The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-08-03


should be sent directly from the manufac-
turer to the Secretary of the Treasury
which is not done, as advised. They de-
sired that some distinctive mark should
be placed on each sheet, which is not
done. They detail the mode and manner
by which Mr.. s. M. Clarke should be
held responsible for every sheet put in
his possession, which is not done. They
recommend system of cheeks upon req
uisitiuns for paper, to which no attention
has been paid. They deem it desirable
that daily returns should be made to the
Secretary as to each and every sheet,
which is not done. They find, as the Com
mittce found, that through the hand of
Mr.. Clarke alone passes al paper into,
and out of. the several divisions, as they
recommended another counting division,
to which no attention has been paid They
recommend, and think tho existing laws
demand, that the imprint of the Red Seal
should be affixed in the Office of the Sec-
retary himself, under his especial direc-
ton, by an officer directly responsible to
him-an imprint now done by Mr.. Gray,
the arpointee and employee of Mr.. Clarke
alone. Six distinct and very important
Recommendations are offered by these
gentlemen, holding high Offices in the
Treasury, to not one of which has any at
tention been paid
MIsPRINT OF BoNDs-Loss OF $40 NOTES
ACCIDENTAL ISSUE AS TO TIME CT
INTEREST BEARING NOTES.
The inattention to these recommends
tions and the neglect of these precautions
are greatly to be deplored-for, without
them, an unscrupulous man may rob the
Treasury of thousands and thousands of
dollars. Apart from the periis of fraud,
the existing system tempts and leads to
carelessness and theft. Mr., John Oil
plant, who has charge of the Loan Branch
in the Treasurer's Office, exhibited to the
Committee a $1,000 Ten-Forty Bond,
enormously printed, which with al 9th.
ers of the like kind, Congress, since this
discovery, has been obliged to legalize by
statute. The number or amount of these
in circulation, he did not know. Mr..
Clarke, it would seem, discovered this er-
ror some time before it was made known
to the Loan Branch in the Treasurer's
office. The peril of error in the printing
of large bonds is obvious without comment,
and again demonstrates the necessity for
separation of work, and of check and
counter check. The testimony of Mr..
John G.. Clark, teller in the banking
house of Riggs & Co, also discloses the
fact that an interest bearing note of $40,
out any date of issue upon it, or any Sc
ries of numbers. Taken to the Treasury
Department by the teller, Mr.. Clarke, the
remark there was, 'It was evidently stol
en-. 1t must have been stolen from the
Bureau over which Clarke presides. p
Four or five of these notes were reported
to be missing from the Bureau. Clarke
explained that the $40 note, and three or
four others, had been stolen by scrub
bing woman employed by him, and that
the sheet upon which it had been print
ed, had been put into the vault as multi
ated money. There would seem to be no
need of cmigrating to the plGcers of Cali
fornia when scrubbing women can thus
pick up $40 notes. Mr.. John G Clark
further testified that in April, $4,000 of
interest bearing notes were paid him, da-
ted in advance, the 18th and 10Th of May.
The Treasurer told him that they got out
by accident. "They were intended for
San francisco, but by accident they got
out here" These are but accidental il
lustrations of a ''perilous" printing of the
public money.
TESTIMONY OF REGISTER OF THE TREAS
URY AND OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY.
The testimony of Mr.. Crittenden, the
Register of the Treasury, is as to the bu-
siuess of printing money, very significant,
as we'll as important Henderson and
Clarke, it seems there again turn as COM
panions, sintimate associates" Mr.. 81 end
erson advanced in his style of living very
much-far beyond what Heads of Depart
ments were able to afford. He was under
stood to keep two or three horses, to have
bought fiue house, and to have furnish
ed it elegantly. 81 heard yesterday MAY
81 he was in Clarke's division, though
not employed there"-and there in a
Money Bureau, after being removed for
gross frauds in his duties as requisition
of warrant clerk there, where not even
a member of Congress can go without q
written order from the Secretary him
self!
The responsibility, or power, which Mr..
Clarke has, in himself, or, of himself, that
is, exclusively in himself, are worthy of
note. 1t seems by the testimony both of
Mr.. Crittcnden and of MIR. field, that in
Mr.. C:arkc's department is done all the
printing of the interest bearing Treasury
notes, of the Bonds of the United States,
of the Certificates of Indebtedness, and
Of other Securities, even to the afixing of
the Red Seal, which was once thought to
be great check aud security. The ap-
parently written names of Mr.. "Critten-
den" and of of Mr.. "Spinner" are printed
by Mr.. Clarke. The Red Seal was form
aIly affixed under the direct supervision
of the Secretary, but Mr.. Clarke has had
the s.machine" sent down stairs, and
placed in his (Clarke's) possession Mr..
Field expressively says, (holding $50
one year interest bearing note):
"The paper on which it is printed is
contracted for by Mr.. Clarke. The pa
per is delivered to him. The printing is
done under his direction; and the fac