Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-01
POOLING WITH THE FIGURES.


Of the Treasury unless by warrants
which must be registered and finally
deposited in his ONCE.
POOLING WITH THE FIGURRs.
The changes and alterations as to the
Public Debt statement inquired into ap-
pear by comparison OF the Finance Re
ports for 1870 and 1871 respectively.
On this point Mr.. Register Scoheld tes-
titled in reply to Senator Davis as fol-
lows:
+. 20. hand YOU the Finance Report
for 1870 and call your attention TO page
276, and also the Finance Report for
1871 and call your attention to page 3ba,
and ask whether those tabulated state
mcnts Of the public debt were made in
the Registers offiCe?-A. They purPort
10 have been So made, and | have no
doubt they we're.
q. And we're officially reported To
CongGessH-A. Yes, sir
q. DO they agree AZ tO the amount OF
the public debt2-A. They do not for
some two or three years. From 1888
down 20 1870, inclusive, believe, that
they differ The tables themselves will
show the differences. Prior TO 1888
they agree.
q. Do all the years differ between
1888 and ls70'-A. think they do.
q Can YOU state why all the tables
made by the Register in 1870 and 1871
differ 50 largely with each Other'-A. In
1871 a tabulated statement OF the pub
ic debt was made ia the Secretary =
office. as we'll as in the Registers. For
the years 1888 to 1870 inclusive, these
two tables disagreed very widely In the
amount Oi the debt. TLey were bound
in the same volume, and attention WAS
attracted to the differences. The Regis
ter, in his report Of 1874, adopted, by
direction Of MIR. Sayille, chief clerk,
the statement made in the Secretary +
office Tor the dlsagreeing years. And
thus occur the dlsarreements in the
Registers statements iOr 1870 and 1871.
la this way the statements Ol the
public debt Tor each year from lS'i3 Ia
1870, both inclusive, as reported official
ly by the Register and Secretary oi the
| Treasury in these various years and en-
bodied ia the Finance Reports submit
ted tn Congress and published hy It's an,
thority du not agree with the statements
| of the public debt for the same years as
reported since 1877 ia the same official
manner. These differences involve
many millions ui dollars and extend
over a period ui 81 wears. The great
/ changes IN these statements were male,
not hy the then incumbent ut the Office
/ ni Register Oi his own vOlitiOn, but un'
/ der the written direction ui an officer
oi the Treasury representing aud speak
Ing Tor that head Oi that Department.
Z The fiscal terIu ending on the 3Oth al
June; aud the report OF the fiscal uper'
ations Oi the Government not being
made To- Congress till about the first Ul
December, an interval Oi several months
il available, during which time the aC'
counts outstanding at the close ui the
fiscal year come in ana be adjusted, AMI
IL Is understood that this interval
has been made use Oi for the purpose
| oi bringing together the various ac'
counts; and, surely, when the condi-
ton II the Treasury at the close OF = lis
cal year has been reported Ia Congress
Al It's ensuing session in December, the
rrports thus made alter abundant OPP
pnrrunity a. ensure them absolute cor
rrrtnes, should not bc altered.
TmE ORDER FOR TuE CHANGES.
The circumstances under Whu'h the
changes in the Public Debt statement,
before referred to, were made, were lie
tailed 10y Mr.. Register Scoiirld IN this
way
q. You speak Of an order from the
| Secretary tp the then Register, who !
believe was MIR Allison, To make the
I changes Won have referred 10 ia this
debt statement. Will YOU give the
committee that oricr'-A, Yes, sir;
this II the original order, and ! will
| hand yuu u copy.
q Read Us the oTiginal.-A. | will.
TREASURY DErARTMENT,
November -, 1871.
SIR: | have Ia request that the state
meut Of the public debt on the Let day
[ ui January IN each OF the wears from
/ 1891 to 1872, inclusive, andsat various
7 dates IN subsequent years, tn July ],
/ 1870, as printed on page 20 ot the r.
nance Report ior 1870, may he omitted
. from Your tables ia the forthcoming r..
ports, or else that II may be corrected
H. conform tn Table II On page NV nl
the same report for the same year.
+ THIS request is made IA consequence
. oi letter from the Assistant SrCretar>
oi the Treasury, nov 10 London, ~hc
/ complains that these different tables
are frequently referred to in England
| and the discrepancies between them
constantly aud uniavombly commented
upon.
The table found on page XIV is, lee
/ lieyr. as nearly correct as the eNamina
/ tIon ui the account, up tu the present.
| time will enable Il To- hr made, though
am under the impression there viii he
spmr changes necessary ln urter L
make IL absolutely reliable
Npry respectfully,
J. n. S,VILLE, thiT orrt
Hos. JoHN ALLISON, R,ySsr n NJ Ir-as
/ UN
This letter i, endorsed Secretary o
the Treasury Chiei clerk. 2i,lIl. Ask
statement ot the public debt may b,
male ta correspond with statement
male ia the SeeretAry's othce. Memor
anium, As published for the h-ra
wear ending June 81 1871, the state
meut Is the same as the Secretary
. Ibrlieyr that endorsement Is M Mr.
AlNsOu's handNrluny Now u You an
: take the report made by the Secretary +
othoe M lS,l. and that made 10y th'
Register IN 1871, m accordance with tha
order, YOU will tni that they are alike
aud thev have continued from that tlm'
to thIs tn bs alike ur very nearly alike
. think there lsa ivs hundred dollar
I discrepancy this year, and vas iAt'
wear.
. That il, the Registers repOr, 4
/ Congress after 1870 Was made IN accrrd
Ance With directions from the Secre
tary's office?-A. Yes, sr; ! under
stand that the Register made u.
changes in his books bat adopted th'
report mAie by the Secretary down &
that date.
Assistant Register TItcomh A2
spaAks II the matter The changes, a
lhey Affected the statements o, tprme
wears. we're, a. ! understand, prOieste,
against | hardly know that ] shOui,
state that there was protest IL vas
IN the judgement II the late Register
unueceSsary 10 make the changes.
knox that Mr. Allison expressed III
opinion officially Ia the SECRETARY that
in his judgement, u VAS not aiylssbA
to make any change IN regard 70 th'
statements OF former wears under forme
SiministrAlIons.'
Major ]. I. Poser, an important ait
nee. who xas in the ReEiste = oftiC
from lS6g 70 lS75, and l. now che
clerk q the TreAsary Dspartment a1i
inrmeFiy Sss chief ~ the DivisAoa .
Warrants, estimates and sPPropuAtlon'
give. this Arcoant oi the sanss nAft~7
30 10 yoa knoH hrther letter : a
sent from the SscretArys Ottioe u W.
Register In 1870 dIrecting the he<iste
10 change or alter the public debt siA's
mrnts-A. remember such iritei
/, came 10 the Register and as by h'1
handel To me, and PAssed It T. ~
chief Of the d.ylslOn IN charge OF v
statements referred % IN the letter
go 10 YOU kRoS Shethef The kfa !
ter thought II or no, a proper thine !
40 10 carry out the instructions oi -
l~t,fre--A. Tue Razister objected Vsf