The Republican journal., 1873-09-04
Give us the Figures.

other fragrant dereliction of duty on the
! part of the administration which has just
been brought again to light 1t was the
custom to publish a yearly volume giving
accounts of the federal receipts and ex-
penditures. This was a matter of the most
| obvious duty to the public, and was not
| only permitted but positively commanded
by law, which was Systematically obeyed
from 1871 to 1866. The volume appeared
without intermission during the war. But
our financial ministers took upon them
selves in time of peace to ignore the law
| and the constitution and Withhold from the
taxpayers the information to which they
| were entitled, while it is asserted that the
knowledge thus shamefully withheld from
the public was actually sold to Wall street
spectators.
The register, in whose office the report
ought to have been compiled, let the mat
ter drop gradually. In his report for 1866
he began to lay the anchor by complain
ing of the great labor involved in prepar
ing 1.-The annual report in detail of receipt:
and expenditures" The labor was the
| obstacle-this and no more. Complaints
| were made, but the well-rememberet
spirit Of the times was such that no charge
against high republican officials met will
due consideration and an attempt made
to institute an investigation through the
house Of representatives was headed off by
members of the Credit Mobilier type which
has now become proverbial
In 1868 and 1869 the register gave NJ
making any reference to this neglect o
his duty; and the secretary of the treasury
connived by maintaining an unbroker
| silence as to this violation of his oath o
| Office. In 1870, an attempt to institute ;
/ formal enquiry having been made. the
| register bluffed it off by the mere remark
| that s'detailed statements of receipts ant
| expenditures are made from time to time
when properly authorized although the
publication in question was not only
authorized but demanded by law.
The register promised in 1872 that the
manuscript for the fiscal year ending June
| 80, 1869, would be ready for the printers
on the 1st December, two years after he
was bound by duty to have presented it
At last it was presented, in January, 1872
and the republican house Representative
took care that it should be smothered
and made useless by referring it to the
committee on appropriations, which it was
well known as too busy to do anything with
it.
The persevering quibbling Of the regis
ter is amazing, even in these days Of
| Haunting corruption made bold by long
impunity and assurance of support by re-
publican majorities In 1872 he advised
the erection of division in his Office which
should be especially charged with the
| duty of preparing the report, although
| such division had always existed He
| then added that the manuscripts for the
| fiscal year ending June 80, 1870, would be
ready by the LIST December, 1872, thu,
showing a settled purpose not to comply
with the law, but to furnish the statement
practically three years after the occurrence
of the events and the closing Of the &C
counts.
The New York Daily Bulletin, to which
we and the public are indebted for the
facts we have laid before our readers, CON
cludes an elaborate article on the subject
by saying:
More than three years have now elapsed, YET
! the volume has not appeared. 1t is stated tlia
named and that it is now in the printers hands
but the whole of last session passed without its
coming out, and it is impossible to say how
long its issue may be delayed on the speciOll,
plea of press of other work. And, meantime
where are the accounts for 1871. 1872 and 1873
Echo answers, where: But this much is Ger
tain: During the past four years the treasury
admits receiving one thousand .fce hundfet
| millions of dolldrs-a sum thirty per cent
greater than the assessed value of all the
property in the great city Of New York-O
which not one cent has been accounted for ac
cording to the express law and long established
custom