasurer and
fictitious treasure, which the practices of the early Off
GERS Of the department created without authority from
law But the old system of fctions is retained in ac-
countkeepng either to avoid the Inconvenience at
tending change, or to guard against the evils which
would arise from defects in detail of the constitutional
treasury That act rests on principles which cannot
be successfully assaed, but many of the details are as
we have before had occasion to observe very defective
Under this artificial system, the accounts may be per-
ecty clear to the officers of the departmental least to
such of them have been thirty forty years in office
But this is not enough They ought be perfectly clear
to the public at large And the fact that such man as
Mr. Gallatin, who has himself had so much to do with
this system of cons, does not himself understand it, is
a strong argument why the whole should be reformed.