Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-04-29
debt ought TO have been reduced by this

nentA Ol tue uulOuutSO W tht ItStiitoouN
expenditures, and the public debt in the
finance reports, were made after four Oh
Eve months work, under the direction
OF his superior officers, by 4 new. mex
perienced clerk. although the testimony
shows that IL would take four or five
competent clerks four or five Years
To make q careful statement OF
the public debt and OF the re-
ceipts and expenditures between 1850
and 1870.
~. According to the present system
OF issuing bonds there is no sufficient
check on the Loan Division Of the Sec
retary's office. Legal tender notes, ma
tioual bank notes, bonds aud revenue
stamps are delivered by the Printing
Bureau OF the Treasury Department 10
the Treasurer, Comptroller OF the Cur
rcncy, Loan Division and Commissioner
OF Internal Revenue respectively. All
should 20 through the office OF the Reg
lister, or some other Office oil the Treas
ury Department as q check. The report
made on the Printing Bureau oi the
Treasury Department in 1869, by the
Joint Select Committee on Retrench-
ment, vi which Senator Edmunds was
Chairman, recommends the establish
ment Of such checks.
IL. The erasures and apparent altera-
tions upon the ledgers OF the Secretary
Treasurer aud Register extend to thou
sands some Of them affecting millions
OF dollars. Entire leaves are cut or
torn from some oi the books, but no ev-
idence taken by the committee dlscloses
the fact that these erasures, apparent
alterations aud mutilations were made
with fraudulent intention.
The report made in 1869, heretofore
referred TO, shows that there was al
that time great carelessness IN the book
keeping OF the Printing Bureau oi the
Treasury Department, and that many
notes and bonds were unaccounted ior.
l2. Official reports from the War,
Navy AMI Interior Departments OF the
amounts received aud expended by
them, respectively, do not agree with
the amounts charged by tho Treasury
Department 10 them, but the committee
did not investigate into the causes oi
such discrepancies.
-. The law making permanent an
nual aud indefinite appropriations, cx-
cept those relating to the public debt,
special trust funds and few other OBJ
jects, should be repealed.
There should he SOME adjustment OF
the S29, l0l. .6Ii,9l deposited with the
States, aud other unavailablcs now
charged to the Treasurer as cash IN the
Treasury, 50 that the books OF the Treas.
urer may bc relieved Of these items
"a. No officer of the Treasury Depart
mcnt can furnish from the books state
mcnt Of accrued interest on bonds, eX-
cept for 1879. which amounted to 81, IOO,-
600. The account Of accrued interest
should he kept in two or more Offices.
II. 1t appears that tue official reports
aud statements Of the cash In the treas
ury for the fiscal year ending June 30,
between 1860 and 1870, by the Secretary
Register aud Treasurer, do not agree as
To the amount Interest paid on the
public debt for the same time in reported
differently by the Secretary aud Regis
ter. The Treasurer does not keep a
separate account of the interest paid.
Ii. Yho total and the net receipts and
expenditures, as reported by the Secrc'
tary, Comptroller aud Register al the
close OF the fiscal years from 1860 10
1870, differ widely from the Treasurer +
report thereof
II. The Sccrctary's and the Treasur-
er's statements OF the sinking fund, and
OF bonds purchased therefor and de-
Quoted from the public debt Tor the
years 1869 and 1870, differ widely.
Is. The original permanent indefinite
appropriation warrant for 1869, trans
ierring from the Treasury nearly 800
0OO, 100, has scratches and apparent al
tcratious on its face affecting items
amounting 10 more than S2O0,0OO,OOO.
Similar original warrants Tor 1865 and
1870 cannot be found, and are said 10
have been missing for several years, but
duplicates and triplicates OF these war
rants are preserved in the Department
10. The committee have not cxamin-
ed, as u witness, any person not now
employed in the Treasury Departm cnt,
except Mr.. Sayille, who was chief clerk
at the time Of the changes. The subject
matter of inquiry has been W extensive
that, although the committee has given
10 il much labor aud earnest attention,
il feels satisfied that much has been ieit
undone.
Recommendations
|. The legal.tender notes are delivered
by the Printing Bureau TO the Treasurer
really for circulation. The Register 8
name Il printed on them, but they do
not pass through his office until re-
deemed
National bank notes are delivered by
the Printing Bureau 10 the Comptroller
oi the Currency ready Tor circulation,
without the bank officers names
Internal revenue STAMPS are edellvtred
by the Printing Bureau TO the Commls-
sioner Of Internal Revenue, ready Tor
use.
Bonds are delivered by the Printing
Bureau 10 the Loan Division OF the
Secretary's office, nearly ready Tor issue.
Al imperfect notes, stamps AMI bonds
are returned 10 the Loan Division, which
is the same division that delivers TO the
Printing Bureau the paper from which
they are made. .
ne COulnlttce TtNoulultHh thah az
notes, stamps and bonds pass through
the office OF the Register, or some other
office OF the Department, before deliy'
cry to the above officers, or being put
in use.
III. Heretofore the bonds issued have
passed. through the Loan Division OF til"
Office Of the Secretary OF the Treasury
and through the Registers Office. The
committee think they should also pass
through the Treasurer's Office, 80 as 10
ascertain that the money Tor each bond
issued has been received by the Treas
surer.
Ill. The Secretary OF the Treasury,
the First Comptroller. the Register and
the Treasurer should each make annual
ly TO Congress full, true and PLAIN
tabulaied statement, properly classified,
OF the receipts and expenditures OF the
government including the receipts and
expenditures, on account OF the public
debt, so that all four statements could
be easily and readily compared, each
With the others; aud in making such
statements the Comptroller, Register
and Treasurer should not be subject 10
orders from the Secretary Of the Treas
ury, but should make the same IRON
the books kept in their respective OIL