Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-19
FEDERAL RECEIPTS AND ExPEN-

FEDERAL RECEIPTS AND EXPEN--
DITURES.
The New York Bulletin, commercial
journal, recently called attention to the
fact that the Treasury Department had
failed to publish the usual yearly volume
of receipts snd expenditures. The Bulletin
says: 80.
aFrom 1901 to 1856 the law was regular
ly obeyed; the statement was promptly fur
nished to Congress, and aeven through the
Turmoil! and distractions of the war the An
nual volume appeared. It was reserved for
Finance Ministers il time of peace to defy
or ignore the law and the Constitution, and
to boldly withheld from Congress and the
people the information which was their
right; while, if accounts can be trusted, The
information thus withheld was sold by
somebody to somebody else in Wall street,
to the profit of favored few. Slf-
UFayoritism and rascality have become the
rule with the Administration. The Bulletin
shows case where the publication OF the
report was delayed about four years,after the
facts which it contained had been delayed
long enough for nearly every one whom
they concerned to leave Office and avoid re-
sponsibility. In 1871 the Register stated
that s'the work of compiling the receipts
and expenditures of the Government is be-
ing kept up as far as the settlement OF the
public accounts will permit. The manu-
script for the fiscal year ending June Sc,
1860, will be ready for the printer By the list
of December next" Thus the purpose was
coolly avowed of having the account ready
only when two years had elapsed after The
time at which it was his imperative duty to
present it, and only when the facts
it should disclose related mainly
to men who had passed out
OF Office. The Register Of tine Treasury,
in his report for 1872, sdBised that the law
required 'sthe compilation and preparation
of the receipts and expenditures for publi-
cation annually" and advised the creation
of a division in his Office which shouldibe
charged with this as its first duty; CLOSING
over the fact that suel division had al
ways existed. At the same time he re-
peated the statement of the previous year,
that sGhe work of compiling the receipts
and expenditures of the Government is
being kept up as far ss the settlement of the
public accounts will permit" and added
that the manuscript f,r'the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1870, would be ready for the
printer b ! the frst of December, 1872; thus
showing settled purpose not to comply
with the law, but to furnish the statement
practically three years after the Occurrences
of the events and the closing of the &C.
counts. More than that time has now
elapsed, yet the volume has not appeared.
The Bulletin asks: Sand, meantime, where
are the accounts for 1871, 1872 and 1882
Echo answers, whereof But this mlch is
certain: During the past four years the
Treasury admits receiving one thousand fUe
hundred million dolLGrs-a sum thirty per
cent greater than the assessed value of all
the property in the great city of New York
of which not one cent has been account
e! for according TO express Law and long
established CUSTOM" Nothing less than
Change of administration can cleanse this
Augean stable.