The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-24
PRICE TWO CENTS.
KEEPING TREASURY BOOKS
AN TNvESTIo ATION TO BE MADE
HOUSE COMMITTEE.
System Of Keeping Accounts that Gives
Every Opportunity fer Fraud-Tbe Exscs
Amount Of the Public Debt Unknown.

System Of Keeping Accounts that Gives
Every Opportunity fer Fraud-The Rxscs
Amount Of the Public Debt Unknown.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 23-There will be OF.
ferod In the House tomorrow a resolution ask
ing for the appointment Of special COMMITTEES
TO examine the bookkeeping system OF the
Treasury Department, with authority to SEND
for persons and papers, administer oatbs, and
employ sxperts to assist the committee in dis
charging their duty. IL ~ evident that n the
Senate adopts Senator Davis's resolution It will
be smothered, or that the committee appointed
will whtewash the bookkeeping system OF the
department Mr.. Davis Ia fortified with new
statements which he will Introduce in his
speech tomorrow. and will completely over
throw the position assumed by Senator Bout
well. IL has, however. been thought proper TO
anticipate the action the Senate by intrustins
tue Important task to acommlttee which viii
not accept statements without investl cation.
The very nrst thing to be done by the commits,
tee to Investigate the discrepancies in tho pul,-
lished accounts Of the Government Ia to begin
a, me right place and II is sed that hers Is the
begin. There IA no bookkeeper's division OF the
Treasury, and no place OF final record. The
Registers once, which IL supposed to he near
est 70 II, cannot give the state Of tho Treasurets
accounts within twelve months after they arc
rendered by the Treasurer, and the printed
statement OF receipts and expenditures are
always four years behind time. There il no
continuous ledger-in fact there Ia no ledger al
both sides OF an account. and the misnamed
ledeers In the kegister's offlce are simply books
OF registration of warrants. The personal ledg-
ers are auxiliary books to facilitate settlement
with agents VINO are responsible for funds in-
trusted to them for disbursement and arc not
the ledgcrs Of the Treasury.
IL Ia an impossibility for any one ONCE IN the
Treasury to give statement OF receipts and ex-
penditures without immense labor and time,
and with no positive certainty OF Its correct
ness. The cierk In the warrant room says no
cannot give the exact amount OF the public
debt, because the errors that have crept in and
have been perpetuated for years. have not
been corrected. Except In the finance repOrt
OF 1871, the books OF the department arc not cor
rect, aud will not give the true amount OF the
public debt outstanding, tho amount Of Interest
paid, the amount ~ premium received or paid
ON bonds, sales of gold, &c. 1t IL owing to the
necessity OF having u correct statement OF tho
outstanding debt ready at all times and ON
call, that Mr.. Boutwell,. then Secretary OF tho
Treasury In 1859 ordered the accounts OF the
public debt TO be examined. II was thoroughly
done from 1856, when there was no debt, to 1870.
Besides exposing the so-cslled bookkeeping
system, careful examination by experts will
show that for years appropriations have been
msapplied. contrary to law. that there has been
an over issue Of bonds larger amount Of in-
terest paid than the bonds issued called for, and
that the Government does not know to-day
within tiOOOO'OOO what the public debt is