The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-04
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.


haporfaf Creaar-1he Secretary OF the Treasury has
issued circular instructions to the Treasurer of the United
States the assistant of the United States the
teasurers OF the mint and the branch mnts, charged
by law with the duties of assistant trcasurers and the
public repositories designated under the fifteenth section
of theact Of the 9th of August, lSf6.
The act Of Congress of March g. 1857 entitled an act
TO amend act entitled An act 10 provide for the bet
ter organization of the treasury and for the collection
afe-keeping transfer, and disbursement Of the public
revenue requires them to safely keep all moneys de-
posted by any discussing officer disbursng agent of
the United States The department instructs them,
" Wheneversuch money shall be offered for depose with
you by such officer agent shall be RENTED to you
for the credit of such officer agent you will receive it,
and place the amount to the credit of such officer
agent your books subject to the checks of such Off
Ger agent as hereinafter directed"
1t is also provided by the act tha disbursing officers
agents shall draw for the deposited only in
favor of the persons to whom payment is to be made in
pursuance of law and instructions except when pay
to be made in under twenty dollars Such
instructions should he given may enable this provision
made practicable If drafts only be made pay
able public creditors in person. according to its literal
terms, the intention Of the act would be defeated
very large proportion of the persons to whom pay
ments required to be made reside at such distances
from public epositares that they would refuse accept
drafts in payment if compelled to present them in per-
small portion of the current expenses of the
United States could be paid by disbursing officers
agents under strict construction of this act
Should the depostares recognise drafts payable in
the alternative the persons whom payment is to
be made their ordersuch form would upon the
public depositaries the responsibility Of verifying every
endorsement upon drafts presented for payment under
the hazard of being compelled to pay the true out
of their individual property should they have paid the
public money upon any forged endorsement of such draft
Dsburng officers checks have been osevera years past
extensively employed of remittance from
section Of the country to another This will not proba
bly, be lessened by increasing them, according to the OBJ
vous intention this act and the risk of forged endorse
ments will of be aggravated. This department
cannot impose such hazard on depositaries
The only and proper mode of enforcing this pro-
vision is accordingly to instruct you to decline the pay
of the drafts checks of disbursng officers dis
bursting agents unless drawn in favor of persons whose
identity is known, and presented for payment by them
agreeaby to the terms of the act such checks may
be drawn in favor of person bearer according to
the form heretofore sanctioned by this department Such
checks as may be drawn by any dsbursng officer dis
bursting agent payable to himself bearer must either
contain the statement that they drawn to pay small
claims or list schedule of the claims to be paid by
the proceeds of such checks must be received correspond
ing in amount before the deposaries will be authorized
pay such checks unless the head of the department.
under the orders of which any disbursing officer dis
bursting agent acting shall expressly authorize the pay
ment the checks of such officer agent payable to
himself or bearer without such list or schedule which
the authority and pay of such checks will be fled
The circular instructions to the disbursng officers and
discussing agents employed under the direction Of the
Treasury Department are clear and specific and conclude
as follows:
In all cases. therefore, where disbursing officers
discussing agents shall receive money for the treasrers
drafts RENTED upon specific estimates for immediate
pendt,re they viii at once dsburse the money the
purposes and objects estimated without the delay and in
convenience of placing it in public depostary unless it
be near at hand in which such deposite may be
made The current disbursements for expenses Of collect
ing the and the construction of public buildings
in charge of this department will accordingly be periodi
cally made pursuant to estimates provided for by the
treasurer's drafts, as heretofore.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The T5nzcand1 Hdns.A delegation of this tribe, from
New York. had conference yesterday with the Secretary
Of the Interior They DESTROYS of remaining the
lands which they occupy, and, from all accounts,
are an industrious and intelligent people The Secretary,
while member of Congress, the uniform friend of
the Indian and we doubt that in the business which
has lust been brought before him for his official action,
he WILL to the extent Of his power cndeavor to advance
the Tonawandan interests.
The The Patent Office has received letter in
relation the cultivation of the poppy in Germany We
copy the following extract
"The poppy is cultivated in southern Germany TO a