New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-18
WASHINGTON.
Tfrs Outory aboHt Claims, &o.-Dsrarftns s'at
Practice in the O.den Time.
Correspondence. u The Ne~-YosA Tr,uns

W.sHiseTos Tuesday. Aug u, le1i
The Opposition having had no opportnnl-
~ 10 make capital sgalns; ;hs Wing Party, since i's
advent &c power. IL the Executive cranca OF The
Government. ~ ouicnes sga.ls, populations DEAL
cations. SsariSoutlncS Hcy;. Price and We;mofe
hnanciering, have been obliged 20 resort 10 the
small business OF representing evcry honest deo'
agaans, the Government: which the Executive De
partmeni are called upon 20 pay. eIher nv oTueI OF
Congress, or he exercise OF power vested IN tneHl
a. base and Outrageous fraud nc that the Govern
ment Notwithstanding. draining the peoples
Treasury 10 pay them.
|: would surprise rlany good people "a ind how
small the amount thus honestly paid really Is, e.
pecially after taking out Of .he accoun. claims pad
out Of uus, funds held for Indian tribes, and o;her
moneys not belonging 10 the " Peoples Treasury
However that may they belong 70 class OF DEBTS
and claims which have been pad (and perhaps over
paid under Swartvout Administrations BY every
Administration since tle Government exls,e', with
out ever producing nlurmur. until w rug ADMIN
iStratlon came INTO power. The doeful outcrv stln
kept w about the decisions Of the Mexican CommS-
sion. the fees paid 10 counsel. &c. IS becoming
amusing. Some Of the Opposition journals are
specially exercised, with reference thereto ABOUT
the loss of the " Peoples money" A new light
"of that nix called The telegraph, IN tins city,
after propeundlng 10 Mr.. CoRwIS recently variety
OF questions which II saws " the People want an
swered. II am not sure but OF these inquiries
feTs 10 the amount OF money the Secretary eNpends
IN market of a mornIng,) agonIzeS through para
graph or two upon the loss OF the Peoples money.
as # Mr.. CoRwIN had actually robbed the Peoples
Treasury Everybo knows that the three millions
and quarter which constituted q part OF the inden-
nliy 70 Mexico. ard WIKI which she agreed to pay
the claims Of our citizens against her, was no more
part Of the ' Peoples money than L WAS part OF
The assets of tGe Bank OF England
If the Commissioners no decided upon the validity
Of the claims OF our citizens against Mexico, who
10 PAID out OF that fund. have been imposed
upon By false swearing and have allowed invalid
the means tails the - PEOPLES
Treasury or upon incle sam Those individuals
who were so unfortunate Is 10 Dc disappointed claim
ants NAV Justly complain and II any cases of fraud
can DC proved, they vii nen have an opportunity OF
presenting thoircalms for roheanng perhaps But
al tins outcry about claims IS still more amusing III
view OF the practices IN the Departments under the
dynastes Of the last TWO decades which we're inter
rnpted slightly BY Gen. HARRISON and routed by The
Honest Old IAYLoR.
Were one to give detailed account OF the various
devices which resortod 20. high and low. 10 oo-
tam plckngs from the Treasury not only but from
the private pockets OF the thousands OF individuals
who 60 business for and with Uncle sam. the tale
would be regarded as one of the widest Munchau-
sens or Guhvers ever penaed. VIII give one speci-
men, however. and what occurred when the eye OF a
Wing tell upon the record At The commencement
of Mr.. Van Burens administration. the Postmaster
of Troy, an old and respectable citizen. who had
held The post for some year., was removed or re
signed. tie transmitted his accounts TO The Govern
ment with the request that they might be adjusted
as speedily a. possible, and the statement snt. In
: y
Bank TO meet any balance there might be against
HIM The four wears OF the administration OF Mr..
Van Buren, rolled away, during watch ne ma vain
made repeated and conStan, endeavoTS 10 obialn
some kn0W edge Of hoW hlS accounts stood He mad
gwen II up de Spalr though he sui leii the money
IN deposit when Nh Grange with whom ne was
somewhat acquainted was installed Postmaster
General under Harrison.
The new Wig M General was scarcely warm
in ms Official chair before he received letter from
Troy, detailing the of the aggr eyed Postmaster
and mplora settlement Of hrs account at some
not far distant period Mr. GRANGER opened WIDE his
eyes and rang ms bell furously. When the messen-
ger came, he sent to call the Chief Clerk. How
IS this SIT p. asked Mr GRANGER "does II take four
wears 10 audit the accounts OF Postmaster - "
VIII Soc" faered the CLERK. who knew too well the
state of facts He fastened TO The proper DIVISION IN
the Auditors Bureau, and brought the Clerk Wno mad
charge of these accounts.
"Iwant TO know" SAID the VI General, " the
condition of the account OF the Postmaster Of Troy,
Transmitted four years ago
The Clerk replied. " that he would iaNc occd on
to look il up aud inform hun"
" Bring me the book instantly" SAID VIZ. g., d"
VIII have no further shutting IN this matter.
The book was brought. when, 10 the account,
which had been posted mp months before, erhbifed
balance due thu POSTMASTER Of 800.
d" Why has he not been notified ard The account
settled 80 inquired the aS'0nlshed Po>tmaSer-Gcn-
eral OF the guilty -ooSng Clerk
Why, Sit replied The Clerk. >ncaAngly, d" u
isn't the practice IN tins Department 10 notify erceW
cbtn me bGiapCe IN fIror of me GorerIuH,nf'
%
Of the element OF honesty INTO the practice OF the
Department. SAID NJ. GRANGER. " In the mean
time, do you state that account and send Il along
WITH Grat for the balance before yon leave the Of
nee for the day
In the course % the invest cations that followed,
1t appeared hat the old Cerk VINO had charge OF the
boohs had son Who was IL claim agent, and they
operated together The modaS oDerGRd. was thls The
old man furnished the son with the names, place OF
res denre OF a. persons having balances due them
OF long standing. or of such a ne and ms conieder
ates could create selays IN settling. The son would
then write 10 the party that he had CHANGED 10 DIS
cover that there was balance due HIM nom the
Government which he though; could be obtained
al any rate. he the agent would be willing 10 uy
II for per centage on the amount obtained Ot
course, IN 4gg cases out OF 500. the unsuspectng
creditor Of Uncle sam heeccd Out OF - or %
per cent. The extent 10 which TINS Swindle could
be carried IN a Government Ike ours s almost
beyond conception
The Galphn claim denounced q s~I indie
though Congress ordered II adjusted and paid"
and there As positive law and practice for the pay
ment of interest damages - because II was
founded upon treaty s.lpulatons, which civilized
nations usually consider sacred. There were. u Is
true, most unfortunate circumstances connected
with IT'S payment, but whatever may have been tie
merits Of the case, IL pales INTO lnSgnhcance IN
contrast with any single feature OF the coruptions
Of the Jackson and Van Buren, era. The one was
but serious indScretion, involving but trlfe OF
the vast sum We yet dishonesty on the score OF
Revolutionary debt-the other stands out bold and
glazing rs ugly prominence cannot De disguised or
soitened MORE ANON