The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-06
BARkER'S COMPLAINT.
CHARGES OF WASTE OF THE PUBLIC
CASH.
springer's Committee to Investigate thI
Matter-Ilustrations of the Alleged
inquiry Into the
Conduct Of Marshal Wright.

WASHINGTON CRY, Dec 6.-There were
hvely proceedings before the Springer com.
mlttee Friday. j. j. Barker, former con
hdential law clerk in the Office of the first
comptroller of the treasury was heard in ex-
PLANTATION of the following letter:
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. 2, 1854 TO
WILLIAM M SPRINGER, CHAIRMAN. SIR
Oct "a, 1854, | wrote an open letter
TO the president, citing instances of wrong
fuI extraction of public funds from the
treasury. have no copy of that letter here,
but enclosed editorial from The Cincinnati
Enquirer of Oct 2s will give an indea of its
main points. | am specially familiar with
the manner In which accounts are adjusted
In the Judiciary division of the first comp
trollers office. In this division the accounts
of commissioners, clerks attorneys, marshals,
ETC., OF the federal courts are finally paSse
upon. Vouchers on file in the registrars office
VIII furnish evidence of the fact that for years
1t has been the rule to make Illegal allowances
to these officials through comptroller's office
either by design, or through inexcusable ig-
norance OF the plain provisions of law, |
assert that more than one-half of the ac-
counts presented by these court officials con
tam illegal or improper charges, and that
many OF these items are allowed These
improper allowances will aggregate an
enormous sum Convincing proof of the
statement can he found in the fiie-rooms of
the registers Office, but evidence can only be
produced by some one well informed
concerning the contents of the books
and location of the vouchers When
investigations of these matters have been
attempted, only the papers askel for by
resolution have been exhibited Persons
who are being investigated do not usually
volunteer evidence tending toward their owa
condemnation. OF course, in the limits of a
letter can only briefly indicate the things
complained Of | should be very glad to
furnish your committee with details.
Very respectively your obedient servant,
J. J. BARKER
Barker consumed considerable time in cit
ing instances where he alleged fraudulent
vouchers were presented by United States
officials and allowed by order of Comp
troller Lawrence in the face of protests by
himslf Barker. He cited numerous
instances in which he alleged allow
ances of large sums of money were
made in violation of law although he had
called the attention of Comptroller Lawrence
and other officials to their illegaEty One
instance was in the election of 1882 in New
York, where a voucher for $S3 900
was allowed for supervisors of election, when
lt was SllpNH perry lSOiS were pau from
IS to $40 for a days service But one day
each was all the service required and yet no
evidence was produced to the comptroller to
show that more service than one day wa
necessary
Barker said that he went to the depart
ment of justice at one time ond called the at
tention of Auditor Hodges to the allowance
of fraudulent vouchers. Hodges replied that
be was the only man in the department that
ever looked into the accounts presented by
officers, and that he only looked to see il
all the papers were there Barker
went to the comptrollers office on a Sunday
| morning during the past year and called the
| attention of Judge Lawrence to the fact that
vouchers for expenses of George Bliss at
torney in the star-route trials, amounting tc
| 81 900, were wrong and illegal, and warned
| the judge against allowing them. The
| judge replied he had already signed them.
Barker said he did not assume that these
statements should be the evidence in this in
| quiry; that if two books-naming them
| positive of all he alleged.
"lts only q question of reading thos,
books" said he. They will show that thes
fraudulent accounts have been presented anC
allowed for ten years. That is as far bacl
as | have lookel The committee will b
amaz at the amount of money wrongfulll
| taken through this division o. the treasury
department"
| Mr.. Barker denied the assumption in SOM
| parties that he was "sour" on Judge Law
renee, and stated that he thought the comp
| troller an honest, industrious man, who wa
50 wrapped up in writing his decisions tina
| he could not attend to those things.
He further charged that HILL the clerk 20
the circuit court of Boston, had filed vouch
| ers in his accounts for years, showing that il
| hundreds of instances there have been case
on his docket continued from year to yea
for more than five years, with no prospect O
settlement, and that charges have been mad
yearly by Mr. Hill for the continu
ance; that another thing Mr. Hi
| had done was to charge pc
diem for his attendance upon court ever
day in the year except Sundays, the Fourt
of July and Christmas. Mr. Barker gavt
the names of several court judges who liv
outside of the city in which their court
meet, and who travel back and forth daily
charging a per Iiem and mileage, while tn
law only authorizes them to charge mileag
to the courts when they assemble, and froI
them when the term expires.
The committee then held secret sessio
and determined to authorize sub -commtte
to proceed with the investigation requeste
by Barker of the manner of allowing al
counts in the office Of the first comptroller.
The committee also adopted the resolution
relating to the investigation of deput
United States marshals in the October elet
tions in Ohio. The first calls upon the secr,
tary of the treasury for copies o
file of the vouchers from Marshal l.,
M. Wright and other court of
cials in the southern Ohio distrit
in relation to deputy marshals at the pol
in October The second requests the alto
ncy general to furnish the committee wit
all Of the correspondence he has had wit
Lot NJ Wright and other persons in regal
!; to the employment and services of deput
United States marshals, general or specia
to serve at that election, together wit
names and residences, and all the facts al
papers in the department in relation theret
The committee will not, in its investigi
tions into the department of justice, mai
. further inquiry in relation to accounts
United States court officers in northern Ill
nois.
Informally the commissioners agreed
report bill abolishing thes fee system Il
United States marshals, district attorne.
and other court officials.
Arthur VIII Accept the Senators hip.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec 6,-The pres ide
authorizes the statement that he is not ca
didate for senator from New York, and
} making no efforts in that direction. Shou
| ho hn Iectad without an effort on his pa