Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-11-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Military ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
and the Gold Ring-Fractional Curren-
cy-Mr. Boutwell, and the Presidency
How it Is Worked-Grant's Freaks, sc.
WASHINGTON CITY, D. c., Nov. 10, 1869.

WASHINGTON CITY, D. c., Nov. 10, 1869.
Dear Journal: -Orders we're issued from
the War Department yesterday to the
Superintendent of the general recruiting
service, St. Louis, directing him to SEND
all disposable recruits of the general ser
vice, now at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to
the third and fifth Infantry. subject to the
orders of the Department Commanders re-
lative to their movement. Similar orders
have been sent to officers in charge of re-
cruiting stations in different parts of the
country. This looks like trouble on the
frontier. A communication has been re-
ceived at the Pension Office from q mem
Der of tho Commission sent to Tennessee
some time since to Investigate alleged
frauds, representing the corruption which
has been unearthed as most villainous
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have
been paid by pension agents upon vouch-
ers the pensioners never saw. Forgery
and perjury have gone hand in hand to-
gether in accomplishing these frauds. No,
one-third Of the money that has been paid
on certificates to colored pensioners in
that section has ever reached them. They
have been deceived as to the time when
their claim was allowed, and whenever
told to touch the pen" have done so and
the agents have given whatever they
pleased to the pensioners whose Ignorance
or necessities were easily worked upon.
In many cases they have never received q
dollar. These sharks have threatened ven
geance upon the Commissioner for inter
fering with their harvest. It is limited
that some of the commission have been
conveniently blind to the above transac-
tons, yet enough is known to arrive at a
very fair idea of the immensely of the
press some ten days ago stating the frauds
were not so great as alleged, it was de-
vice of the sharks, aided by their friends
in the commission to close the optics of
the people, preparatory to whitewashing,
which may not come off now.
| The President has appointed Charles j.
| Folger to be Assistant United States Treas
urer, at New York. vice General Butter
field, Mr.. Folger has accepted. Genera!
Butterfeld was here on Sunday and had a
pow WOW with Boutwell,. Il is not known
what is the price of Butterfieid allowing
| himself to be made the scape goat in the
matter of the gold ring that created such a
panic some few weeks ago, but if the mat
ter is allowed to drop without full and
thorough investigation. nothing will make
| the people Of the country believe that the
cnarges made by jim Fisk & Jay Gould
against the President and family are not
true. Second Comptroller Of the Treasury,
Broadhead, estimates the decision of the
Supreme Court just rendered, that the
servants OF officers i'll the military service
are not entitled to increased pay under
the act Of 1864 saves the government from
| the payment of claims to the amount of
four millions of dollars, and will cause
saving of about two hundred Thousand dol
lars per annum hereafter.
! The account of the Treasury Printing
Bureau does not agree with that of the Ma
tional aud American Bank Note Compa-
| MES. For this reason, and because of the
| discovery OF notes in circulation with the
| impress OF the seal upon them, the print
| ing OF fractional currency in New York is
temporarily suspended. Chief Wilson, Of
the Secretary's issue bureau, started for
New York this morning, accompanied by
II dozen of the female clerks of his division,
who are expert counters of paper and
money sheets. All the blank sheets and
half printed money in the Bank Note Com
panies will be oountt d by the clerks to see
if their count agrees with the companies
returns and figures. This will probably
occupy ten days or two weeks when the
printing will be resumed. There has been
nothing but delays and trouble ever since
he printing of notes and currency has
been taken from the Treasury building
and given to the New York Bank Note
| Companies. The reason why il was done
never could be explained except upon the
| hypothesis that it added another power to
enable Mr.. Boutwell, to attain the height
of his ambition, the Radical nomination
for President in 1872.
Immense frauds have been discovered,
and additional facts latterly developed, in
draw backs in the New York Custom
House. Fraudulent certificates or draw
backs are found in connection with every
class Of imported merchandise. Some of
the officials estimate that the amount out,
of which the Government has thus been
defrauded, may reach $4,000, GOO, while
others suppose it cannot be over 81, O0O,-
OGO. A number of Custom House officials
are implicated. A secret Investigation is
now going on before United States Com
missioner Osborn in New York. Solicitor
Banfeld is conducting the prosecution. A
half-dozen of the most reliable and eff
fcient clerks of the Treasury Department
have been sent to New York to assist in
overhauling the books, vouchers, &C., with
view of getting at the bottom of the
matter. This will probably turn out as
has all the efforts to catch counterfeiters,
issuers of counterfeit money, dealers in
counterfeit stamps, &C., by the Treasury
Department. It is questionable whether
it is stupidity on the part of the officials
or the white washing or smothering pro-
cess, which invariably follows an in
vestigation, is not concocted, de-
signed or winked at by the great
mogul of Radicalism himself. With Mr..
Boutwell, two things are essentially
necessary. Is he member of the Loyal
League or the Grand Army OF the Repub-
lie 2 Is he in favor of the present Secre-
tary of the Treasury for Grants successor ?
Any one who can answer yes to both cues.
tons is truly loil and need not fear the re-
suit of any probing process when the tools
are held by his brethren of the L. L. OF