The Union and journal., 1868-08-14
re Alleged Tras&. 9. the ssss.s Asxasr's
~ O1lee. fs1 49,

Tie alleged Frasds ta the 8eees1 AN4neS's
0Nee. $50
The Committee Of Cougress having In charge
the investigation Of The reported frauds In the
Second Auditors Office at Washington. termina-
ted Its l.bors on the 2lstult II will b graft
flying TO the public and especially to the numsr-
Gus friends Of Hon. Z. z. French. tho Auditor.
to know that the committee hiled to 6nd any
evidence Of fraudulent practices whatever. The
following Is the report Of the Committee sp-
pointed:
On the-dsy Of June ultimo. the Secretary Of
the treasury informed your committee through
Its chairman that certain facts had come to his
knowledge which had induced him to believe
that frauds upon the government were being
perpetrated In the payment Of bounties TO color
Cd troops. and requested that tho committee
should make an investigation thereof. Although
your committee were not entirely clear that such
duty was within the letter Of the resolution un-
der which It was raised, yet, In view Of the cd.
vanced stage Of the session, and the pro- able
impossibility ofraising new committee for that
purpose, your committee yielded to the solicita-
ton Of the Secretary and entered upon the in
vestigation.
As the desired investigation would involve an
examination Of the records Of the colored bu-
reau Of the War Department, your committee
requested the Secretary Of War to detail COM
petent officer Of the Adjutant Generals bureau
to assist them In tho investigation. The Secre-
tary accordingly detailed Brevet Major @. B.
Scott, U. s. A., an efficient officer on duty in
the department, who entered upon the duty Of
selecting and arranging such papers and docu-
ments in the colored bureau rs were deemed
necessary to be examined by the committee, and
pursued his labors with great assduity but
Just rs he had completed, and before he had
time TO submit his work to the committee, he
was stricken down by the hand Of death, Your
committee were, therefore, deprived Of his val-
liable assistance In the completion Of the inves-
tigation, and much Of his labor failed in It's use
fulness on account Of his not having been spared
to lay Il before your committee with such ex-
plantations N he alone could make. While, the
session being 80 near its close, the committee
hal no time to reiuvcstigste.
But your committee have made such investi-
cations As the limited time at their command
would allow, and have found that In the pay
mcnt Of bounties to colored troops irregularities
exist, and discrepancies between the records Of
the Adjutant Generals Office and the final set
tlement Of the accounts at the Second Auditors
Office are found.
In many cases such irregularity has been eI-
planned but your committee recommend that
more caution be used In making report Of the
status Of such colorcd troops, in order that du-
plicate payments be prevented In some cases
and the payments Of erroneous amounts in 9th
ers.
While these irregularities are found, your
committee have found no evidence Of fraud
agai.st any indiridual in either department
named. or against any agent doing business
with the same.
As the attention Of your committee has been
called to certain newspaper articles commenting
upon the investigation, and rejecting upon the
official integrity Of Mr.. Z. b, French, Second
Auditor, and Mr.. c. p. Blackmar, a clerk In
the same Office, they deem It their duty to add
that no evidence has been submitted TO them,
nor have they discovered anything In the cource
Of the investigation to cast any susbision upon
the integrity or capacity of either Of these gen.
tlemen