New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-07

.nS 'ho sun dSdiuSI ". ". CFcuCH. IL
Government can hardly fail to get the n
mainder. For me the case stands in tn
, way: Major o. C.. French was volunte,
officer of good record, recommended in ur
qualified terms by General Gillem, the Al
sistant Commissioner for Mississippi.
, required bond Of SIG, 900, which he gave I
the United States. His appointment wa
given by direction of the Secretary of Wa
In my absence on other duty, General Whit
tlesey, acting for me, reports French's defic
to the Secretary OfWar. He directs Genera
Whlttlesey to proceed against him. Thi
Is done by formal report and suit the ne,
freedman's Branch continues the suit, bu
charges me with any balance not recovered
freclsely the same reasoning that wOul
mold me accountable will hold the Secretar
OF war accountable as my successor, unde
the law closing the Bureau, for not con,pietin
the recovery Of the money-the whole case
bond and all, having been received and pros
ecuted by him. O.C. French and his bonds
men, and not myself, or the Secretary O
War, are accountable for this money.
RUNKLE DEFICIT.
The fourth heading need not be mentioned
for the money was stopped against the pa,
OF Major ID. p. Runkle, and the Secretary O
War can order it turned over to Major Nc
have no responsibility here.
BALIoCH's PRIVATE LOAN TO RUNKLE.
The next heading, 49, acknowledged b,
George w. Balloth to have been paid to b
Z. Runkle "to reimburse the latter for mis-
takes made by his agents in paying bounties
to the wrong parties," 81 ,33l 90. The 81 ,33
appears now to have been private loan o.
Gen. BallOch. AS l did not enclose Major
Runkle's note, l am surely not accountable
Tor the money. l never had any knowledge
| whatsoever Of the transaction,
| With reference to the appointment Of Ma.
jor Il. +. Runkle, had the best kind of rec.
concentrations of him by several prominent
men, such as Hon. VIM. Lawrence, NJ. G.
Gen. Robert c. Schenck, U. S. Minister to
England, and others. His record was excel
lent. He was an officer in the army and
maintained continuous good reputation at
Memphis, Tenn, in South Carolina, and for
| some time in Kentucky. There were COM
plants against him, as against almost any
man, who went South in the Freedman s
| Bureau. / did not neglect to investigate any
valid complaints, nor to report the facts as I
found them. The Court Martial fined Major
Runkle $1,000. This amount would. / be-
lieve more than satisfy the Kentucky proper
ton of the Ia acres for which he was held
accountable. Upon what hypothesis could
this fine be submitted and afterwards the de-
ficiency by this means continued, be placed
upon me:]
PARTIAL SUMMARY.
-. 1t is plain to me that these several
amounts-the $50, $3.50, confessedly over
stated by ten cases, made up Of complaints,
many of them very informal, and for all of
which my disbursing officers and myself sent
the money for payment in full, and in good
faith should be deducted from my alleged ac-
countability also the sS,503.S9 and the
S3,Sl4.54, now Ovcrstated, both being in
process Of settlement by court of law g; also
the $673.24 already paid, and the 81 1881 .O3,
a personal loan of General Balloch to Major
Runkle, making in all sum of SIS, 2lO. A.
This cancels the entire amount formally
charged against me.
BOND INVESTMENT AND INTEREST.
IL. But there remains heading G-"Due
by the late Bureau in consequence Cfillcgal
double payments and certain accrued interest.
several thousand dollars" The interest
here referred to has all been taken up under
the Refugees and Freedman's Fund" &C.
cording to the act of June Is, 1866. | will
explain my own process of reasoning, during
my administration, with reference to the in
terest Of the trust funds the officers of the
Bureau had in charge. That in the absence
OF specific statute l should have felt obliged
to g We the entire increase to those claimants
for whose benefit | held the trust but this
specific act just named directed me to take
up all moneys derived from any miscellane-
Gus source whatever raised for the benefit of
Refugees and Freedmen to the account of
the fund established by this law. This re-
garded better than to cover it into the Treas
ury, for which there could be no valid excuse.
The accounting officers ofthe Treasury agreed
with me in this Interpretation of the statute
So did General Belknap, the Secretary of
War, October l3, 1871, expressing his entire
satisfaction to me in a personal interview,
which l took the pains to note and record
(See order and memoranda.)
Extract from S. o., No. Isl, Feean,aa's BIZ
reau, October l3, 1S71.]
sin accordance with act of Congress
providing for the settlement of accounts of
certain public officers, approved January Is,
1866, General George w. Balloch, late dis
bursting officer is hereby authorized to take
up all moneys IN excess of the cost of the
United States securities as provided for in
said acts, and to account for the same to the
Treasury of the United States.
so. o. HOWARD,
BRIG. Gen. u. S. A. Commissioner"
A-NhoiNf'T-hi-->A Wv NE AbONE.
Submitted to the Chief Clerk of the
Treasury, who commended the order and
the manner of using the funds referred to.
o. Q. Howard, Commissioner, ETC., October
IA, 1871, Washington, Dc"
ALSO to Secretary of War, who expressed
his satisfaction. o. o. Howard, Commission
er, &C., October II, 1871, Washington,
d. c."
Also to the Second Comptroller, who pro-
nounced it correct, and to the Cashier of the
Treasury who advised me to settle past ac-
counts at my office, as far as funds are con-
cerned, and deposit the balance in the United
States Treasury. y. o. Howard, Commits
sloner, &C., October 15."
"a little more than a month later. by a
letter dated December 6, 1871 (see reference
to it, page 9, of Exhibit b., the Secretary
having changed his mind, ordered me to pay
the interest into the Treasury as "miscel-
laneous receipt 1t was then impossible to
obey the other order literally, for the money
had been already placed beyond recall, and
my action was in precise accordance with
"Orde,s, fa,o and authority"
In all my correspondence, before the char
charges were made, with the Secretary of War
with reference to interest on the bonds, |
had in mind the last investment, and believed
that every dollar of it had been satisfactorily
accounted for. simply deposited what came
into my hands, and forwarded Gen. Balloch's
account current, which explained itself, be-
ing very short account, the main expendi-
dlture OF which was repayment of the cases
OF bounty paid by error to the wrong parties
Gen. Balloch seems to have supposed that
by rendering this account to me, he had done
all that was necessary, and the same was
true with the other amount of $l9,446.57.