Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-11-23
Annual Report Of the Treasurer Of the
United States,
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.
The Treasurer of the United States, in his an
nual report of the operations of the Treasury
during the last fiscal year, makes the following
exhibit regarding receipts and expenditures,
as compared with the fiscal year ending June
30, 1876. That ending June 30, 1917, SHOWS
decrease in net revenues amounting u SlS,-
4S1, ,542, and decrease in net expenditures OF
S1g, 799, ,1SS; net revenues for the fiscal year,
S269, 600, $50; net expenditures, S2@S, ,66SO0S-
making an increase of funds amounting to
$30340,51S. 1t is observed that while the rev.
enue from customs, lands and miscellaneous
sources has decreased year after year since
1873, the revenue derived from internal reve-
nue., so called, has increased, the receipts from
that source in 1874 having been SlO2, 400, ,14,
and in the fiscal year 1871, $llS,63O, ,401. The
total amounts of unavailable moneys carried
in the balance of accounts in the 1reasurer's S
office was as follows: June 30, 1875, S29, 500,
$50; June 30, 1877, 29,620,SS3
The theory of public accounts is that the
Treasurer of the United States shall be
charged, upon the warrant of the Secretary,
with all moneys received into the Treasury,
and for which, whenever received, he is held
accountable until the same are properly dis
bursed under some appropriation made pur-
suant to law. 1t has, however, occurred that
since 1896 the sum of S29,625, S33 over and
above the amount which has been properly ac-
counted for, has, by reason OF the deposit OF
surplus revenue with twenty-siX States of the
Union, by deficit, by default, by theft i'm vari-
GUS places, and by the failure of depository
banks, gone from the custody of the Treas
urer, which it seems he cannot, from the ma
ture of the case, account for, and thereby OBJ
tain credit thereon from the books of the de-
partment, and for the convenience of the
operations of the department this amount is
carried in the accounts as unavailable.
The Treasurer thinks there should be legis-
lation authorizing the opening of an appropri-
alton account upon the books of the depart
ment, in which, under the head of "unavaila-
ble," the Treasurer may receive credit for
sums now and hereafter from time to time be-
coming unavailable, and that the person, bank
or State properly chargeable may be debited
with various items by warrant upon accounts
stated by the proper accounting officers of the
Treasury.
Although the monthly debt statement of the
department was never intended to show the
condition of the Treasury and the amount and
kind of funds on hand, yet many deductions
are sought to be made from time to time, as if
that publication gives the liabilities and assets
and not merely the condition of the debt. The
only items of cash in the Treasury which the
debt statement includes are the general cur
rency balance and general coin balance. The
currency balance, as it appears in the monthly
statement under the item Cash in Treasury,
currency, is simply the amount of currency
that would be lett in the Treasury after the
payment of all currency demands in full, and
so, also, of the item Cash in Treasury, coin.n
redemption of clearinghouse certificates and
coin certificates, of which the amounts out
standing are noted in the statement, besides
which, not mentioned, there are funds to the
credit of the disbursing officers for the re-
demption of notes of National Banks which
have failed, in liquidation, and reducing circu-
latiOn, aud to meet outstanding checks and
drafts for the benefit of the creditors of
National Banks, the balance of the 5 per
cent. fund and Others.
A comparative statement is given, showing
in detail, both in coin and currency, the liabil-
tiles and the assets of the Treasury on Sept.
30, 1876 and 1877. These aggregate as follows
Coin, Sept 30, 1876, S67, ,5S1, 705; Sept 30, 1877
S133,5S5,072; currency, Sept. 30, 1876, $780,,
49,, 166; Sept. 30, 1877, S1lO,O91,O39.
Regarding the long-mooted question as to
whether legal-tender notes deposited for the
redemption of the circulation offailed, reduc-
ing, and liquidating banks are held as sep
| arate fund, it may be said that there is nc
provision of law which requires that such
notes should so be held, and as a fact they
have never been held set apart and distinct
from other funds in the Treasury. There is
| without doubt, in the various offices anC
vaults of the Treasury a sufficient amount o
| United States notes to redeem all such banl
notes if presented simultaneously for redemp
tion, but they are not always in the vaults o
this office, where redemption is required to b'
| made.
The recapitulation of silver payments, mad,
| in pursuance of the act of April II, 1876, in
Guiding payments from April Is, 1876, unit
and including October, 1871, shows an aggre
gate of SOB, 1856, 1872 of silver issued for frac
tional currency redeemed and destroyed, S13,
464,569 of silver issued in lieu of or in ex
| change for currency, making total of $50,
$40, 1872. Upon an official estimate of SS,0S3,
573 of fractional currency lost in circulation
there may be still issued, before the limit o
S50,000,000 is reached, $40, 269, ,061 in exchang
for currency and SO, l10,206 for currency obi
| cations.