New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-21
WASHINGTON

,rs> Eouestrian statue D, "rss Md terraae.,
u 4, The matter OF -alaries- '"e nc"
s,s.,Tbr dncnify la abe Interior Department.
f,--nonaenco Of The ~ y. lnps's 49,, ,r,s A. 10 ,o.a
-, e.. rho erection of the equestrian statue OF
h;I.o WHICH Mr. Clark Mills, tue artist, has pre-
va 81 The President for his approval conIempates
rnS,anditure Of quite $SOD,JOO To that emu wrote
~ lI.rday that there was small chance that Gen.
49, ,ronld listen TO any proposition llkey TO end IN
te S;a more than the $4,000 already appropriated
sPeDSu.s noose A knowledge Of the Tremendous pro-
~ ;n,osse above stated, satisfied inc that Mr.. Mills
IN and fatty informed that if not willing
n % fpsL satisfactory work FOR tue $4,000,
he has 10 DO will be 70 say 10 aud mat the President
o., report the fact TO Congress at the next session
49, question Of some public interest was recently de-
g. ht,cen the second Controller and the Attorney
o..e,ol which, ss decided, is said TO make ncT and
~ inst ruling indeed. The case IL rs f0iOws VIZ
TIE Hon hobt. A. Thompson OF Va, recently appoint
"A Land Commissioner for California at ~o'DJO per
scnam (vbo is here with his family his way to the
p.r6e side) made application for his first months pay
Ss from the date OF bis appointment Inc COntrOiier
Tho Treasury WIN Elisha Whiitesee, or MS al inter-
4. representative Mr.. Seaman) hestated ABOUT MAKING
s psyment on the ground that ne was not cntted 10
A. ,.d under the law until after entering upon the dis
gsl~a az the dutes of the Office However, the law
Iinfs involved we're duly referred to the Attorney
nrneraI who advised that he is euted from the time
n taking the oath Of Office though the officer whom he
s out 10 succeed is also entitled % be paid until Mr.
actually SOpflstucS HIN III ptihVus
60 no others than diplomatic fgDctiOuar5s
scvd 10 be entitled be paid long their prede
sessors we're legally drawing pay for the same places,
and they were paid under the operation OF the law allow
mo three months pay for an OUTFIT to the one and an IN
ssto the other Under this opinion Of the Attorney
1eDersl Dir. Thompson has Of course received his
money. 80
50 long as this reading Of the law is confined to cases
xbtren officers OF tue Government are stationed at
points 70 Gar distant as to make the sacrifices and ex-
80 L...-
pense Of changing residence as IN TINS case very heayy
h. operatOn will work well, because it works justly;
but If stretched as il hardly be under the exceed
inoy cose.fsted people holding the Ieins of the
Ceyernmon il might open the door to unnecessary and
gery heavy drains on the treasury.
The Navy Department have adyices from the Med
terrAneon SQUADRON up to the 18th ult, when Con
dore StrDe6sm was at Spezza, with the frgate Cum
bersnd preparing shortly to leave for cruise up the
Arehpeago taking Athens and other ports in the way.
The steamer Jacintho there Also gettog ready TO
sail tor Alexandria carry over Gen. Jones Mr. Fill
pores ConauI-General to Egypt. The Levant aud st.
louis we're on a cruise All was well with the Squad
ron a. far az was known upon the Cumberland at that
period,
As all sorts of InOrs afOat with reference to the
recent difficulty between the Secretary OF the Interior
and MIR Robert II Williamson, who months be-
fore the retirement Of tho last Administration dis
nssed from the position of Dlsbursing Agent of the
Census Fund and for the Department OF the Interior it
3 due TO that gentleman that the truth should be-
10 settle lis account unless be was allowed commission
for disbrrsiDg as special agent His original dill ,ulty
with Secretary Stuart from the fact that, acting
nbder the advice Of Controller Elisha Whtlesey he
hled 20 pay MIR Kennedy the Secretary of the Cen
sus board after that board had been abolished aI1
X bad received the appointment of Chief Clerk
at she head Of the Census Bureau Congress in abolish
ing the Board, transferred its business entirely under
tbeStcretary of the Interior aud provided hat The de-
tails of it, management should be placed in charge OF
~ Il q ~fa =. 100 eN u
tnry Of the original Board had received Afcr paying
Mr. Kennedy under The las mentioned law for some six
or seven months, be MIR X obtained order from
Secretary Stuart ulng that he should be paid Secre
taD of the BOafd-S3,t on per annun williamson
fused to so pay him except Joy positive order The or
der being mado aud the money being paid under it, Mr.
Controller Whit,lesey refused to pass Wiiamsoas ac-
count for the OyecpaymeIt Mr. stuart then consented
that Williamson should Withhold KoDnely's pay al
together until he had made himself "wh)e.' AID
shen, iust az W. lod thus reimbursed himself
Secretary Stuart again issued pcremptory order for
Williamson to pay 81 u back pay at the higher rate
claimed BY Mr.. Kennedy This Td,f Mr. Williamson
positively refused to obey, the ground that the Con-
roeT bad positively refused 10 pay bis account for any
such disbursement Mr. Stuart thrretpnn removed hun
The difficulty really being between the Secretary aud
CoDrOller while Williamson was merely the lucklesS
wight 20 catch the lows Of both begercns on his own
pascnihe target Of both aud the shield of both In all
he dsbursed one million two hundred and twelve thous-
had some 600 of the public money in hand or Cor
which he was accountable. lie paid up SIS 300 of this
ontlat occasion, and sealing MP $500 in gold he
placed in one Of the banks of Washington Il await the
decision claim TO small per centagc for services
rendered as a special agent for the disbursement of the
Census Fund.- his appointment to disburse the money Of
HAT Fund running in these words, written by Mr. Sec
TetaU Ewing who had always promised to make him
hr compensation fol these responsibilities and services
Which entirely extra to aud foreign from his legii.
mate duties SAO0 Gle Of the Department Of the
Interior | omitted TO mention above that having de.
pcsited the $4,000 above stated he placed the certh
OF depOse in other and responsible hands so as t.
escape any possible charge of desiring TO the money
until il had been accorded to him as his own by the ac.
counting officers of the Government
The present Secretary OF the Interior entirely ignored
biz claim TO per centage at least until he had gvenup
tie balance appearing againt him on the Departments
books alleging too, very properly, il strikes me- that it
would never do 70 settle with any such public uactOnary
on hs terms while he assumed the right % with
hold money which In his hands, under such crcum-
sspces 1t well known here that there were forty or
my persons who having been somewhat similarly EN-
Poyed to disburse public funds were Shaving off final
settlement, until MIR WiamsOn's claim 20 q per cent
eshoald be disposed of expecting all OF them TO get
Their similar claims admitted on that precedent Knowing
& TACT take It forgr0ned che new Secretary ofthe In.
.eor poed Williamson that unless he paid up he would
lethe value OF the penal clause of the Sab Treasury law
his ease, if but to satisfy the others that they had
peter obtain receipts in full with little delay as posi-
ne 80 Mr- Williamson not being disposed to be mar
Vuzod Tor the benefit OF those 10 the background
Promptly paid up themoney preerring TO rest his claim
q It's own merits, applying 70 Congress for its liquda
nen the Secretary declaring that he had no authority
9cer the law for Its liquidation As man and public
scer nc one stands higher in the community than M
W who being clearly entitled TO look for extra comnen
sAuon Tor the extra services rendered and under the
sPeehe promise to that end (of Secretary EWingO viii
frxmG