The New York herald., 1868-03-12
THE ALLEGED DESTRUCTION OF BONDS.
Report Of the Retrenchmcnt Committee Rcla-
tive to False Certificates Of the Destruction
Of S1O,64O,OOO Of United States Bonds.

WASHINGTON, March IL, 1868.
Mr.. Van wyck, from the Joint Committee on Re-
trenchment to whom was referred the following re-
solution:-
be and is hereby instructed to investigate the
charges made by the gentleman from Illinois tMr.
Logan) in reference to the false certificates OF the
destruction Of s1S640,000 OF United States bonds to
report TO this House tomorrow
would respectfully state that they examined
number Of witnesses and find the following facts:-
That the paper which bonds printed is issued
by the Chief OF the Currency and Printing Bureau
to the counting division, where 1t is counted
by three official counters, the person
ceving being charged and accountable for
every sheet At the same time the character
and denomination OF the bonds Is assigned TO each,
so that the aggregate OF values Is known AT each
paraton sheets are soled or torn or deiectvey
printed OF such record Is duly made, counted BY
committee, burned or destroyed by maceraton,
under the director Of another committee with the
same particularly bonds issued and returned.
This is the theory and practice OF the Bureau. This
il the process:-A committee OF three four-one
each from the Secretarys, Registers and Irea-
surers ofllce-to count the bonds and currency re-
turned for destruction. Then committee OF four,
each from said offices and citizen outside the
department. appointed by the Secretary whose duty
is TO receive from the first committee and see that
all such bonds and currency are actually destroyed.
| However, all bonds for destruction must come
through the Registers Office, where they are can
celled by punching both the bonds and the respec-
| tive coupons In the case Of coupon bonds. Three
books OF registration are Kept IN which are entries
! denomination certified by the counting committee;
! also a certificate of the second committee that the
same have been burned or destroyed: said books are
kept one In the Secreiary's. one III the Registers
| and one in the Treasurer's Office. When sheets
partly printed or blank destroyed, 1t has been
usual not only to designate not only the number OF
| sheets but the denomination they would have II the
| sheets had been perfected into bonds and issued.
Eversthnr appears as If the bonds were perfect ex.
cept that the top OF the page OF the book Of GER
tifcates is stated the value and character of the
1nutr oh pnfr pt fbp o.
ment shows how far the sheets were printed, some
times on the face back, tinted, bronzed or blanks
During Secretary Chases term, the Printing
Bureau being charged with the number OF sheets and
| the denomination thereof, the same as printed,
Claimed sre, Sre m som% oncy oe NE ssen raue e was
/ intended to possess. secretary Chase sustained the
view OF the Bureau General spinner the Treasurer,
| not only disscnted, but refused To have them so
credited; II was finally agreed that there should be
! the same formality in counting and destroying aud
the record as in the case OF bonds perfected,
aud that they should he credited. not money but
! denomina,ed 'statistica:" this Is formal and
designated record to correspond with the original
| Issue.
The present charge of abstraction is Of registered
bonds Issued under the act OF March 8 1865. sheets
were issued in June and July, 1884, to print large
| number OF different denominations Before they
were all used . committee OF four was appointed ny
the Affairs OF the Printing Bureau. who MADE
an inventory OF all bonds complete anu delective.
| They also found certain blank sheets Tor thiS
OF 5ondsbeing the lot In controversy-not yet
printed or soed These they also took, making an
account thereon under the uenonnallon W HAe oceii
attached To Them by printing folded ana deiivered
them to Mr.. Root OF the Treasury once, who re.
ceipted for the sxttilve thousand sheets a. blanks
win the denominations named. He paced them IN
charge OF Mr.. Seller. the head Of the East Room VINO
placed them safe in his vault where they remained
til December, 1867, when question arising ~ To
what disposition should lie made OF tbem the Secre.
fary ordered that they should be DESTROYED. They
were then dl1y counted by tie counting colnmii,ee
"a uD The number and intended dcn0mi.
nation, of Which record was dniy made.
aud they were then delivered TO the destruction
committee "a be destroyed. schedule oi
the number Of the sheets and aen9iriuatoas
was delivered TO Mr. Ncalt ol The Registers
once, one of tnc pegftactiun Conn'iicc not hnON
ilg the meaning hcr n, az I've lad never before de-
sirugrd any perfect baLk Sheets except III snai
0uantics atiOneh 10 han 'sec' 10 tAal department
over eighteen months. MI NC'Se mate inquiry Wly