The sun., 1873-10-29
The Internal Condition oi the Treas.

The Internal Condition ci the Treas
ury.
Thcl, l. now and has been for q long
time very serious msgiving ~ To the state
uf the Treasury Department at Washing
ton. This anxiety attaches particularly
20 the public debt in its various forms II
u well known that the books of the loan
Office contain erasurcs, interlincations,
and other marks of manipulation which
show purpose well calculated to excite
the gravcst suspicion.
That many OF the public balances have
been forced for effect. and cannot possibly
be rcconcilcd with the accounts Of the
checking Offices, is also notorious to those
IN any way familiar with the operations of
this department.
Every attempt at thorough vestigation
hy the minority in Congress has been
habitually resisted by two Interests First,
the majority who feared the effect of any
exposure, and secondly, the bondholdcrs.
who dreaded the possibility OF II panic.
Hence resolutions Of inquiry Intended to
relieve the public mind on this important
subject were either voted down abso-
lutely by the Republican majority or not
answered by the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Until Mr.. boutwell, introduced the par
tisan practice Of parading purchases o
bonds so ms 10 create notion of fictitious
prosperity and a sentiment favorable to
tho Administration, all official statements
~ the public debt were made by the Regis
Ter OF the Treasury, who may be called the
ktanHT Of ha In
whose hands the accounts finally pass for
every branch Of the public service.
This innovation led to tie disclosure in
the annual reports Of large discrepancies
between the Secretary and the Register of
tho Treasury in their respective state
ments of the amount Of the public debt,
which had before the advent Of Grantism
agreed in every respect and to n single
cent from the foundation OF the Govern
ment. In order TO illustrate these differ
ences precisely, it is only necessary TO
refer TO the official documents, which fur
nish the facts ami the commentary In the
same figures.
lArTss4I l y, q, 90 rr"l, I'M rr"@ 'ar !'ceis o
.,.s e, r4a..' ..., r ..s..S s.ss '&1, ,5.5.,I.
When these conflicting exhibits were
brought to the notice of the House Of
Representative. various attempts were
made 10 explain away their damaging
effect. Mr.. GARFIELD, who a. Chairman
on Appropriations ought TO have been
ready with a sufficient answer represented
that the cash in the Treasury did not ap-
pear in the Registers statement AT all.
He also alleged cmphai4cally that the
figures OF the Register were always greater
than those Of the Secretary, while the
official reports in two wears contradicted
him iiatly to the extent of two hundred
and siXty-two millions Of dollars!
Others stated that the discrepancy was
caused by these two onici ial- starting from
different dates in face ~ the law regulat-
ing the fiscal year. That excuse was no
better than the other. For the first time
in our history the House. after Gen. GRANT
became President, refused to permit an
examination which would bring out the
whole truth and let the country see how
these extraordinary disaereements oc-
ourred. But the Treasury Department
saw the necessity Of di-arming the dis
trust which this conflict with itself oc-
Gasioned, and Nj RICHARDSON, then As
sistant Secretary, volunteered a set of ex-
plantations pretending 10 cover every dis
puted point and to satisfy every doubt.
He maintained uncouditionaly that the
discrepancies were essential and verifying
proof Of the correctness Of both state
ments, ana that agreement between them.
anomalous as il might seem would be evil
dence OF iucorrectncss. More than that.
the systems Of bookkeeping were different.
This was boldly asserted, with the official
reports from E9l 10 GRANT denying his al
legation.
Mark what followed In 1871, for the
irst time, and right in the teeth of these ex-
plantations, the Secretary ana the Register
agreed in their figures, although RICHARD
soN had proclaimed that 10 agree was 10
prove error. In 1863 these officers dis
agreed 10y $lGi ,G0l.415, ana in 1870 bv t9l.
3l3s2s, Yet in ls7l this immense amount
OF &Gl,9l5,3O3 disappears mystcliously
without word of comment by either
They suddenly HARMONIC to mill, and an
In made lovely. Thrsamr thing IL repeated
ugurc for figure IN ls,2
But this IL not all 10y any means. Tho
Secretary of the Treasury iu hi- last annual
report nudaciously coutradicts his own
previous reports 30 rs Ia render them with.
out the least value ~ authority. That T..
To say, the reports for 1850 and 1870 repre-
wnt the public debt " th ono set of figures,
aud that Of 1872 tor these years give,
another set Of iigures, For example:
Rss1 re "' 'rroe EsrogFgs g oT ny Fgsgc,gr % ls?
tN~tt44'' .-i 2iH itT2 "a s.
'0"S''"t''<i t,o6sL2LCn 2
ll'ro 'S difference of t6s l5l, $40 70. uot
oot"e"h IA" Secretary and the Register
p"t "'W"'h boutwell, and BOUTWELL,
VINO can say which OF these statements il
trustworthy, or that either is correcty
The report OF tho Register of the Treas
ury for 1872 has been subjected to a s,,nuol
process for, in spite OF the huge chasn
which divided tbeIl IN 1869 and 1870 the,