The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-12-16
Frauds in the Note and Printing De.
partment OF the U. s. Treasury.


That the officials Of this government
are more corrupt thun those Of any 9th
CT government under the sun, is fact
that admits Of no doub'. Every paper
we read contains accounts OF some fraud
committed by them, either in the Gus
tom Houses, Post Offices, Internal Rev
cnuc, or Treasury Department Or the
frauds in the latter, W. copy mn account
of the congressional Investigation, taken
from the Washington Star:
Over two years ago charges wete made in
substance that the affairs OF the printing and
note Department. of the Treasury Department
had been carried on in criminally reckless
manner, resulting in enormous losses TO the
people, and that it's conduct was so loose
and free from proper checks TO prevent ras
caIity MS to call for the Intervention of Con
gress, which body referred the nccusa ion
TO n select committee of two Senators aud
one Representative, Senator Edmunds,
chairman. The committee, after spending
about Two years in thorough examination OF
witnesses (employed in the Treasury De
mcnD and personal inspection OF machine
nv, books, etc, has made report covering
several hundred pages, which partially sus-
tains the charges. and makes the statement
that the aggregate OF securities Of the Gov
ernment created since 1850, and up 10 DC
toher 81, 1867, amounted to over SS,212,'
OU0, 900, of which the printing bureau pre-
pared about 81, s27 900, 900; that most of
the bonds, certificates of Indebtedness, gold
certificates and fractional currency were
executed 10y the bureau, while the currency
was nearly all engraved by the bank note
companies that of the second series of the
7.3O loan notes of the various denomiua-
tons, from S00s to 80, 0UOs, are unaccount'
ed for, making the total missing Of that
issue in value SIGG, $50; that the 'duplica'
lions" of third series 3 2Os, 1862, were cX
ecuted in the Treasury Del arment, and
mot outside OF it," ms alleged by 5. NJ.
Clark and Others of the Department; that
of third series 520 bonds. February 70,
1852, over seven thousand 9lO0 notes, over
ten thousand $500 notes, and other denom-
nations, i'll all 81 ,595, 900, have not been
satisfactorily accounted for; that various
bonds marked as destroyed ON tue books
of the Department are not destroyed, or ut
least no proof OF destruction is adduced;
that the methods OF accountability and com
parison between the various Bureaus in the
Department, MS well as in their own opera
tons have been imperfect, aud in some
respects grossly careless that It has IRE
quently happened that vouchers would be
taken for the interchange Of securities On
slips of paper, and given up when settle
ments would be made, leaving no recorded
evidence of the transactions; that in respect
to the deliveries OF most Of these securities
from bureau TO bureau and from branch to
branch in the Department, no books OF
account were kept IN the form Of debts and
credits, aud comparisons made and balances
struck, etc, and have led to considerable
confusion, even supposing the discrepancies
before stated to have been the result OF
merely innocent error; that one evil Of this
lack of accounts, &c, was, that in the
course of printing and transmitting sccnri.
Ties to the Register office, il WAS The Gus.
tom to send with each thousand impressions
a quantity of EXTRA impressions not Number.
Ell, intended 10 be used TO supply those OF
the regular numbered class which, from time
TO time, might be enormously filed up or
accidentally delaced. These extra impress
slons were called the stock package, and
whenever there was occasion To use Que OF
them the bond or note injured or said to be
injured would he thrown in the fire, or
otherwise destroyed, as is stated by the
clerks, and one taken TO supply its place
from the stock package, without any ac
count or record being kept Of the perform
ance, and without any proof or method Of
proof OF the a-tual destruction of TIE one
so actually or ostensibly disposed OF. 1t is
impossible, therefore, 10 account, except on
very vague evidence, for many o. the seed
rites that went into the Registers Office
The foregoing are specimens of the many
paragraphs in this v0luminous report, show
ing the so called irregularities practiced in
the Treasury Department up to last March.