, 1874-04-06

a PAIR OF KNOW -N0TH1NGs T.:
: During tho pas t week tho country hns boen hu-
miliatel by an official statement Of 11r. Richard
son, socrotary of tho Treasury, md Of hlr. Saw:
yor, Assistant Secretary Of tho aamo, that both
thcso officers wero In holptosa Ignorance of tho
daily transactions OF thoir Department., and TINT
thoy mover did, md had no timo to examine tho
papers presented to thom for signature, A year
ago, an English Cabinet officer who granted
contract to one bidder, Ignorant TINT another bid
had boon filed in his Department, voluntarily ro-!
signed tue of1lco, from: Which public opinion
would otherwise have demanded ha dismissal.
This ploa OF ignorance Oh tho part of Richard
son md Sawyer ID discussed IN tho Now York
Tribune by writer who is thoroughly vo1sod
in tho dotails OF tho Treasury Department.. Tho
organization Of tho Treasury Department was
the work Of Alexander Hamilton, and has boon
regarded as the most perfect governmental ma-
chine Of tho world. 1ta general plan Is to pro-
vent tho withdrawal Of my money from tho
Tronaury oxcopt by authority OF, md In tho
manner provided, and for tho purpose designatod,
by INV. In no ono officer alono author
40 tho payment Of money. There aro no 1css
than throo separate departments, each inde-
pendent Of tho other, which must con-
cur In tho legality Of tho payment before
tho paper authorizing or directing 1t is present.
cd to tho Secretary for hiasgnature. Unless thoro
be corrupt oolIusion bctwcon all these su1ordi-
uatos, thoro can be no illegal transaction. When
tho paper is presented to tho Secretary, It must
boar upon its face the official record that it has
boon passed upon and approved by all these Of
tlcors, each Of whom is responsible to the Inv,
and while tho Secretary cannot examine into all
tho facts Of each caso, he can and must SEQ, bo-
foro ho attaches Lis signature, TINT all the pro-
liminasy details have boon complied with, 90 that,
in case Of future inquiry, le can place tho ro-
eponsihility whoro IL belongs. Fraud and irre-
gponsibility arc thus rendered impossible, unless
the Secretary, rs in this caao confoases his ig-
noranoo Of tho mode Of doing business, and at
taohes his signature to whatever paper may bo
presented to him by any subordinate. It ls not
necessary that ho examine each case In detail; /;
but it is his duty to zee, before ho attaches his
nsmo. that the mntter In hand bears tho evidence
t,.,,;r,. ,,ooso1 +,,rouo,, thc nroner hnroa,,s
r. ~. ,sav tno caaoa roonirino tho special por-
,ora, o+ton+,op ~ TIM seorotary or Asefstant
o.o.,n.,~v ,ro vorv raro md mayor ocour in thu
ora,,orv hnainoaa of tho Treasury.
r. ~, ,,rosont caaa nchardaon mil savver
,ovo a,cnof, and executed a contract with San
horn tn nov him 10 mar cent for collecting tho
n,t,;o roven,,o. md dooloro thoy did go icuo-
rant n what tbov woro doing. In other words,
thov co,foas That they bayo departoa from tho
,,hro,,an no,tov of the DoDartment and ytolated
tho Uniform ru1o of their predecessors, and tho
whole system of checks md balances, Thle was
not ordinary business. nor was it a mere routine
transaction. It was farming out tho public rev.
enuo by contract-a most unusual aud extraordi-
nary proceeding. During Mr. ohaaes admins
tration, when the War made the regular and e1-
traordinary business OF tho Ireasury more than
twice as great as II ia now 40 haa no ali4eul5S
In dtaposing OF oil tho business promptly and