Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-09
Public Plumber.

WI oOIiH n COifftf, VI DiHSIldIHplOH,
n. Y, well known in this vicinity as a
sort OF, agent in getting special favors,
contracts, jobs. &C., for the parties or
A. interests who of late-until the last few
nionths-haye VIGOROUSLY had "a run"
of such fat things from the Government,
is " out" in a Binghampton paper with a
: long communication, ostensibly in e1pla-
nation Of the accounts of his brother,
James Collier, late Collector at San Fran
cisco, California. This paper is of so
extraordinary character as to deserve
notice. In the first place he accuses Off
GERS Of the treasury, who have been dis
placed since the fourth of March, with
having failed to settle his brothers. &C
counts, only to get an eventual opportu-
nifty to be employed as agents on his part
to effect the desired settlements, and
through other improper motives, writing
of two of them as follows, viz: " .'','''
.-fi :. Some of the officers of the late admins
tratien were however such watchfuf and scru-
pulous guardians of the public treasury, that
in relation to the accounts of other public
officers, they were, as / think somewhat or
sometimes, my per critical. which is word of
different import from hypocrttseuf. As to one
of the subordinafes, letter, the receipt Of
which is now for the frst time. acknowledged,
, informs me that he is 81 now out Of Office and
ready for business and that his services in
procuring settlement of those very accounts
are at our disposal .. for reasonable and
proper fee" Another letter written in behalf
Of nameless {. friendn tells us that Col. Col
lier has omitted an item in his account - of
$4,000, that he does not dream off, and that
this friend will disclose what the omitted item
is upon these reasonable terms ::If the
amount you gain will be $4,000 he must have
one-half; if it be above, onc-third of the ex-
cess .F.f...- .r..-.- ....
He also alleges that upon the same
vouchers and returns the officers of the
Treasury Department stated his account
at different times so differently, as to show
enormous discrepancy in the Departments
3. idea of what is due from James Collier !;
saying, IN this connection .
The &C counting officers of the Treasury
ferent statements of Col. Golfers accounts.
By their account of the 7th June,
1851. they claimed balance
against him Of. S791 900 81
BY new statement Of the ac-
count of 9th Sept. 1851, the
balance claimed was ......... 7S9 925 80
By statement of 24th Dec, 1852. 750.933 80
By statement of 18th March, 1853,
the Commissioner of Customs
q claims balance of. ......... ZIG, 7l2 43
And the Auditor by his accom- f.,
o. panying statement of the same ~.
20 date, makes the balance. 1S1 1877 90
There are four Give including the Auditors
official statements of the same accounts, and
UJ'oR tie same returns and rotchers, no two
Of them agreeing and the last balance differ
ing from the Hrst, by the sum Of 5000 PCS 81
We are satisfied that in the declaration
above mentioned concerning the vouchers
/, and returns, Mr.. Collier makes palpable,
if not willful misstatement of the truth.
Indeed, it can hardly be that there are any
persons so poorly informed as to the char
acter and qualifications Of the officers of
the Treasury under any Administration of
the Government, as to believe that they are
so incompetent TO add up and subtract
columns of figures, as to make, on the same
rOuchers and returns, this enormous differ
ence in their several statements of this ac-
count, as he asserts. Now, the truth evil
I, IDENTIFY is, that the first balance struck
against him, Of S79l ,065 81, was so struck,
over and above all suspended items; that
is, before he presented satisfactory vouch-
ers to justify the allowance Of the sus-
pended items. This balance was, ofcourse,
reduced in subsequent showings Of his ac-
count, by his presentation of vouchers or
I other returns and explanations which
were accepted in lieu Of vouchers. In this