The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-09
WAsHIMuTON, juno 30. 1850


The Telegraph Of this place has the following,
which desire to give at length,--
" o observe in the NEw YoaK HERALD Of YESTERDAY Z
Washington letter of the 25tb Instant ia witch most
gross, taeant and bascie~e attack Is nsds upoa this
fiotr In tbe letter MIR kebnedy IL charged with
ing received higher cont than The law author
ges and 1t asserted hat tho Comptroller rvfu sed
TO admit his accounts, for want Of vouchers &c.
We have made inquiry this matter and learn not
only that Mr. Kennedy presented all his
asked for them but that Of them have hrn dissl
loved Mr. kennedy was aso asked for explanation,
which he promptly furnished
". learn still fnrher that when question arose re-
spec'iDg MIR kebDedy's compensation, he 1T once re-
rstd receiving any sslary only of sa5OO but
lst OF $500 also although rendered TO h,muntil the
matter should BE- decided beyond all CONTROVERSY
These being the facts. think it strnng. that any
one could thus ateUpt TO iDjuro the character Of pub
lie ofoer 20 crafty his own private griefs from any
other motive and cannot but deem It equally strange
that tho Committee OF Ways aud Means should permit
such to be ado Of papers placed in their possession
for their own calm and diapassiOnate examination.
The writer sp, axis Of this matter which Is Just
original, d. but the truth L. that
sgo by those concerned since which time It has rusted
There are some persons who imagine that an
argument is strengthened by the use Of abu .ve
ertbet, and the writer Of tho above article appears
to DO Of that class. As have nothing TO do with
him, do not choose 10 DO diverted FROM tho real
issue by his want Of good manners and SHALL thors-
fore, only reply to that portion which denies the
Truth OF tho statement in the HERALD, to which he
refers.
In the first place it is necessary to remark that
the statement of tho difficulty between Mr. Stuart
and the First Comptroller, on account Of Mr. Ken
nedy's claim, was obtained entirely from official
documents, and merely gave tho substance of those
documents. 1t was not stated that Konnedy . ro-
ceived higher compcI sation than the law au-
thOrizes;' but il was stated that he claimed higher
compensation, and that Mr. Whittlcsey refused to
allow it. And also that Mr. Whittlesey, in his deci.
sion disaowing it, expresses the conviction that
Mr. Stuart must have been msinformcd Of the facts,
or he would never have countcnanoed Kennedy in
demanding The compensation as secretary Of
board which bad ceased to exist. before kennedy's
o chico. experimenting Clerk Of tho Census
The Telegraph says that Mr. Kennedy was asked
for an explanation, which he promptly furnished
The truth OF tho matter s this: After Mr. Whittle-
sey had decided against his claim, he called upon
the Comptroller and desired to make an argument
lie was told 10 do SO in writing Some days aftcr-
wsIos, ne lett statement at the Comptroller's
Ter looked into the matter again, aad made second
decision still stronger than tho first, against Ken
nedy. 1t was principally from this second decision
that we compiled our statement; and it speaks of
kennedy's conduct in making out his accounts, for
I've months after his appointment, at the rate of
$500, and then suddenly putting in a claim for
larger amount, on the ground Of his still being Sc
cIetary Of the dcfunct Census Beard in terms not
the most complimentary.
The third paragraph in the article states that
kennedy" oncc refused any salary, either w 500
or $sooO, also, although rendered to him. until tho
matter should be decided beyond oil controversy !"
Az the matter is not yet decided, having boon ro-
tcrred to the Committee ON Ways aud Means, f his
refusal still holds out he has not received auy mo-
noy for good while But that he rendered
$500 year, III defiance Of the Comptroller's dc
cis'on, is simply not true. No person but the dis
hursiDg agent Of tho census fund, Mr.. Williamson,
hoe !" nigh. 10 pay him his salary. and if he has
decided the law allows him, he offered to
pay it out Of bis ewn pooket-a very
probable story williamson cannot settle HE
accounts unless the Comptroller passes them, and
$1,000 year, up to this very hour and will CONT
me to do so, until the law is altered
With regard to tho pay ment Of $l,7J0 out Of the
contingent fund, which Williamson made to ken-
nedy for his European tour, tic Comptroller refuses
to allow it, as having been paid without authority Of
law, and will not recognize any Vouchers satisac
tory, which the law did not contemplate.
The Telegraph says that the difficulty took place
months ago, and is not n recent occurrence. We
stated distinctly that five months after Kennedy's
appointment he made the claim which Whittlssey
r.pudiates. The difficulty then arose. and has con-
tiDued up to the present ume. and still remains I'M
adjusted The Committee Ways and Means have
ii now before them. The Comptroller has made his
decision and refuses TO reeeds. II is matter which
has yet to be settled, and the committee have been
asked TO settle it by giving Kennedy the entire
pensatien he desires. The committee, in order to
determine what KenHedy's claims, called for
the Cemptroller's decision, oi,d thus the matter
came 10 light.
We will endcavor to procure q copy Of al the
documents. which fully sustain everything VIC have
written. AZ to the fling at the writer that he de-
sires to "gratiy his private grief" it is not
only wholly un.ounded in fact, but ridicuousy abb
snd We have no griefs. public or private, to gra-
tify at Mr. keDnedys expense. Wo pever asked
favor at his hands. and never desired any. In
short, We don't care button about him one way or
the other. We find, by public documents, that no
has been eDdeavorirg TO get salary for Office
which the Comptroller Of the Treasury, Mr.. Whit
tesey, declares expired on the last day of May,
1860; and for which he himself put in no claim for
Eve months after he received his present appoint.
ment We find TINT the Comptroller spoke Of the
matter ss it deserves to be spoken OF; and being
opposed to al 'gouging" we eS posed the tran sac
ton, ana will follow 1t up to Mr.. Kennedy's full
content.