The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-25
SENATORS DAvIs's CHARGES.
No Report on the Treasnrs Discrep-
ANGLES yet.-Remarkabie Irregular
..., a., tho Treaaurv Records.

lftes TN the Treasury hecOEoss
speci Il Dispatch to the World.
asHINaroN, May .18.-The invest
igs.i by the House have been so pro-
litc in revealing the abuses and corrupt
ions of Republican rule in every branch
that the one ordered by the Senate on
charges brought by the Democratic Sen.
ator early in January has been quite lost
sight of. t.best illustrates the energy
and spirit between the two parties IN ex.
po,inp administration. The Senate
Finance Committee was directed at the
time named to Investigate books and ac-
counts of the Treasury Department, par
ticularly with reieranee to discrepancies
and alterations inlamounts and figures
that have been made in them, especial y
in the annual statements Of the expend-
lures of the Government, revenue col.
lected, and the public debt contained IN
report thereof Nearly four months, have
elapsed and no reply has been made, nor
are there any indications OF one. Foss-
IDLY Republican Senators are content
with the partial and plausible explain
alton of the millions upon millions doll
ars of discrepancies made BY ex-Secre-
tsry and now Senator Boutwell,, in reply
to the charges as detailed and sustained
by Senator Davis, of West Virginia.
Their importance and magnitude, and
the utter failure thus far to refuse them,
should not be forgotten, for they speak
volumes. 1t should be preliminarlly
stated that Senator Davis in his investi,
cations at the Treasury Department
found no official who could explain the
alarming alterations IN the official reports
made to Congress. Here are some OF tie
remarkable discrepancies, copied solely
from the official figures, as to the annual
expenditures. Prior 1870 all OF the D.
nance reports agreed as 10 the total an
nual receipts and expenditures; but take
the finance reports of 1870 and it differs
to their totals from all previous reports
between 1901 and 1865 6. For instance
in the report of 1869, page S2l, it appears
commencing with 1860 that the total an
nual expenditures were SIS, 888, gil, 10y, IL.
Now, take the finance report tor 1870,
page 275, it will be found that there is
an increase of 1921, 970,43. The great
est discrepancies are in the years 1868,
1866, 1866. In the year 1869 alone
there is an increase Of nearly a million
of dollars. 1t this discrepancy appeared
IN the expenditures of years since 1917 1t
might possibly be explained in the DIN
erence between the Sscretary's table
(which Mr.. Boutwell, originated) and
the Registers statement, but the totals
here given are from the Registers state.
ment-the Register being the chief book
keeper of thes Treasury-which cannot be
altered by any new table originated in
subsequent years. And lest it be claimed
as it Is frequently, that the discrepancies
at the close of fiscal years arise from the
amount of warrants issued by the Secre-
tary. and the amount Of warrants act
uslly paid by the Treasurer, it should be
stated that not only is the rule OF forty
five days allowed beyond the end of the
fiscal year. but as long as three or four
months, in which to make up the full
amount of receipts and expenditures as
here given
In the war, navy and Indian eIpend-
itures, from 1860 to 1866, it appears ,nat
many Of the figures are changed in the
finance report of 1870 for those periods,
after having been officially used by COR
gress for years. Take the pension ex'
penditures that cover only one specific
purpose and look at the figures:
In the report Of 1870 the ex-
penditure for pensions are ~
stated for the years lS8i-65 at.Si6,Si ,6zl 80
In the report of 1869 the same
expenditures for the same 40