The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-04
Froa the coyuss ~ W Ers-
THE PURSE or THE rropLE.-sEcRrrARY -euTH.

I
integrity and ability 10 the management o. the finances o.
nation, and that whenever eonuphoo and fraud hove
superinduce creep lno the treasury the POUNDS
tons Of the State sapped and decay and national rot
tenness the inevitable tesnlts
With natons with individuals, wealth issrengh, and
therefore the treasury Of nation Is the repository Of Us
available power for this that tbe people have
the highest practical interest IN Us management
i
The having reference the management Of The
public purse have The general approval OF the people and
mbody the highest wisdom OF long experience In legsaon
The point which challenges the attention Of the people
is to The of these laws by those who
comprehend their scope and spirit Was this desde-
am which than any other cause moved the masses
10 such ananimy in the OF 1884, and called back
the trust reposed in the last administration stained black
ened it was with Galphin and Gardiner frauds with the
perverson of public patronage and public funds TO party
and personal purposes Delay and neglect Of the public
business and corruption in the treasury the prime
evils which the people called upon remedy in that
Ii but just expectation that the present
administration would apply the much-needed corrective
The President felt it, and acknowledged it in his nau
gnra, and gave his pledge. Right noby did be redeem
his pledge in the selection Of that Of iron, of Roman
frnness and indomnbe WILL James Guthrie, Of Kentucky
The selection of COL r. O.. Washington assistant
ary served complete the peoples while POI
cal stock obbes and treasury swnders ioresaw the end
Of their game, and trenbed with holy horror TO the
ary scooled in finance and assistant entirely familiar
with treasury system to the minuest particular
and both CT them made of stern STUFF such AS rogue dare
acehe largest expectations were fully warranted As
this is subject in which the have the highest prac
teal concern let look briefly of the facts and
II figures ascertain why it is that the solid business
and practical thinking of the whole country have
generally manifested their entire confidence I'M and admit
ration Of the present able management of the Treasury
4 Department
When the officers of the present administration assumed
the rens they found the treasury very much
in the condition that assignee finds the estate Of in
solvent debtor who through careless management and
corrupt dealing has complicated bis Affairs and cucumber
4 ed his possessions beyond his capablity coatro
1t quite incredible that through the neglect and
ncompeency of Mr. Guthries predecessors the of
the balances against individuals the books of the treas
ury had reached the Of 32,53l,T04 I'm
der the vigorous administration of the present Secretary
the of these balances has been reduced ser
l48-hus closing balances the of hun
ded millions dollars Report Of 1854 page l2 This fact
alone shows the vgor with which the business of the de-
partment is conducted and contrasts strongly with the
management heretofore when accounts involving millions
OF disbursements were fue years arrears.
The provisions Of the MISUNDERSTANDING act had been
practically nullifed and the peoples money had been in
violation of law placed in the hands of bahkers brokers'
and spectators The amount thus Illegally deposited
estimated at upwards of $5,oooOoo which made the
basis of bank discounts and commercial operations and
subject to all the risks attending such business
This whole system has been exploded by Mr. Guthrie
it is the opinion of BANKERS and merchants that the
keeping Of the public money the treasury, and
OF the field of private operations checked extravaganza in
business and speculation and prevented general revul
sion the latter part of 1854 Several large failures
CURED in New York and elsewhere but they did not be-
come general and harm reached the treasury nsead
ort offs
mastered the exchanges of the country gets premium on
bis drafts For transfers to California alone he
$4,000 per year Premium drafts being issued until
the and preiun, actually paid into the treasury
Of the most important reforms introduced into the
treasury the of the adjustment of the accounts
of the collectors Of These accounts involving
the entire venue from customsabout S50000000
allywere habuay behndhand in settlement for about
one entire year What but default error and confusion
could be expected from such careessness The long list
of unliqudaed balances, almost from the organization Of
the government Is but the fruit OF such loose
4 system of accounting
Mr.. Walker made effort in ls45 to remedy the evil
but could not overcome the difficulties thrown in his way
Mr. Guthrie has however succeeded in this grand reforms
and these rendered monthly and settled
in the month succeeding. Every officer connected with
the treasury feels that there is eye in the department
which watches every movement, and that there sym
pathy pisi for frauds, latehes dfalcaiioas. The
happy consequence is that Mr. Guthrie has defaulrs
In all large ports have naval officers well
collectors The former the legal check upon the accounts
Of the latter But in the small ports have only collect
ors The danger Of fraud in these ports is therefore, quite
evident Nevertheless, from the beginning Of the govern
eut treasury has received without questioning the
turns of these officers unless there and the
face of them Mr. Guthrie determined to look outside for
the test Of these accounts and in doing discovered
line OF frauds of great magnitude before suspected
and If suspected before exploded and checked The
Secre,arys vigilance in detecting this description of frauds
is alone scorh millions to the people, for it will col
ecors that they be detected and exposed in this class
of frauds well others and deter them from their per-
petraton,
The abolition of inspectors Of Customs Of
the steps taken by the present Secretary He disposed
Of the whole regiment fell swoop and not one has
since been appointed These officers did literally nothing
except to travel through the country political propa
gandss to herald the virtues ~ and sound the praises of
those who had appointed thcm and thus prostued their
! official authority for personal advancement.
The reyenuecutter service had become broken down and
rendered inefficient by the appointment of idle, loang
young men, profg6s of politicians officers IN the service
and supernumerary officers holding commissions and
drawing pay absolutely against Law The pruning knife
was freely used here also and the whole system
structed to meet the demands of the public interests
The mechanics will remember with especial satisfaction
the accession of Mr. Guthrie lie has rescued their legit
business from the hands OF politicians and Jobhes