The bee., 1884-06-14
EDWIN WILLIAM kEIGHTLET,
OF
CONSTANTINE, MICH,
THIRD AUDITOR OF THE
TREASURY.


County, Indiana, in August, 1843
was educated in the common
schools and the Valparaiso Col
legiate Institute of Indiana, anC
in March, 1866, he was graduated
from the Law Department of tht
University of Michigan, and SC
distinguished him self in the prac
tice Of his profession in st. JOSEPH
County, Michigan, and the sur
rounding country that in 1872 tht
people of his county elected him
their prosecuting attorney for &
term of two years; subsequently
secured his appointment to be
judge of the Fifteenth Judicial
circuit of the State to fill vacan'
cy, and in April, 1875, he was
nominated by both political par,
ties and elected to be his own sue
cessor as circuit judge for e term
of six years from MAY 1st, 1876.
He was Representative in the
Forty-fifth Congress from the
Fourth Congressional District OF
Michigan, receiving a majority of
1886 votes over his competitor,
Hon. Henry Chamberlain
He is at the head of one of tie
oldest, largest and and most re-
sponsible bureaus in the execu-
tive departments, which requires
a clear head, a judicial mind, as
well as more than the usual execu-
tive and administrative ability to
properly perform the numerous
and intricate duties imposed upon
him by law.
This Bureau over which Mr..
Kelghtly has presided with such
ability and prudence since 1879,
had its origin in an act of Con-
gress approved May Sth, 1872,
creating and establishing the "Of-
flee of Accountant for the War
Department." which name it re-
tanned until the act of Congress,
approved March Sd, 1917, when
the name of the office was changed
to that of Third Auditor of the
Treasury Department, and is re-
quired by law to audit and settle
the money accounts and returns
of property relating to the Office
of the Quartermaster General, the
Commissary General, the Engi-
neers, the Signal Service, the Mill
tary Academy, at West Point,
the Surveys of all the roads under
the jurisdiction of the War Depart
ment, as well as the accounts and
returns pertaining to the payment
of pensions to the thousands of
the boys who wore the blue and
are now borne ON the pension rolls
the Department of the Interior.
The Third Auditor is also re
quired by law to settle the claim
of the different States of the Union
for military services, troops and
property furnished and paid for by
them; the claims of officers and
enlisted men for private horses lost
or killed in the military service;
the claims of citizens for property
lost in the military service. prop
erty purchased aud not paid for
or seized for the use of the Fed
eral Government, claims for trans
portation of troops and supplies
and also to keep books of appro-
priations made by Congress and
acquisitions made against or to be
paid out of those appropriations,
together with personal accounts of
disbursing officers ndagentss show
ing advances to and disbursements
by each.
In order to facilitate the trans
action of public business the office
is divided into seven 'Divisions'
and the work of the Bureau is
classified accordingly into appro-
pirate subjects or heads: The Book
keepers, Quartermasters', Subsis-
tance and Engineers, Claims,
State and Horse Claims, Pen
sion, and the Collection, and the
amount of labor performed in
these divisions during the course OF
! fiscal year involves the settlement