The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-08-10

Correspondence of the n. 7. Eveni2g Post
WASHINGTON.
Washington, July ]


Among other things illustrative of The man
ner in which our finances were managed b!
the late administration, il is now whispered ina
the official bond given b. Mr. Collier. IS Col
lector of San Francisco, IS drawn IN sucA
an unusual and peculiar way, that 1t IS mol
worth straw. Whether the bond was drawn
up under the auspices of the Treasury Depart
ment, or whether i. was drawn on the die elton
Of Mr.. Collier himself, those who are interested
could tell. Nevertheless either by design or
by accident, Gt is difficult to say which, consid.
erng the partes,) It is pronounced 5y those
" no profess to know, to be, Or TO have been,
utterly null, and of no effect.
Another place has also been discovered,
where Mr.. Corwn has started another plank IN
the treasury, which has occas;oned a most exc
hausting leak 1t is known to those conversant
with such affairs, that Congress annually makes
| an appropriation, specific IN amount, TO deiray
the expenses of collection; and the amount was
limited, it became a matter OF wonceEment, how
MIR. Corwin, by one mysterious operation, at
the same time avoided the effect OF this limited
appropriation, and the non -concurrence OF tue
Commissioner of Customs in the payment oil
certain claims The way of it was this (and ii
was probably discovered at tie same diplomatic
supper which negotiated Mr. Nc Gianis into i'll
health, and Mr.. HARM gton 10 the chief clerk
law is construed, the Secretary has unlimited
control of all payments which be brought
under the denomination of "expcnses of "coi-
lection," the only difficulty, before stated,
being the limited amount appropriated by Con-
gress for this purpose. If the money could on
ly be mlde to hold out, some device could be
invented which would bring almost any con-
ceivabie claim under the desired nomination.
But to get the money to pay the claim, even
af err it was, in tue laconic Official language OF
the Secretary, "ordered to be paid, was quite
another affair, and to accomplish II was quite
financial exploit. However, owing TO the I'm
questionable genius OF the late Secretary in this
line, or to the acu' eness OF some Of his adyls-
ers who attended the supper, way was soon
discovered 1t seems there Is on the statute
books law of Congress, passed the 10th oil
October, 1857, for the payment of "debentures
and other charges and as the expenses of col
lection, and as the convenient phrase s'other
charges" with such Interpreters, could be rend.
cred sufficiently comprehensive to include every
thing on earth, in the air, and under the water
the difficulty was at once overcome.
The first care of the operators was, to have
the claim classed with those falling within
the denomination called "expenses OF colec-
ton; this placed il under The control of the
Secretary of the Treasury, and there, if the par.
ties were brought 10 stand by the failure of all
the regular appropriation for the payment of
these expenses, Mr.. Corwin would fall back on
his reserve, where the appropriation
limited, and draw requisiton under the act of
l6 h October, 1887. By the help of this loose
construction, millions upon millions have Leak
ed out of the treasury, under the immediate aus
pieces of Mr.. Corwin; and il these unscru-
pulous operators have not been entirely too
sharp for their successors, and covered their
tracks so effectualy as to leave no mark Of their
proceedings, an inquiry by Congress into the
nature of the payments made under this appro
priation would well repay, by the richness Of the
disclosures it would make, any time spent in
making the investigation.
Some attempt has been made, in certain
whig quarters, TO whistle these accusations down
the wind, as being too absurd and monstrous for
belief. Possibly they are; and more may yet be
added to their absurdity, by further develop
ments and an array Of facts which may appear
yet more monstrous and incredible. am fully
aware of the import of these statements, and
know full well whom they will affect. They are
not made lightly, nor from malignant motives
nor yet, because the actors are wings, but be-
cause it was believed to be public duty, which
should as soon be performed were democrats in
stead of wings TO come under the accusation
II may further be said, that these accusations
are made with the less reluctance, knowing as
do, that il they not true, the friends Of the
parties implicated have il in their power to call
for The evidence of the public documents now
of record here. Especially in the case of Mr..
Collier, il his accounts were not settled sub
stantialiy in the manner already Indicated, let
his friends deny the accusation, and call for the
evidence to be found in his accounts, and the
action of the accounting officers Of the treasury
on them, all of which are now in the archives of
the department. The same may be said of the
alleged practices in the Solicitors office, except
that portion OF it still lives in the memory Of
some Of those affected by it, where there is
good reason TO suppose it will remain indelibly
vad