National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-15
rHs AMOUNT OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED

1riet government. Auditors Broadhesd and Tsy.
Ter were IN attendance and submitted the follow.
ing answers to the questions that had previously
been Propoundsd BY the committee:
Answers Of the Board Of Audit.
First. For answer to the nrst question Of the
committee We have caused 10 be made by classes
statement Of the certificates issued by the board
Of audit, which amount TO the sum of SI4 SOL.
4ts.53. That statement is herewith reported.
Second. The statement herewith OF claims dis
allowed may not include all dIsslIovsnces, ss
generally partial disallowsnces appear BY the
papers In the cases to which they belong, and
can be accurately stated on examination Of the
papers only. The amount disalIoWed is, approx.
nately, 6sl ISL 81 In class 4 S194 62 65 in class
mot including claims for damages referred to
In the sixth question snd in the answer 10 It.
IN each case, so that they cannot be separately
distinctly stated, further than that the claims
we're not deemed valid, or that nothing was due
upon them. Those held to have been TOO late in
Examined.
Third. Each Of the members OF the board OF
sudit held an Office IN the Treasury Department,
BY reason OF which, and BY tie terms Of the act
June 20, 1874, he became 3 member Of the board
OF suoit, constituted by that sct
A full and complete discharge Of the duties of
those ofhces, respectively, oeAanded their whole
time and attention, and TO the added duties neces-
sarily TOOK precedence, and therefore personal
examination Of cIaims by the members OF the board
Of audit, or either OF them, to any considerable
extent was impossible. When questions arose in
regard to claims requiring the action of the me N
bers Of the board they were presented to and de-
oided by the board, the decisions TO govern the
suditipg clerks n cases OF Ike character there
after examined In such cases the members OF the
board examined the facts go far as necessary to q
decision Of the questiors arising on them, and
made the decisions as we'll for all like cases for
those examined. To do more was impracticable,
1s Will appear By the number Of clsins acted UPON
and Of certificates to be issued. How many Ger
vt6fnras m he al aror fra fTon
and allowance Of claims by the members of the
board Of audit cannot be stated. In regard TO
claims for damages to real estate the answer VIII
be found with that Of the sixth question.
mr.. E. G. Church held the position Of secretary
spd chief clerk from July TO September 80. 1874;
Rr. Herbert Vail from October !, 1874, to Febru-
1875. 10 the present time, and acted as secretary
from February s, though not appointed until
Claims were in the first instance presented in
he room Of the secretary. where they we're 81 ack
sted" and numbered IN their respective classes
and referred 70 the clerk having charge of claims
Of the Glars 10 which they belonged FOR examina-
ton and report. Glasses l, aud were proven
Cf the BOARD and No s by tsx receip ts ana the
collectors books, and a computation of the sums
due was the chief duty of the auditing clerk, ex-
cept as otherwise directed in the following in.
stTuctIors gwen, soon after the Organization Of
the board Of audit, and previous to commencing
The work Of audit
The numbers refer to the classidsstiss OF
claims, viz:
No. j. Certificates presented will be regis.e.sd
by their numbers, and In the names o: :us parties
each eertifeste presented by claimant, and the
Interest," ard re aggregate of all will be care
-<Say aseertsined and stated in the report on the
claim.
No. 2. Auditors certificates Will, in all cases,
be compared with and verified by the auditors
bcoEs; and in cases Of presentation by the origi-
nal creditor or contractor their correctness must
be verified by comparison with the original
claim, and the necessary evidence mast appear,
the Transaction be examined and the figures
proved BY proper computation.
Mel. " " LAW 60 ~
No. 4. These claims will be allowed only on 70
port Of the engineer and careful comparison with
contracts. Additional allowances can be made
only upon the statement Of their nature and al
louance certified by the engineer. Before sach
claims are reported they must in each case be
presented TO the comptroileTs, or one OF them for
s5aEiDati5on; Inc same rSie applies 70 claims
De examined to ascertain whether they have been
paid or certified.
No. 5. Claims under this head will be referred
whether they have been paid. Claims for print
ing and advertising WILL before reported, be ex-
hibited 10 the board, or one or ite members.
Ss.G In each ease e brief statement of the
claim presented, the articles constituting it. and
the action Of the Board of Public Works will be
No. 4 Here like statement as in No. will be
made. No claim under this head will be received
OF considered unless it had been presented to the
y
ls74, nor any one excluded from consideration by
the act Of the legislative Assembly referred TO.
