The New York herald., 1868-06-30


VIII be very little busi Aess of an Official character
emanating from hf Adquarters, however during
General Grants at .sence, unless compelled by cir
arisir q In other localities. II is not
probable that al e Will originate here
Retur of the Chinese Embassy.
MT. Burlr game and his associates Of the Chssese
embassy ksaned to this city this morning. The en-
tire daV erss passed within doors, recovering from
the 'Atigaes OF their all night journey. The Navy
yard and Printing Bureau of the Treasury Depart
pxenf will be the next objects of pssit by the
embassy
The Frauds i'm the Settlement of 3ounties to
Col0red soldiers.
So many complicated statements concerning the
recently discovered frauds in the settlement OF boun
ties tosoored soldiers have appeared owing TO the
complicated character OF the method Of settlement
of these bounties, that 1t may be worth while to give
correct account of the course through which these
claims 90 and the manner in which these frauds are
alleged to have been perpetrated All the statements
that have been published imilicate the Pay Depart
nent in the alleged frauds whereas the Pay Depart
ment by no possibility Rave anything to do with
them. This impression has partly been made by the
fact that the alleged frauds being investigated
by the Congressional committee, OF which Mr. Lin
coin is chairman, which committee was origi-
nallY appointed to Investigate alleged frauds in
the Pay Department The labor for which the
commmitte was organized has been completed for
some time past but its report Is withheld until the
conclusion OF the present investigation under the
impression that the examination OF these frauds
may be found to extend to the Pay Department
In August, 1866, Paymaster General Brice entered
into arrangement with the Secretary OF the Trea
sury, the effect of whcn to relieve the Pay De-
partment of all colored bounties and provide for
"
which time not one Of bounty to colored troops
has been examined and made. up by the Pay Depart
ment. The official routine through which claim
for bounty and arrears OF pay must pass to
final settlement Is as foows:-The claim
is filed in the Second Auditors ONCE of
the Treasury and Is taken up in Its turn for exami
nation. request is sent to the Bureau of Colored
Troops in the Adjutant Generals Office to know what
data the muster and payrolls contain In reference
20 the claimant 1t should be stated here that the
regulations Of the army require the following dispo-
sitiOn to be made OF the muster rolls of companies:
Four muster and pay rolls and one muster roll are
made one of the former is retained ty the company
commander, one is sent to the Second Auditor and
two are given to the paynaster. The muster roll,
without the pay roll, is sent to the Ad-
utant Generals oflce. After having paid the
troops the paymaster files the two rolls in
his possession in the Second Comptrolers Office as
vouchers for the money dsbursed thereon. The
Second Auditor and the Second Comptroller, there
fore, have the only COPIES of master and pay rolls
and the Adjutant General has the only copy Of mus
ter rolls filed in theirefices The law required that
ii negro slave prior to April l. 1861, 1t should
be so stated on the rolls ard on his enlistment
papers, and If such entry is not made it il as
sumed that the man was free. On receipt OF the
reply from the Adutant Generals Office the clerks
Of the Second Auditor make up certificate
of the soldiers claim and send Il to
the Second Comptroller Of the Treasury for his sig
nature. As this officer is made finally responsible
for the accuracyof all such certificates they crt
cally examined there by comparing them with the
duplicate rolls h their possession. Having lleen
pronounced correct the certificates countersigned
by the Comptroller and returned to the Auditor ~ ho
sends them to the Commissioner of the Freedmens
Bureau. Now, by section first OF the joint resolution,
passed March o. 1867, all bognties due to cOlUred
troops who residents of States in wblch slavery
existed prior to ,Apr l, 1861, shall be pam to
the Commissioner OF the Freedmen's B.greau
and by him be paid to the claimants. when
the certificates are received at the Freedmens
Bureau they are presented at the Pay Department
and the amount called for paid the disours-
ing officer Of the Freedmen's Bureau. The amount
is by the latter officer deposited in the Freedmens
claimant or his attorney in the State where they re-
side at the branch savings bank there located. The
manner in which the alleged frauds perpetrated
Is stated TO be As foows:-By coluson between the
clerks and the Adjutant Generals Once and the
Second Auditors once, whose duty it is TO prepare
the certificates the claims OF colored soldiers
who were slaves prior to April l. 1861 ,and
who were consequently entitled to only 500
bounty, are made up for them as free in
which case, they are entitled tc $780,
These certificates cannot he detected as 'fraudu-
lent anywhere except at the Office of the Comptroller
where it will be remembered, duplicate muster rolls
are filed When passed by the Comptroller as cor
rect, both the paymaster and the disbursins officer
OF the Freedmen's Bureau, are justified in paying
the amount demanded. When the drsft from the
Freedmens Savings Bank here is honored at the
branch bank, the attorney Of the claimant 1t is al
1eged pays to the latter 800 and reserves the re-
manning 5000 which he deposits in the general fund
Of the ring Thus 1t will be the circle OF operators
is an extensive one, and must have been very ell
Caently organized to have carried on this gigantic
swindle upon the government for so long time I'M
detected. Their movements have not been alto
gether exempt from suspicion, some account of the
operations of this ring Of swndlers having been gwen
by your correspondent in these dispatches about a
year ago. Enough was then disclosed OF the exist
ence OF these swindes 10 furnish the heads OF the
departments indicated with sufficient data TO insti-
tnte an Investigations but the warning fell unheeded
as 1t Is evident that the evils continued unchecked
to the present time Rumor has it that multitude
of claim agents and attorneys are implicated,
although the fun extent Of the organization cannot
be ascertaned unless one of the men concerned
in IL is brought to confe sson.
sonfhcrn Delegates to the National Conven-
ton FavorinS MIR. Johnson's Nomination.
Alarge number OF delegates from the soush 10 the
Convention at Ne~-Ycrk arrived yester.
day. Many OF them have called upon the President
and assured him that they would vote for him In the
Convention. He pays very little attention to these
promises believing that he has no chance 1t is
stated that he advises them all to nominate Chase
Proceed dinss in the senate Executive Sess ion.