The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-29
INTERESTING LETTERS.
Our Washington Correspondence.

WAsHISGroS, June -, 1852
TfosNe tef,com the Sccrefa Of the Interior AVID the
FS,Ai Co,nprol,r-T The .ruith Census, &c.
A difficulty has sprung up between the Secretary
az II c Interior. Mr.. Stuart and the First Comp
troller Mr.. Whiile-ey, in consequence Of tho refu
sal Of the Comptroller pass upon certain accounts
of Mr. Jas. c. G Kennedy, tho experimenting
clerk OF the office, who elsms a greater COM
persation for the duties Of his oce than is allie sed
by law according to the showing Of the Comptroller;
and alec claims the payment Of his expenses, in
cured by trip 10 Europe. out Of the contingent
fund Of the appropriation. The case is stated
as follows -
On The Sd Of March, lSi9 Congress passed an act
entitled An act 10 make arrangements for taking
the Seventh Census" BY this act board was con-
stituteo for making preliminary arrangements.
sisting of the Secretary Of State Attorney General
Postmaster General, which was styled tho
Census Board The duty Of this board AZ SOC forth
in the act, wac to prepare ard to be printed,
sucb forms, SC. as would facilitate the taking the
census, when Congress d. to make appropria-
tiors fer that purpose Joseph c. G. Kennedy was
appointed by the Census Board Secretary, at sa;a
~ at the rate of 1000 year. When the board
completed the duties specified in the act, = report
was unoe 10 Congress TO that effect, ut the com-
mere, meDt Of the year 1850
After a good deal discussion Congress pa ssed
an act, On the 23d May, 1850. eititled act pro-
vidug for taking the seventh census. The former
act alpontrg board 20 make preliminary arrange
merits. having expired by its own limitation, the
Secretary Of the Interior wac authorized by the
act 81 I'D May. TO exercise control the taking
OF the census. aud 10 APPOINT superin' snlng clerk,
NJ salary of 81 500 year Kennedy was appoint
Cd 10 the office. and sworn in For five months
thereafter he made out his account and received the
salary ms experimenting clerk. at the rate Of 81 500
ayesr AT the end Of hat period new light orok
in upon his vision, and he claimed that he still
Secretary OF the defunct Census Board. as well a
experimenting clerk Of the census Office then in
lteree; and as the salary Of the etary
5000 and that Of the clerk only So 500. he chose
to receive the salary secretary, il was the
Target.
The claim thus put forth acIuiesced in by the
Secretary OF the Interior. But Mr.. Whittcsey, the
comptroller is the watch dog of the treasury, and
no money can be paid out Of the treasury unless it
receives his sanction ("r IN certain thu Of the
second conptroler) Mr.. Whttiescv after care
full investigation cded that the census board
pred by the limitations of the net which consti-
tu,cd il and that tue act Of 1850 took its place.
That The Board had right, and did not. in fact,
pretend TO extend the 'erm o. office Of its subor ii
mates beyond its own exist nee That il Kennedy
is, IS be claims, still Secretary of Board which
has no existence. he is (under the decision OF the
Attorney General that person hold two offices
at tie timc) entitled - both salaries, and not
merely to the highest. But that from all the facts,
including Kenredy's own view Of the matter for
five iI"ntbs after he was Appointed Experimenting
CIeh it Is clear that such Office as Seer etary of
the Census Board now exists, anu that Kennedy is
entitled TO the pay OF the office he actually holds,
and 30 other, MIR. Whittlesey considers that the
decision Of The Secretary IN kenaeuy's iasor must
have been ruadc IN ignorance Of the facts. which
arc so clear as to leave no room for Doubt He
fers Kennedy to Congress Zoe relief If he does not
consider 81 600 Year sufficient salary; but As
there is provision by law f,r increasing it, the
Comptroller canrot allow increase uuless Con
gress secs tit 10 order 1T
This is one branch Of the dificalty, The other
srises in this way: BY order of Secretary Stuart,
the disbursipg agent Of the Census Fund, Mr. Will
Hansen. ady.nced 10 MIR Kennedy, out Of the
tineent fund. $3.50, to taee tour of Europe, the
Secretary promising that Kennedy would give
Williamson satisfactory vouchers therefor on his
return. The vouchers are not forthcoming, and
Whittesey refuses to pny the account, holding that
the Secretary had 10 right to order the payment of
the money without authority OF law.
The matter has been submitted to the Committee
on Ways and Means, to allow the sums asked for.
The committee have very little Intention, however,
of dorg SO The salary allowed by Congress for
experimenting clerk was distinctly and explicitly
stated II understood by Mr.. Kennedy at
the time Of his appointment, and that sun was all
he asted for five months after his appointment
The claim he then set up, Of being Secretary 20 "a
Board which had expired by TIE very act which
created the Office be now holds, Is monstroueiy
absurd As for the European tour, it piece
OF bold favoritism. There WIS not even the shadow
of II, ssity FOR sending him TO Europe lie went
there 10 attend the Worlds Fair officer oi the
Smithsonian society and. after showing of in Leu
Jon. took Ia pleasure tour on the continent The
excuse for sending him was, to gather statistics as
10 the manner in which European countries took
their census Even if Congress had not fixed the
manner il which the census should be taken bore,
and the kind Of statistics to be collected, &C. before
KeLnedy's European tour, still the journey would
have been useless Any information which Ken.
neoy could procure must necessarily be in writing
statistical information, and all the nations III
Europe would be happy to forward TO this govern
inent all such noi nation, either through our miu-
listers abroad, their ministers here. The whole
matter presents case Ut fayoritsn, and it is
to be hoped whs ever expense WAS incurred 10y the
proceed .ngs will be borfe by the patron OF the nGi-
vdual. and taken from The pockets ct the people
of the United States. The documents in the pos
session 0f the Committee Ways and Means
voluminous, ard place the whole matter III AL its
deiormity, and it is TO be hoped they viii be
printed as q curiosity
WASHINGTON, June 25, 1852.
The Nominations for Tho Presidency The Prospects
If the Partics-Ihe Deficiency BIZ. &c.
If VIC are TO judge from present appearances, the
nomination of Pierce by the democrats meets with
response from that PARTY Infinitely surpas sing in