No. 6. These claims must be carefully compared
with the collectors tax lists, and their accuracy
proved;
-acy in the statement OF claims.
Each account reported for allowance must be
subscribed by the clerk who examined Il, and bear
the signature or initials Of the Accountant having
supervision OF the class to which IL belonged.
Claims OF organizations Of a public character,
such as schools, reform schools, g., will not be
reported Tor allowance, unless specially directed
From August l to December l, 1874, Mr.. WILL
Der Z, Leete had charge OF the auditing of claims
In classes ! and 8; after that No. was in charge
II . Wilcox had charge Of class No. 6, in
which there were but few claims.
MI Herbert Vail lad charge Of claims - Class
q from July 20 10 October g, 1864; Mr.. q. w.
Walton from that time until February S, 1875, and
NJ. Charles 4. Appel from that time until the
lbs II. wilcox had charge of class 5, and
Mr. =. a. Stone OF class C. from August !, 1874, to
February 10, 1875. from which time Mr.. G. II.
Fsrnham has had charge.
The members fthe board OF audit personally
took charge Of class :.
Certifcates were fIled up from the reports Of
the CLERKS who audited them by other clerks.
Of claims we're not signed by him in blank, with
the exception Of three, which the clerk was
about to I'LL, having entered the class, numbers,
amount and names Of the claimants on ths
marginal stubs.
His presence being required fmmed ately at the
Treasury Department, he signed these three,
and left them to tie filled up under such observa-
Ion Of others as guarded against error.
For himself Mr.. Brodhead says that, as mat
Ter Of convenience, from which no possible harm
could arise, he signed nearly all the certificates
In blank as he had opportunity and time, the
and compared with the account before the GER
Lihcate was signed by Mr.. Tayler.
Fourth. In answer to this question:
Mr.. TaYler, for himself, says that he is not the
NJ M in has
owned or been interested in, directly or indi.
rectly. for himself or for another. any claim OF
ton, or allowanceby the board OF audit; and that
he is not now, and has not at any time been the
holder or owner Of or in any way, directly or in.
any certificate or certificates issued by the board
OF audit, or Of any bond or bonds Issued on such
certificate or certificates.
Mr.. Brodhead, for himself, says that certih
Gates were issued to him on account of auditors
certificates, (class ~ November I, 1874 for S..
3ss.Zl, and November II. 1874, for SSO4 "A: for
rial, (class g. S47.55; for damages, (class ~
nary 20, 1875 for 81 200; refunding sewer tax IS,
telass 81 October H. 1874 for sSoS.Ss amounting
tihcate, the old material credit, one or more Of
tie auditors certificates, and the sewer tax
S we're 70 T9e pest Of MS Pellet MS property
that the Certificates were converted into 3.65
bonds, which he now holds; that he has never
sold nor been interested IN the sale Of any certi
Gates or 3.65 bonds, but has purchased such bonds
in open market as his means would permit be
HeVing them 10 be a desirable Investment.
In relation to the subsrdinates of the board we
answer that We do not know, neither have we any
reason to believe that any of the subordidates
employed in the board of audit were Interested
directly or Indirectly, in any Of the claims pre-
scented for allowance.
Fifth. In answer to the fifth interrogstory we
say that no authority was conferred upon the
board Of audit TO employ an engineer to remeas.
ure work done under tbs Board Of Public Works
but BY section five of the act of June 20 1874 the
engineer of the District, subject to the general
supervision and direction of the Commissioners,
was vested with all the IoTer and authority of
the chief engineer Of the Board of Puplic Works,
and was required to perform h duties heretofore
deyolved upon that officer, and in each case
where the board Of audit was Informed or be-
neVed or had reason to suspect, that the measure
ment was erroneous, application was, as We be-
heve, made through the Commissioners or d.
reetlY 70 the engineer for q remessurement or
report, and his action awaited before the claim
was acted on. Some kinds Of work C Juld not be
was continued IN fulfilling contracts made by the
Board Of Public Works partial measurement was
subject TO remeasurement by the engineer at each
subsequent sccount taken OF work done and the
whole would await fnal measurement al the
completion OF the work. In this way erroneous
measure ments of old work, If any would be cor
Tected WheIemeasurenent was Practicable
In the report Of the board Of audit made Feb
ruary 10, 1875, the board stated that Of consider
able number OF claims In class l. not acted upop
"the larger portion had been referred TO the engi
neer Tor measurement, or are held for additional
evidence and examination" :