Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-04-14
Important Report The Treasury Depart
ment Ventilated.


Retrenchment, appointed two years ago un-
I der instruction 10 make careful and minute
examinations of the methods adopted by the
Treasury Department to print the bonds,
notes aud securities of the United States;
( to ascertain what guards have been adopted
[ to prevent raud or mistake; what addition
Fal guards ought to be adopted: whether
( there has been any fraudulent or erroneous
! issue of bonds, notes, or coupons; and if so,
by whose fault or negligence, and how best
TO remedy anything amiss that has been
done ani prevent recurrence In the future:
and especially to examine the official con
duet ofthose charged with the printing. reg
istratlon and issuing of any notes, bonds, or
securities of the United States, &c. after
pursuing the investigation entrusted to them
for some time without making much pro
gress, or perhaps, being unable owing to
the great number composing the Committee
to proceed a; all, finally appointed sub
committee. consisting of Senator'S Edmunds
and bdcGalew and Representative Halsey,
to prosecute the examination to conclusion.
They performed that duty, and the follow
ing abstract of their report comprises the
pith Of it, and viii be read with interest by
; all who take proper interest in our nation
al affairs and the manner in which they are
conducted
The report sets forth that the sudden and
enormous Treasury operations of the rebel
lion we're productive of error and iooseness,
but 10 considerable loss OF the first loan
OF February s, 1861, the bonds are all ac-
counted for except one of one thousand dol
lars, and the Treasury has suffered no loss.
OF the issue of Treas Try notes under the
act Of March 2, 1861, only two are unac-
/ counted for. The Oregon war debt is next
referred to. Some coupon bonds of this loan
! that were supposed to have been lost in the
GOlden Gate, and duplicated under authori
" of an act of Congress, were since present
ed and redeemed. OF the twelve years skies
some duplicates were also is, ued to supply
/ the place OF bonds stolen by one Whites
sey, and some discrepancies we're discovered
! and accounted for, so that no loss seems to
have occurred. OF the three-y year Seven
thirty notes Of July and August, 1861, none
remain 10 be accounted for. There is very
large discrep: ncy between the number of
printed notes delivered and those accounted
for at the Treasury of the issue as October
1851 OF the fifty dGliar notes lis. SOP were
delivered by the Bank Note company. while
the Treasury officers account for only lI5, ,2I9
Ot the one hundred dollar notes, the com
pany delivered l20 600, while the Treasury
| officers account Cor 1892. OF the one
thousand dollar notes of this issue, the com
pany delivered 43 $40, and there are ac-
counted for 43, 9O0. OF the five thousand
dollars, there were delivered 2.225, and
there are accounted for ?, l46. There is some
reason to conclude that these differences are
| not the result of fraud but that the certif
Gates of destruction have been lost. The de-
! mand notes Of 1861 are the next securities,
and they are all accounted for Dscrepan-
eies in the FIVE twenties of 1862, first series.
are variously, by evidence and probable con
conjecture, explained and similarly of the
second series. OF the third series coupon
bonds, same issue, 800 bond and lO3
$500 bonds are not accounted for The fol
lowing were delivered BY the Printing Blu
reau to the Register of the Treasury, and
are claimed by those officers respectively to
have been handed over to committee for
destruction, or to have been destroyed, viz
| 33,8 sos 'onds of $50 each, 66. $40 of SIOO
each, 49, 233 bonds OF $500 ca, h, and sc, ,2IS
bonds of $1,000 each OF the thousand
dollar bonds 9S, 800 were delivered to the
Register, and 7,7lS to the Treasurer.
The committee say in reference to the
foregoing
The direct evidence is entirely incom
plete to show the destruction of the bonds
of this third series. not issued, stated in
the tables from the Register books to have
been destroyed.
The order for destruction appears in the
statement of Mr.. Marvin The result is.
that of those bonds which went into the
Register office there are not satisfactorily
accounted for the sos, 20 bonds of the zoos.
1912; of the 500s, IOS7, and of I,00Os.
368. Those which went direct to the Treas
ufer oihce were not yerfect, but marked
statistical for destruction of these there
Is no proof of the destruction of one bond OF
500, and l03 bonds OF $500.
1t appears from the certificate Of the
burning committee, dated August 20, 1864
that IN ten packages of $500 bonds DESTROY.
ed there were three 81 zoo bonds, which
leads to the conclusion that there must be
an error III the account or an erroneous
printing. OF the fourth series of coupou
bonds of the same issue all are accounted
for by the Register and Treasurer as can.
celled or destroyed excepting four OF 81, 600
each.
a table of the gold certificates under the
same act of March 3, 1862, is given. All
are accounted for excepting 81, $4,000
and as to these the committee find from the
affidavit of Mr. Sellers. clerk in the Treas
uror's Office, and from an investigation
of the books and accounts, and the course
OF business. that they were printed in the
Printing Bureau, and could not be used
without being filed M any signed by the
Assistant Treasurer at New York that thcv
were .anceled by the PRINTING Rnrear ard