National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-16
coMprnoLLER IAwRENcE.
He Appears Before tho Springer Committee

lie Appears Before tho Springer Committee TO
Befute the Charges Against His Administra'
tion.
]. J. Barker, In his testimony before the sub
committee investigating tho alleged lrrcgu
laritles in the first comptrollcr's office, last
Friday said accounts were passed through the
department of justice pro forma anu not upon
their merits. Ho also said he would produce
letter from n district judge, which would
show that emolument returns were not ex-
amincd by the judges. Yesterday the witness
| qualified his testimony, nnd said the accounts
! OF marshals, district attorneys, and clerks
were not examined carefully by the depart
mcnt OF justice, but were sent to the treasury
department to be examined on their merits.
| Relative to the letter from the district judge,
Mr.. Barker said hc did not mean judge, but
| district attorney.
"Thosc were grave charges you made against
judges" intorposed Representative Fyan.
replied.
Judge Lawrence took the stand and read a
made by Mr. Barker. He said the accounts
| allowed in his ONCE, and cited by Mr. Barker
| TO be Illegal, were allowed according to law.
Relative TO the resignation Of Mr.. Barker MS
clerk In tho first oomptrollerB office, Judge
Lawrence said claim for SIC, 5si of the state
OF Florida against the United States was pre-.
sented to tho acting comptroller for passage
during the absence of the first comptroller IN
ohio. The warrant wat "a an unknown hand
writing. IL was signed by the acting comp
troller, but was detained In one division of tho
office. When Judge LAWRENCE. returned he
said II was discovered that'tho claim was
fraudulent. He asked Mr., Barker what he
knew about It, and no replied that he knew
nothing.
"a few days after," Judge Lawrence contin.
uod, "Mr, Barker came TO my room and said
he would aiterward explain that matter.
The next morning he resigned. lie has never
explained"
Judge Lawrence, continuing, said he had
overruled decisions of former comptroller
relative to the payment of accounts lie had
also overruled q decision of the attorney gen
eral Concluding his testimony, he said;
~ respectfully submit that the action Of the
chief of the division of judiciary accounts, and
ofthe present clerks IN his division, and OF the
first comptroller, as TO the accounts in ques
ton, Is fully justified If IL should now ol
hereafter he ascertained that any or all o.
by false evidence in any case, or by one oil
more. fraudulent claims, the discovery car
iurn ish no ground for any general complaint
that illegal or extrayagant claims which this
comptroller has any power 10 disallow or re
duce, have been or are being allowed. II
would be strange II there were not some sue
cessiul frauds prnctlced. During the iisca
which were examined IN tho comptIol
lors office reached the number of $685..
sB involving .s2,2i3,O53,S9l OF courst
| ~ pnyslCuIly lnpOsslDle tnal any comp
troller can personally examine these or any
other considerable number Of them, As tC
these claims, over which | have control,
have never heard, so far as | can remember
of but one man In the United States who al
legged that l allowed either illegal or extrava
CANT amounts, and he says am honest. And
so far as can remember, have never heard
of but this one man who intimated that had
been inefficient or inattentive to business"
Judge Lawrence was questioned relative &c
his decisions. He said that he published
one volume year and that copies were fur
nishcd to every United States marshal, judge
and clerk, TO every public library and law
journal, to members of congress, and to {
number of prominent lawyers. In the prepa
ration Of his decisions, Judge Lawrence sale
he was assisted by one clerk who verified the
the citations from various authorities, ont
clerk who indcxed the volume, and one who
read the proof of the printed pages. But ont
OF these clerks, however, devoted his entire
timo to the work.
Judge Lawrence, continuing, said he de
voted considerable time outside of his Office
hours to the preparation of his decisions anC
also one-half of his official time.
The investigation Will continue to-day, wheI
witnesses Will be examined relative to Mr.
Barker's reputation, and to his knowledge o
the Florida claim, referred TO In the earl!
part OF yesterdays testimony.