South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-03-31

ton Of these changes and discrepancies,
and in my judgment have thrown but
little. IL any. light upon their; and IA
to the other portion. no attempt what.
ever has been made to explain them.
And when fconsider that every oppor.
tunity has been afforded those who
ought to understand the workings o.
the Treasury Department. and even tho
Treasury officials themselves, to render
M explanation, ami they fail. l am re-
iuctantly compelled to the conclusion
that there Is NO reasonable explanation
to be had, aud that these changes and
alterations have not resulted i'm public
good. and If there have been frauds
they have I'm part served to cover no
and conceal them.
In my Investigations I have been
compelled to rely on the Official reports
only for information. l have had no
aid in discovering these alterations and
changes from the Treasury Department
or its officials. Whenever / have made
inquiry or any person connected with
the Treasury Department rs to changes
and discrepancies pointed out by my.
self. have been treated with poiiteness
and met with a disposition to explain
them away.
The resolution now under considcra.
ton was introduced with no purpose ex-
cept to obtain what / regard as i'm.
portant public information. and i'm the
presentation Of the facts have Cleaned
III its support. | have undertaken to he
fair toward the subject and toward all
who may have been affected by il. L
believe the matters have presented
demand thorough investigation and
prompt correction. l am sorry there
are leading Senators on the other sida
who do not agree with me. At first it
seemed that all were for investigation
by special committee but now il is
proposed to refer to a committee. n large
majority OF which is friendly to tho
Administration, responsible for the
changes and discrepancies have point
ed out, and some of whom have avowed
opinions as to the correctness Of such
alterations. Would not this he send.
ing the child to an uniriendly nurse?
Notwithstanding the facts and figures
presented by Mr.. Davis and the fruit.
less cunning Of Boutwell,, Morton and
Edmunds in their efforts to trip him,
the Senate refused to investigate, but
the discrepancies were so apparent that
the whole press Of the country have
been called upon to enter protest.
Here is what some Of the leading Jour.
nails have to say relating to it:
Senator DAVIS views, rs expressed
in private conversation, are most rea.
sonable and add weight to his speech i'm
the Senate on the discrepancies in the
Treasury accounts. He has made ont
primo f.tcie case and the Senate cannot
refuse to order an investigation, but he
hopes rather than expects that the in
vestigation will be thorough. The
House might with advantage take mp
the subject. If these discrepancies OF
startling amount and frequent occur
renee do not represent positive loss
through dishonesty or error, they must in
dictate system Of bookkeeping which
is vciously imperfect or an administra.
ton tfat is incompetent, or npscrupu.
!ous or both-Neio York Worla. Jan. II.
Mr.. DAVIS criticism in the Senate Of
the accounts Of the Treasury Department
will attract deserved attention. No doubt
many of the singular discrepancies lie
points ont can and will be explained.
But the fact remains that orr national
accounts are kept by n system so intri-
cate and obscure that nobody. except
possibly one or two officials, can ut all
understand them. IL is certainly true
that such confusion and apparent alter.
atoms Of figures in the accounts of any
mercantile concern would arouse su5pi-
cion Of fraud. An investigation OF
Treasury bookkeeping will be quite in
Orderly Y. Tribune, Jun II.
AS was expected, the Republicans in
the Senate refused the appointment Of
q select committee TO inquire into the
treasury accounts. Senator Davis made
an able speech to-day, fully sustaining
the statements he has already made,
and overturning entirely the lame ex.
plantations of Messrs. Boutwell, and
Sherman.-B fillmore SHa.
CHOKING ISvEsTI IATToS The Re.
publican majority in the Senate yester.
day achieved another small victory in
the way Of silenciag investigation. Sen.
ator Davis, OF West Virginia. called up
his resolution in regard 20 tho appoint.
ment Of q special committee 10 investi.
gate the books and accounts Of the
Treasury Department. When this reso.
luton was up before, Mr.. Boutwell,
pooh.poohed the Investigation and said
that the discrepancies and irregularities
were 'merc matters Of bookkeeping.
Mr.. Davis has since gone over the
ground very carefully again and his
second search disclosed even greater
irregularities
If Il should be referred 90 a special
committee. in common decency Mr..
Davis would have been put on tie com.
mittec. md there would have been
Democrats as well as Republicans in II
and earnest work would have been done.
This would never do. So they moved
TO have the matter referred 10 the COM
mittee on finance which, being Rcpub-