Washington sentinel., 1853-12-10


and the moiety thereof was divided between.
the collector naval officer, and surveyor Of that
port, giving to each $3,292 62 over and above
their Fixed salaries.
The one moiety OF the twenty per cent. addi'
tional duties which those officers also claim
during the official term of Mr.. Maxwell, amounts
to the sum of $65,769 80; and, should the de
cision of the question be in their favor, there
can be no question that the compensation OF
those officers will be more than was intended
/ by Congress and more than just compensa-
ton for their services. If the New York Gus
tom house officers are entitled TO moiety oi
this twenty per cent. additional duty, the like
officers at other ports will also be so entitled,
When claims are asserted against the collector
Of port for which Judgment may be rem
dered and execution levied upon his private
property, the desire arises to hold the amount
until the question is decided by the courts, un-
der the belief that the Secretary cannot, under
existing laws, pay the judgment without an
act of Congress. The attention of Congress is
called to these questions, in order that the
proper remedy may be applied.
Instructions accompanying this report were
sent to the several collection districts, with the
view of securing efficient and reliable subordi
nate officers, and to ascertain whether any and
what officers heretofore employed ought to be
dispensed with. The collection districts have
in part, been visited by agents of the depart
ment, with instructions to examine the manner
of keeping the books and accounts, and to as
certain in what manner the various employees
discharge the duties confded to them, and also
whether there has been a surplus or deficiency
of force employed, and to make report to this
department. In some of the districts part OF
the official corps employed has been dispensed
with, and in others it has been thought best,
with view to the prompt discharge of the
duties, to allow additional officers. In some
cases the compensation has been increased,
and in others it has been reduced 1t is in
tended to have all the other collection districts
visited and examined in like manner
Many applications have been made for ap-
/ pointments as secret inspectors Of the customs.
Upon examination, it was found that it had
| grown into a practice for the department. at its
discretion, to appoint secret inspectors Of the
customs at different rates of compensation, and
that latterly the number of such appointments
had greatly increased. A statement Of those
thus employed since the. Goth of September,
j 1850, with the rate of compensation allowed.
accompanies this report. 1t could not be as
certained that any advantage TO the revenue
| had resulted from the employment of this class
of officers, and their employment was dscon-
tinued.
An examination was also made into the
revenue cutter service, with view to ascertain
the character of the service and its efficiency.
| 1t was found that large number of additional
officers had just been appointed, and after al
lowing a captain and three leutenants to each
vessel, there are still ltwenty-seven officers more
than the service required or the law allowed
The matter was submitted to the President,
and the supernumerary officers dismissed A
list of the officers thus dismissed, and of those
now in service, with list Of the revenue cut
ters and their stations, accompanies this report
/ Besides the $2,243,OO0 which was found at
the commencement of my official duties to have
been advanced to agents for the purchase of
the public debt, it was ascertained that the fur
| ther sum OF 200 was in the hands of agents
under agreements to transfer the same for the
department to different places of deposit, to-
gether with the sum of $2,226,9S2 q unac.
counted for, and designed to pay interest &C.
The withdrawal of this large sum of $4,944,-
982 q from the treasury, where the laws re-
quire it to be kept and its deposit in the hands
Of agents for considerable periods of time, be-
ing deemed hazardous to the treasury, if not in
direct violation of law, it was thought best to
reclaim the amount, and abandon that mode Of
transfer and paying interest, &C., and to effect
4 the transfers by the sale Of treasury drafts at
the points where the money was needed for dis
bursements, as authorized by law, or by an ac-
tual transfer by an officer Of the department,
and to have the interest, &c., paid by the off
GERS of the treasury. The plan adopted answers
all the requirements of the service, with all ne
cessary economy and dispatch, and with less
hazard than the previous one. 1t is proper to
state that all the above sums have been re-
placed in the treasury, except 100000 for
which suit has been instituted at Columbus, |
Ohio, and is still pending. pledge Of stocks
OF various descriptions was taken for part of the
S4,944,98 II, but none had been taken for the |
100000 in suit in Ohio, and there is some
apprehension that that sum will be lost
Upon careful examination and considera.
ton of the treasury acts it was considered
within the power and duty of the department,
if not absolutely required, to cause the public |
money to be always in the treasury, or in the |
custody of the assistant treasurers and deposi-
taries designated by law, until regularly with
drawn for the purpose of disbursement in ac-
cordance with appropriations; and that all
powers vested in the department in relation to |
the collection, safe keeping, transfer and dis
bursement of the public money, should be in
trusted to and exercised by its officers That
plan has been adopted and adhered to, and no |
difficulty or Inconvenience has arisen from the
working OF the system, and it is believed none
can arise,
The 9th section Of the act to provide for the
better organization of the treasury, and for the |
safe-keeping, transfer, and disbursement of the
public money requires it "to be safely kept
without loaning, using, depositing in banks, or
exchanging for other funds" The section not
only requires the assistant treasurers, &c., to
perform the duties specially imposed by the act, |
but also requires them to perform all other du-
ties which should be imposed by Congress or |
by any regulation Of the treasury department
made in conformity to law. The disbursing
agents of the several departments of the gov
ernment being without safe places Of deposit for
the public money intrusted to them, it was
deemed right ehd within the provisions and the
spirit Of the law to require the treasurer and the
assistant treasurers and depositaries designated
by law to receive deposites from the discussing
agents of the government and to pay out the
same on their checks. A regulation to that
effect was issued and is in operation, and ac-
counanipc fhiS renorf II ~ .,,oa+ or,,,,,;