The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-02-20


ance was made in the adjustment Of your
accounts for the fractional third quarter
of lS4S. refer to the case Of the Uni
ted States VS. Dixon, XIV Peters folio
I4l, by which the rule that had been
adopted by the treasury for the compu:a-
tion of commissions was rejected. and
determined to be contrary to the intention
of the act Of the Goth April, 1878"
| Upon the receipt of this information
Immediately informed the comptroller
that his explanations were satisfactory,
and that the amounts oyercharged upon
the salaries of the register and receiver
would be credited in my next return,
which was accordingly done, and EN-
braced in my final account, from which
"Ashland" derives his information upon
which he manufactures part of his
charges against me. With regard to the
charge made against me by 'tAshland"
of "gouging" the government by charg-
ing mileage for depositing $500 at St.
Louis, in the second quarter of lS49, /
beg leave to submit the instructions un-
der which acted in making said depos-
it, which are contained in letter from
the secretary of the treasury, dated the
26th of December, lo4S, as follows,
! viz:
"In consideration of the great distance
and consequent risk and delay incurred
in transmitting your funds to the desig-
mated depository, it is deemed advisable
by this department to instruct you to de-
posit at least once quarter, or whenever
you may have $4,000 Exclusive of
drafts of the treasurer of the United
States outstanding) on hand"
1t is not true as charged by Ashland, !"
that at the time | made the deposit of
$500, that neglected ''to pay the regis
ter's salary" That deposit was made
on the ID day of May, lSi9, at which
time the registers salary was paid up to
the end of the preceding quarter, (the
3lst Of March) and he was entitled to no
more until the end of the ID quarter (the
30th June.) The whole amount Of pub
! lie money in my hands on the lst of May
1S49, was about S760, ofwhich S5l3 20
was placed to the credit of the treasurer
of the United States, and the balance
was held to meet the incidental expenses
of the office. On the I'd day Of May,
1919, deposited at St. Louis, in pursu-
ance of the above instructions, the sum
of $500, leaving balance standing to
the credit Of the treasurer of the United
States ofSl3 20. 1t was then six months
from the date of my last deposit, and the
above instructions left me no discretion,
but required me to deposit sat least once
a quarter" and consequently made the
deposit above mentioned, and charged
the mileage allowed for travelling which
| believed had a right to do; and it ap-
pears that the comptroller was ofthe same
opinion, as he allowed the charge in the
adjustment of my account in which ii
was made; and hence the charge Of
"gouging" in that case falls to the
ground.
With regard to the third and last
charge, will state that the instructions
under the independent treasury system
required me to keep separate account
with the treasurer of the United States
in which | should debit myself at the
/. end of each week with the moneys receiv.
ed, after retaining sufficient sum tc
, meet the incidental expenses Of the Of
fee. The instructions also declaret
that money once credited to the treasure
should not be used for any purpose
whatever, except in deposit, or the pay
ment of drafts drawn by the treasurer O
the United States.
At the time made the deposit Of $500
= which left the Sl3 20 standing to tn,
credit of the treasurer, it was but rea
j sonable to suppose, that before the clos
= of that quarter (the 30th june a sufi
e cient sum would be received with tn
= amount then on hand for that purpose
= to pay the salaries and other incidenta
, expenses of the Office, and increase tn
= amount to the credit of the treasurer
: But such was not the fact, as the amoun
, received in the balance Of that quartz
e May and june was but S27: which
: with the amount before mentioned a
n held for incidental expenses, was used i
G the payment Of such expenses, leavin
the registers salary for that quarter ur
! paid on the Both June, at which time hi
n resignation took effect, and the offic
: was closed in consequence Of the vacar
= cy; and on the 10Th of July following
}, received notice Of my removal from o.
= fee.
l. The SI3 20 before mentioned as stant
S ing TO tic credit Of the treasurer on tn
e Sd of May, Isl9, could not be paid b
e 80: er.the. .saeafy:N .tip' !scEter due tn
= 30!I !ih:,:*;ihogt q. a.Pa3rabie violatio
e of Instructions, because money: :onc
! EplaSSt: % ihs:ctedit:st :the: tr:9surer :,
Iy Itsn: r.SSted !Staaties cahnit' be nsedfof an
'e purpose whatever, except in deposit {
l. the payment Of drafts. Then what W;
/ to do withit' The general regulation
y of the department require receivers whe
to superseded in Office to deposit the ba
to ance of the public money 10 their hand
~ and close up their accounts. This mat
J" it my duty to deposit this sum, althoue
er small. The instructions requiring me
deposit cat least once a quarter" al
e. made it my duty to deposit the amou
r of the nublic money in nv possession