The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-08-15

consideration the regulating diplomatic
eular system of the United States pending which, at
o'clock, the House adjourned.
Tor the Union.
"uovERNoR" FREMoNf&N CALIFORNIA
THE HUFFMAN DaAFTs-On the 18th March, l847, Gov
ernor" Fremont borrowed of r. huffman fifteen thousand
dollars, and gave him four drafts for $4,000 S5oOO
1000, and $4500 (he la'eT far PREMIUM making
m aggregate of $l9,500. TIE drafts were lGlwn on
the Secretary Of State and mere profsci N aon-dcceP
ance as the "Governoro had author, 10 draw upon
the department Nothing was sGil z 0"t tic non
payment of the drafts until the l2A August, l9!8 when
Governor Fremont being then in aalingon city
mited his for disbursement in California during
the years s47 and s4s In his general account he charged
himself with moneys received by him from Purser Speden
and Captain Gillespie, of the marine corps,
And he claimed credit for dsburscmer ana
advances amounting to...."..""........... 1851 10
Leaving balance due him o......,..,...,.. 1861 IS
The whole of the above balance paid him Or bis agent
follows On the eth September lsls @305G OF was ped
on the 5th April 1850 1913 IA paG ard theremander
of the balance, amounting TO S893l 81 Was placed to his
credit a set-o0 to balances Against nm.
Appended to the above rendered b. Governor
Fremont and settled above stated, lie following
note to which particular attention ia called, it affords
progf posioe that Goyerno, Fremont recognised in
dvdual responsibility to huffman for the auoant Of The
drafts
ain addition to the sums above credited drew tpo
drafts on the State Department in s47one in favor of F.
Huffman Ciudad de los Ahgsiss for $4,000 (ess the
of 30 per cent premium paid and the other for
liam Wolfs Knott htch drgttS h1eng 5>sn protested and
not recognised 5y the gorrnmeat doht CONSIDER them
chargeabts to my account J. 4. FltLAONI
We talicse the number of the drafts the description
therein given Inaccurate and furnishes evidence of the
carelessness OF disbursng officer the government which
| IN IN he
drawn in favor OF Huffman stated by him to naccn
thousand dolldrS in drg Their only transact
ton with Hultmannamey, for tour drafts, amounting,
in the aggregate nineteen thousand t fd dollars
The original drafts file in the dTGrtu a. gulct to
the examination Of serchets after u tol the 4l5t OF
March to the 9th Of October 1917, "crnJr' Fremont
drsbursed to Major Red4uE AMI ." I.a1.:. 9. Sl4,-
SOC r. which allowed The Dc. b ,.1.' 5-' '-oh
TO the Huffman drafts ttou2h, On t~r H, W.. y, 'eE
and above the paa GoyDEnoi 4l..-at on set
tlement in ls4s the following drLis AIRED to HIM
In the I'd Auditors Office lmoneys re.vc.... sal S.
o.,....,.... $40 90
4th ........ 10 ....... money received t,ym
Major A. G. GILES ie (mllltary con-
tribuuons) 1916 90
G3s7 IS
In 1852, Governor Frcmon, went Enp'lrd aud
arrested on a writ from her Britannia MWcs5 Court of
ExcheQuer at the suit Of A. Gibbs Of London (the
assignees Of F. Huffman the 'oa several bs of eK-
change or drafts above spoken Of As oa as the news OF
his arrest reached Washington, t introduced in
C6nkress for his relief The cIu laid in N" name OF
r. Huffman before board q army 4 rn, composed OF
Brew Col Smith, I'd ARTILLERY MAJ Ir conmi0sarr depart
ment and 1t Col. Thomas, quar- smasler r.. a 1nent
who were appointed by special n~to' IS to eH-
anime into California CLAIMS. The =.rnendcd
payment Of the claim in the following " y:
"The board is OF opinion that tbc Co # t-t and rec
ommends it TO the favorable consdeTn " onEreSs.
The grounds OF the opinion so rel oTtt no. aetto!th
I. was not stated whether the claim q " man yur
simply because he uds The holder q IL d~ n an accredited
officer Of The government 5ec1use he oary oa', in the
opinion Of the board due from the United States Gov
erpor Fremont The board did not have before 1t the
counts OF "Governor Fremont others oT epfdcRc'
which as and in the departments having bearing upon
Huttmans or other claims presented to hc rcasous Of
which are set forth follows in the letter transmitting the
report to Congress
Congress resrics1 in the examination Of the claims pre-
sented to simply receiving such zoF7on' and sDtoHy
as might he offered by the claimants Or hor agents or as
signs aud 10 sset The same from anD c5r than official
sources such az the records Of Treasury md other de-
psrtmens Of tho government might furnish"
From the above report It will hn seen that the board
had no authority under the act Of Congress TO 60 into the
departments for evidence.
When the report made to Congress II was supposed
that the amount proposed by the bin would not exceed
$40 800 the amount Of the drafts The bill passed order
ing the money be paid without leaving any discretion
with the Secretary of the Treasury except that he should
be satisfied that the amount obtained the drafts had
been expended for the benefit of the public service
The facts were "hat had been expended for the pvbc
,viee' and further that long prior to the passage Of the
appropriation bill he (Fremont had drawn the money
from the treasury and it his duty have paid the
debt to Huffman it had become ndUidaal ds on the
part OF Fremont the he drsO tie aloaey from the
treasury and consequently not debt due BY the United
States.
In carrying out the provisions Of the act the proper Off
Ger Of the Treasury Department reported July 1883 TO
the Secretary after enumeratng the facts, rs follows
"Thus 1t appears
"1s That in liberal stns NE proceeds or ao TRAITS
referred to expended for the benefit Of We P1n ser
vice.
AID That the of saia "yTcn lit-~" been re-
funded 10 and settled nth Col. Fremont
"3d That Col Fremont u.s. and ob9~o md on other
accounts matched the books in the gnn q S633 49,
to which is be added if the present payment 70 t11 the
amount Of said drafts less the premium Of SA5c0.say
SIS oO0-making aggregate indebtedness Of S2l,-
337 49,
On the 9th Of July 1862 the Secretary OF the Treasury
having no discretion ordered payment made to Gibbs