Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-15

1 "-s-.oos giving nUuCe 10 thc aCcOuuui
ofhcer here. They were made payable, in fact if
upon their face any where and believe have ben pa
otner points than those upon which they wore dray0
! II drawn on New Orleans, they might be paid pNe'
iorks ana thus they foated about the coynry ga k
o. ps OF exchange whereas it should hsfe
tnat they should be made payable att certain ana
within certain and proper time Under the2 crcnm
stances u became impossible TO settle the accons OF h'
sen.ed ana settled at proper tines and at fxed periods
Is impossible to make rests and strike the balances
often enough FOR strict accountability
IL is indispensable that rests and balances should be
made periodically and every exertion should be made to
cause them to report promptly II IS much more i'm
portant matter than it to be- for without 1t there
can be no due degree Of responsibility. was shown, at
the Third Auditors Office, pay roll upon which clerk
signed his receipt for his pay by making his mark
Another person. teamster signed his in the same way;
and yet there was q certificate stating his account in
which his name was signed in q good clerical hand. !
was also told that in there found
81 600 in addition Another quartermaser brought
in, during the Mexican war; the accounts FOR ut least
eleven, and perhaps thirteen quarters at time The
consequence IS that the accounts are all and
no man can tell what the real amount Of the deficiency u.s.
do not believe there is inside or outside Of the
Department who can pretend to make reasonable
approximation 70 the real amount. Deficiencies have
come in from California since this bill reported which
will probably add largely to the amount already esmat
ed asked Gen. Jesup how much these would add, and
ne said he could not tell till the accounts were settled
know that it is difficult thing to enforce order and strict
is matter to be accomplished by degrees It u.s. how
ever time to endeavor to enforce strict and prompt ac
countabty. Without it the Executive cannot know the
condition Of the public Treasury nor can Congress know
IN what manner and IN what sums to appropriate money
IS shall show more fully presently As long this is
he sss they ar a wRt the said
appropriation one-half And Who 49, D Sa al
striking in the dark under such circumstances for
with what care may we are compelled to act without
proper light and information. r4 ttsf ", sr
INT whv IL IL that these accnunts are
in in the Third Auditors Office since the year
1a47? know that Auditor to be honest industrious,
woodworking and that he found the accounts in
rehrs when he in, and has not had force enough
since to cable him to bring them up He told that it
was useless TO give him any additional FORCE unless he
could have that kind of experience which required to
make out these accounts How we know what force
TO add where to add unless we have assistance
from the Executive Department? 1t is more than
year since the Senate, my motion ordered call upon
the Executive to present plan for equazng the saa
ries IN the same grade Of service and for recognizing the
clerks in the several Departments, for the purpose Of
making the force efficient and up to this day we
have had the CALL although these facts and
others were staring them in the face.
know something about the clerks in the Executive
Departments. Some Of them, know, have genius and
aeat and character enough to fill any post in those De-
Payments, from the highest to the lowest know that
tSmpstent and idle also to be found theremen
Who cucumber the Departments and live useless PEN
toners upon Government Good men are laboring there
billing sometimes by night well by day, under the
learsickening consciousness that degree of merit
insure them promotion, or always preserve the places
thich they already FILL but that idle and incompetent
nen may be placed them merely because they can
Command more political influence If these Departments
tere reoganzed if their modes of ransactng business
tere more systematzed and the machinery adjusted
to show by its working both the competent and ncom
ent hands which it employed; and above ALL if this
nizaton held out proper prospect Of reward and pro-
4oton to merit the public business would be better per-
trmed, and by fewer persons, and at less expense.
Lar
81, and that ideness will be punished and you will soon
ae another and different spirit annatng them There
talent enough in these Departments, if they pro-
ery organized to make them such models Of business
Establishments as any Secretary who presided them
might well contemplate with pride and pleasure. But
SIR effect this desirable end these Departments be
organized as to do justices the employees must know
al every American citizen in any other occupation knows,
that the road to promotion is open to them, they in
ustrous and honest and capable and that if worthless
and incompetent they must leave the places for better
men to supply In doing this, would not only ensure
at less than the present cost much efficient service,
but We should elevate the character and respectaby,
and Increase the happiness of the corps of clerks them
selves; and submit if this be any small argument? Is
not corps of efficient and experienced clerks essential
to tie good government of our country army or
nav and yet sir, Notwithstanding these circumstances
which appeal so strongly not only to the of policy
but 10 the movements of those who administer the Gov
ernnen the call to which have referred has been slum
berAg in the Executive Departments for more than year.
and no answer has been given to 1t yet Sir surely
the condition of these Departments calls for amend
ment and reform. The Third Auditor requires adj
dtonal force and ought to give him force enough
to settle the current accounts promptly they come in
and bring up the old arrearages of rapidly
as can well be done. II is shame that with over
flowing Treasury cannot state what is its true
dtion settle promptly the OF public
wants What is so likely to demoralze the public service
as the want Of strict and prompt accountability the
part Of the agents Of Government ? -ef., Eli r
But Mr. President this is not the only difficulty. There
have been innovations upon old usages in my opinon upon
laws which have been highly detrimental do not say
that these innovations originated with this Administration
Some Of them ready-made to their hands, and some
Of them far can ascertain did originate with this
Observation-Disclosures which Congress ought to sup
press shall show you Of the for the pre-
sent confused state Of public accounts and how it is
that cannot act inteigently in relation to them.
We all know that in 1895 law was passed requiring
all balances of appropriations, with certain exceptions,
which unexpended after two years from their date,
to be carried to the surplus fund Then, in 1920
passed Law covering in which these appropriations
drawn by the Secretaries Of the War and Navy and
requiring that they should be returned the fund within
two years Well, how have they regarded that law 7
They have been acting it told for eight years
past under the deaand how they derived it know not
that unless the Secretary of War; the Navy said the
purpose accomplished for which the appropriation
was made it would not go into the surplus fund and
that in opposition to lucid and cogeAt opinion Of
torney general given upon the very TO which refer
mean that Of Mr. Berien, Attorney General Of the Uni
ted States, the 18th March, 1881, when his opinion
taken in reference to this very matter and in which
he gives it his clear and decided opinion that the
money must go into the surplus fund 1t too long
/ read here, but vieh had time to do and submit
that every person who does read it must the
cuson that II is the correct construction Of the law
But permit me to 20 step further before proceed
10 illustrate how this practice Of reservng appropriation