The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-07-06

manuscript to the Senate in the form OF
an answer. 1t has been decided not TO
print it, because of the great cost, as II
would amount to over S2,500,C00 and
again because there are In hundred OF
cases nominal balances against men who
are not really defaulters against the gov
eminent, but in the settlement Of whose
accounts there has been some misunder-
standing or miscalculation, and to whose
honor and integrity it would DO very
unjust to class them in list of thieves.
la many cases charges against officers
which stand on the books like delalca-
tons have arisen from a misunderstand-
ing between the disbur5ng officers and
accounting officers of the government,
which cannot be explained III the few
words that can be allowed in such q re-
port. In very many cases they arise
from balances due from officers of the
army killed in battle, or those who
wero wounded and taken TO the hospi-
tails, where their papers were lost or
destroyed; officers ofthe navy who have
gone down in ships at sea with their
papers with them, and while it is ap-
parant that the money intrusted TO them
was expended honestly there are no pa
pers to prove it.
Many circumstances can arise when a
perfectly honest man is unable TO settle
his accounts. There may be cases OF
honest differences of opinion between
the officer and the department as to the
Law, which are to bo settled by the
courts. 4 great many cases grew UP
before the present improved system OF
keeping the accounts, when discussing
officers, who were also receiving officers,
received the revenues of the govern
ment, disburscd the expenses of their
departments, and turned over the bal
ance to tho Treasury. That system
prevailed until 1t was reformed in our
day, and under that system the result OF
every difference OF opinion between a
disbursing officer and the department
would stand as dedication against him.
In the list there are some very funny
cases. Washington Irving is found to
be dofaplter to the government in the
amount Of three cents; Hawthorn, the
novelist, who was Consul TO Liverpool
tor several years, died owing the gov
crment 81. a very prominent officer
of tho government stands on the books
az defaulter to the amount Of one cent
The famous banking firm Of Coreoran Il
Riggo, of Washington, owes the govern
mcnt 1920. The English Government
owes the United States, according TO
this report, 81 200.
The amount OF money disbursed by
this government since 1896 makes q big
list of fgures-$l3, 936,870, 062.05 Of
which there has been lost TO tho gov
crnment, according to this estimate OF
Declarations many of which are only
nominal, as has been stated, 81, 10000,
or about half million year
The amount Of real defalcations, omit
ting these unadiusted accounts which
haYo been alluded to, was about half
that sam.
1t is very interesting to examine the
accounts under the several administra-
tons. The report commences with
General Jackson, and it will be seen
that the delalcationg in General Grants
administration, notwithstanding the con-
slant Democratic howl of "Thicf,
thief" have been infinitely less than
those under any other President. Tho
losses TO the government under Van
Buren, were by far the largest, being
more than double those Of any other I'D
The losses on every 81, 600 Of dis
were, in the administration
of Jackson, SO 50 Van Buren,, S2l, Is;
Harrison, slO.37; Polk, 1884 Taylor
and Fillmore, 1894; Pierce, $3.50; Bu-
cbanan, nearly s6.9S; Lincoln, sl.41
Johnson, IS cents; Grant, tho frat four
years, 40 cents; the second four years,
Is cents. This is exclusive of the Post
Office, which administers its own revo-
nue.. In the Postofioe the loss has
gone down from 5Il.l8 on tho 81 600
in .Taokson's administration, and S2G.l9
in Van Buren's to Sligo for tho first
.erm of Grant; and Sl.01 for the second,
with an average Of 1881 for tho whole
period.
Daniel DreW's Losses.