The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-01-24

short of seventeen hundred dollars The
government claims, alter crediting lin with
all the vouchers he has been able to furnish
Sl61 600; and his own clerk, as | am informed |
at the Department, fixes it at $3.50, 0O0 He
was, as your readers know, the late Navy |
Agent.in New York. and when his defalcauon
was first announced. Locoloco-hke, he came
out with flaming card, that he was ready to
pay over when his accounts were finally adj |
iusted. This has been done more eXpedi-
tOusy than he anticipated or desired from a
decision made at this term by the Supreme
Court of the United States in a case OF late
Pmser IN the Navy, where the same princl-
Tle was contended for as setup by Wetmore
| 1t will be remembered that, over and above
his commissions as fixed by law. he claimed
extra commissions for discussing a large
Iamount of government funds during the war
with Mexico, which he inssetd was no part
of his official duty as Navy Agent To Sc
cure decision of the courts upon this ques-
ton, was his excuse for holding on to nearly
two hundred thousand dollars of the public
money. In the case of the Purser OF the Ma
w referred to. who had claimed commissions
under precisely the same circumstances, tine
/ Supreme Court of the United States have
Iuecided that such commissions are an illegal
and unwarrantdble charge on the part of the
Disbursing Agents ofthe class have named,
and that they were properly rejected by the
accounting officers of the Government. This
leaves MIR. Wetmore without a preteXt of an
excuse for longer retaining this $l6l 600; and
as he avowed a willingness in his card 10 de-
post the amount as soon as this question OF
commissions was settled, the opportunity is
now afforded him to redeem his pledge. But
! will he do so This can be best ascertained
from the action the government has taken III
/, 1.-THE matter They have so little faith in his
, public avowal of willingness to dIsgorge this
, Ilarge sum of money, wrongiully, and by the
terms of the 10th section of the Sub Treas
: lury act. feloniously with ED from the United
States. that they have instituted two suits
: against hm-one upon his official bond wheel
: is but for $50 000 aud the securities to which
are good and the other against him lndivd
ually, for the remainder OF his de1alcatiOn at
: Ter deductng the face OF the bond, amounting
to the snug little sum of one hundred HllC
= lthirty-one thousand sir Hundred doiLarS.-
: For this last sum the government expect Il
realise but little. If, however, Mr.. Wetmort
2 lpays up as he promised in his card, the treas
I urv will be unexpectedly relieved to just tha
: amount.
{ This prince of a deiaulter was one of Gov
: Marcy's great pets. and one of the most libe
: raj contributors TO the detection corruption
5 fund.- of the Loco'oco party in the city o
e New Y rk The idea Of having as honest
I. man as General Taylor elected Presi lent al
e most shattered his mind. and rendered him
+ fit subject for lunatic asylum. Could Gen
L lCass have only been squeezed in whose low
d for the FLESH PoTs had taught him the
{. system of double and tribl commissions i
}, the disbursement of government funds VIII
lis there so foolish rs to believe that the Wet
y more, DENLY and Patricl Col ms dedication:
: lor the Brown NJ. 2 and Naglee swindling oP
q erations, would have ever been heard Of @
II exposed? Far from it. The fat sow woul
d have been still more creased and defaulter
% and REGULATORS would have ruled the dest
L MES Of this Republic. l cannot copclud
what Aave to say until tomorrow.
e ASHLAND.