New-York tribune., 1872-11-05
THE cIvIL sERVIcE REFoEM HUnbCG.

ANOTHER SPECIMEN OF THE WORKINGS or MR.
CURTIs'S sYsTEM-A FAITHFUL CLEth kE-
MOVED FOR PROTESTING AGAINST The u'LE-
GAL SETTLEMENT OF AN ACCOUNT
10 me razor Of The Trtbune.
SIR: For more than seven years ] was
clerk in the office Of the Third Auditor Of the Treasury
and had charge Of a section in the Quarcnasters Dy
sion of that Office for seyeTal years. dismissed
that Office In January, 1872 for protesting agahsta
settlement was ordered to make, canceliug the legal
Indebtedness Of officer OF the army to the Government
After receiving written order 20 cancel that indebted
ness did so but filed with tue settlement statement
SAYING that there was authority OF law regulations
for canceling the charges therein Cancelled The sete
ment passed the office OF the Second Controller WITHOUT
hls attention being called thereto. When ths TACT was
known 20 me- called him and asked him 70 examine
the cast connection with the protest Med therewth
This he consented do and after making such cxamn-
alton he said 10 me You had good grounds for the oO
econs you made TO that settlement You were right ana
deserve credit for calling attention TO- Du eau uo
nothing II is very delicate matter Tor me 10 interfere
between the head Of bureau and an emplOye OF tna'
bureau" After a short time, was deposeh from my
position OF Chief Of the Section. Then after few weeks
received a notice from the Secretary OF the treasury
relieving me from duty in the office. l then went
to the Secretary and asked why was 80 rehe'eu'
as 1 was not aware that any charges had oeeh pre-
ferrcd against me- lie said You are charged WIN
Notwithstanding else" / then demanueu q
hearing and an opportunity to defend myself Win the
official papers In the The Secretary sald can
not hear you to-day but will let this stand Just As IL
does for while" 1t appeared then II there might be
an opportunity obtaining justice, but In three days
an order was issued from the Secretarys oice DISMISS
ing entirely without chance to DEFEND mYseh' OF
show tie wrong that had been done the Government
called upon the Secretary again. and after some cOhVer
sation asked lin this question Mr. Boutwell,, What
duty "A
was ordered to make settlement that knew was an
illegal oncl" Mr. Boutwell, hositated, d, after turu-
ing repeatedly in bis chair, he hually replied do
not want to answer that question now" lie, too, Was
evidently troubled with decacy the the Second
Controller. had told him what the controller had
said he sent him. and, after referring to the case,
said DR.. Brodhead, don't you sometimes use dscie-
tOnary authority IN such cases as tnist - yes, III
replied and did in this case" tPar. 2C65 DECISIONS
Second Controller 1862 says that the Accounting Ocers
OF the Treasury have discretion In such cases)
Thus ended my effort to obtain Justice from the Secre-
the White House, and. after making an effort on four
different days and waiting three or four bour. cach
listened ateutiyey to the statement OF facts ana TOOK
notes when told what the second C0hlroilcI @ had
said. asked him the question which the secretary n1u
declined TO answer; hc REPLIED From your slltehrnt
Of the case there could b. 6ui one ansW, W. anI th n
gave him complete statement OF tne i9ets &C. 81, ~ s,
Deparment who had years engaged In the set
tcment OF such accounts. After ample time % nad
elapsed called again at the Presidents house. waited
several hours and dd not see him. Out called tue next
card. Very soon altcf messenger
from the President called Gen. Dent to his rOOm anu,
after little while he returned, aud coming to me- sld
President desired TO say TO you tbdt lie mas
seen the Secretary the Treasury relative TO the mat
ter you brought before him, aud that the Secretary l
that all ne done had been done AT the request OF
| the Auditor, and the Auditor says you were a very
efficient man the office, but that yOu were guilty oi
characterization in making settlement ordered ana
that he could not consent 20 your bong restored /
had asked directly 10 be restored but ln my Wften
abatement President had SAID: iecl confident
that the treatment have received Is not IN accordance
with the CVI Reform which the President seeks
| To establish. and / now appeal to MIN Tor Justice
II has been published to the world thai honesty ana
efficiency should be the sepplnRstOnes 10 promotion III
the civil Service My efficiency was Acknowledged Dy
the Auditor to the President ANA my honesty has not
been questioned. the above statement shows now mueh
sincerity there in the Presidents Civ Service regua-
tons He had any investigation OF the case but
only went To those VINO had perpctIalCd the WrOhS Ie
officer indebtedness was Cancelled was personal
friend Auditor and know that the Auditor had
never seen OF the Oicdl papers upon which the
charges arose wnen ne Ordcrcd them oduoetcd was
regulations, aud the published decision OF the second
wa, "A violation Of law Tie President Is the executive
officer the Government II is his duty TO see that the
laws are obeycd lie informed of this violation, and
Inc statement denied. He had the in
yestg gated hut to sustain OF his appOintees was
more 10 him than the administration Of justice.
JOEL c. GREEN.
Indeyendenee AHeghdRg Co., ". T., Oct "a, 1872.