The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-01
Our Washington Letter.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DAILY NEWS ]

Ouk ~ HuSA4uS3 UUu 0CUtCIs
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DAILY NEWS
WASHINGTON, January 28.-Obaerving men hav-
ing to do with the Treasury Department more or
less intimately, and knowing of the routine of its
several branches, have been of the opinion these
many months that al was not going right in that
bureau of the great temple Of national money
changing which has exclusive supervision of print
ins the multtudinous promises to pay" Of the
Government. The operations of this branch Of
the Department. arc more extensive and involved
than any other, and in the exercise of tho daily
method that applies to its ramifcations, there is,
perhaps not single step in which whatever germ.
of depravty or weakness possessing tho operative,
is not awakened and urged to peculation. In
printing it's bonds and currency, the Government
have endeavored to use exclusively quality OF
paper invented BY one Of its artisans %tn veM y
is that the depot from which the Treasury Depart
ment draws it's supplies of paper for note printing
is obliged to account, with scrupulous exactitude,
upon every scrap Of paper manufact1rad and
which, once delivered, is counted BY sheets,
copt from the head of the Bureau: From
the latter, each invoice of paper is distributed
with similar mnuteness among the ,pressmen" OF
the Bureau, and all exact record OF the number OF
impressions taken is kept by an employee, solely
directed to watch over the operations of the press
Here then, are three processes Of the greenbaek
printing, Which must produce results that tally
exactly, or fraud is unlnlstakeabe. The counts
of the manufacturer and printer must balance;
the monitor or guard at the press must agree with
tho pressmens receipt, anl the number Of bonds
the hands Of co-ordinate branches Of tho Depart
ment, finally remain to test the correctness OF
each step Of the problem. It would naturally
seem that with such multiplicity of wheels within
wheels, far-sighted operative would give up tho
temptation of pecuation as o matter too complex
for successful attempt, for it is evident that in
order to mako a s'strile" Of some magnitude the
"steal" must continue several months, and could
only be consummated by the completely Of
some fifteen operatives, who are ordinarily re-
quired to follow q method designed to dis
cover the least abstraction OF bonds or paper in
withstandj-T the labor and delicacy of working
up q COM ICY Of such extent, it is reportei
within the ast twenty -four hours thnt tho Trea-
sury Department hns como to the realization of
the existence Of o scheme quito as tar~reaching
and enormous il, it's fraudB rs it would previously
improbable, or impossible At al
events, tho Bureau has boon closed up, tho opera
tives temporarily discharged, and the whole sys-
lem, which has previously becn kept in operation
"
for the Government, has entirely suspended, This
cessation occurred Yesterday by order of Secretary
McCulloch and al tue appurtenances OF the green
back manufa tory were forthwith surrounded by
Nh army Of Treasury detectives, and are NOW being
and investigated as no bureau of that
Department was over subjected to before. 10 all
inquiries on the subject tho Treasury officials are
as nun, as the tomb, and among the six hundred
clerks employed BY the Department. thore seems
to prevail q scared sense that "someth .g is up"
,viDr ha
There is but little doubt that system Of mag
nifcent theft il to be GisclOsod or at least dSc0U
creditor it is not always that the Government
proves either candid or expressive sufferer Ill it's
losses. AS for tho Bureau, I have known those six
months that the active managers OF the American
Bank Note Company in New York. who make tho
business Of printing paper money science OF pre-
caution and cure, have all along entertained the
belief that under the system in vogue at the Trca-
surs Printing BGreau, colossal frauds and losses
must sooner Or later como to light. You will OBJ
serve, by your dispatches of this date, that tho
House has become alive to the eXigoucits OF the
case, Notwithstanding tho suspension OF opera
tions adverted to above was intended to hayo
been accomplished with the most profound quiet
ude. The resolution adopted thus morning o.
vides that the Ways and Moans Committee shall
take exclusive conduct OF the investigation, and
'shave authority to send Tor persons and papers.
The S.ecial Committee appointod by the House
to investigate the New Orleans riot maintain
evoking testimony. Witnesses Of every class and
condition are every day summoned bofcre it,.
from the travelling correspondent OF the Now
York Tribune, who failed to SEQ the row on
account OF pressing business in q part of the city
most remote from the enae'ne to an imported
larkey, who testi1es that nc was piEng lumber in
'front.' Of the editice occupied by the Convention,
md witnessed the whole affair up to the time he
auit work, having finished the job Into in the after
noon. About the only spicy event connected
With the investigation is the fact Of the Commit
ee's pummoning the entire fifteen members of
he Reconstruction Committee to testify as to
Yhat they knew in the premises. During the
Democratic member of the former Committee,
brought up the report that the New Orleans Con-
1ention was only conceived by the Southern loyal
sts' after they had been advised by letter from
congressman to organize o meeting with reference |
% such revolution Of the State Government OF
AN be obtained, it is indub tably proven that |
Chad. Stevens WAS the author Of many, as the ex-
,onert of the wish of the Reconstruction COM
nittee. Mr.. Boyer pressed the matter most un-
nercifuIly upon the latter, prefaciny his diroct
TRUSTS at "Old Thad" by interrogating with be-
oming gravity, both Congressman Rogers and
senator Johnson-{lh only Democrats on the
to their completely IN this irfa-
nous correspondence suggested. This done, tho
ucry followed to Steyons, who, i'll anticipation OF
be question, was nerving himself for the occa-
ion. After deal OF ludicrous muscular agita-
ion, Old Thad finally admitted that it wls possi-
lie lie had written letters advising the call of the
lave said in the course Of such correspondence
hat tho Reconstruction Committee sanctioned,
would sanction the CALL but on account Of The time
hat had since elapsed (nearly q year ago. ho
would deprecate any positive assertion on the
ubject. VIDEA.