Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-23

An Account for 10000 Miles Of Travel
observation-disclosures Trips and Per
aOnal Portraits.

On May Is. 1881, an order was issued
from the War Department directing Dr..
John S. Billings, of this city, a surgeon in
the army, to attend the international Con-
gress held at London in August Of the same
year. DR.. Billings left uTon his mission,
but between June % and Nov. 10 he Wis
tied London, Portsmouth, southampton,
Netley, Manchester. and Liverpool, Eng
land; Brussels. Belgium; Bonn, Frank
fort-On-the- Main. Heidelberg. Suasourg,
Kiel. Dresden, Munich, Leipzig, and bef-
lin, Germany: Paris, France; 81. Peters
burg, Moscow, and Helsingstors, RUSSIA;
Stockholm. Sweden Copenhagen, Den
mark: Prague. Vienna. and Buda Pest,
Austria: Florence and Milan, Italy;
Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland; finally
returning 20 this country and submitting
an account for Us. 1j3 miles Of travel, az
gregatng Sl340 2A
do the slow course of official events,
this matter has lust reached the second
comptroller u the treasury, and he has
disail0wed In the settlement of the ac
counts OF paymaster smith, United states
Army, the item OF mileage presented by
Surgeon Billings. The comptroller holds
that the war department had no author
ity 10 send a delegate 70 the International
medical congress at the government eX-
peuse; that Congress alone could author
lZe such representation, and that the
service was in no proper sense military
service. He also holds that an order Of the
war department which leaves IL To the
discretion OF the officer to determine the
extent OF his travel is void and does not
authorize the payment OF mileage; that
the department Eust designate In the
order the place o. places from which.
and the point or points TO which the
travel is to be performed. snddlrects ftat
the amount paid in this case shall be
charged against Surgeon Billings ia his
pay account.
In adjusting the accounts Of Pay
Director OF the United States navy, the
Second Comptroller discovered twQyouch-
ers-One for S27, purporting toll be for 54O
hve-cent foreign postage stamps, and tie
other for $50, purpOrting TO be Tor photo
graphing 30 anatomical specimens for the
naval dispensary. They were both made
out in the name OF woman, who. Is an
artist residing in Washington, aud were
certified 10 and approved by Philip 5.
Wales. Chief Of the Bureau Of Medicine
and Surgery.
The Comptroller reports that investiga-
ton proved that they were both false and
fraudulent. and that the money was 2c-
tually paid for two crayOn portraits Of
Wales. drawn by this artist, one Of which
was hung upon the walls Of the Surgeon
GeneaaPs Office, at the Navy Department.
and the other at his private residence.
The artist signed the vouchers upon
representation that there was no apprO-
priatiOn out OF which such expenditures
could be properly paid, and that it was
necessary 10 make the vouchers
in this form in order TO OBJ
tain payment, and that il was
customary TO do so. The vouchers being
regular in form, the Pay Director was
protected in paying them, but the Comp
tr0ller directs that the amount be charged
against Surgeon Wales in his account
with the government.
The Comptroller also disallows in the
account OF this pay director an item Of
1882 ., being for subsistence of Commit
tee on Appropriations, House Of Represen-
tauYes, while making a visit on the
United States steamship TallapOOsa from
Washington to Norfolk. Fort Monroe, and
Hampton, March % to 81, inclusive, 1881.
There was no resolution Of Congress au-
thorizing the committee to make the trip
at government expense, and the Secre-
tary Of the Navy had no authority to fur
nisn toe committee with subsistence, and
pay for the same out of the appropriation
Tor the support Of the navy.
Il only learned OF it a few minutes
ago." said DR.. Billings when a reporter
askep him late last night about the dis
Z
mad no idea that there was any question
rs to the legality Of my accounts. went
to Europe together with three other army
and navy officers, at the order
u the war and navy depart
ments, 10 attend a medical cOnven-
tion at London, sanitary exhibition at
the Hague, and medical conference at
Copenhagen. Requests had been sent by
the English and Danish governments TO
Al.
should be represented there. The war aud
navy departments decided TO send Two rep
resentatives each, and was one OF them.
acting under the orders OF the Secretary
ofWar. was also 20 visit any other places
and transact any other business which
the Surgeon General might order, and IN
compliance with this, visited Edinburg
and some others places and procured
specimens and books which have been OF
great use IN our museum. On returning
turned IN an account for mileage at
eight cents per mile. and il was paid. /
can't think OF any reason why this mile
age account should have been disallOWed
unless the Secretary of War has not the
authority to order officers abroad"
IL IS mistake, 20 say that the por-
traits We're OF myself" said Surgeon Gen
eral Wales, 70 reporter, when he was
asked 20 explain why the second Conn
purp0rting 10 be for postage stamps and
for photographs Of anatomical specimens,
but which Was in reality spent for pOr-
traits for the bureau. "They were por-
traits OF Drs. Harris and Barton, two OF
the first surgeon generals. whose original
pictures had become 50 faded as to be al
most unacceptable. 1t has always
been the custom, don't you know, for bu-
Teau chiefs to have their pictures taken
70 hang upon the walls OF the Offices"
"How was 1t that the expense was
charged to postage stampsY
ION, II was done by those scoundrels,
don't you know, while they were in the
department. The whole thing was re-
Yealed recently. They forged my name
10 things, don't YOU know. II was done
without my knowledge, and 10 was entire
ly unnecessary, for there is a special APP
preparation for that sort OF thing. But If
the government sees ut TO refuse 10 paw
for the portraits Of two eminent men I'm
self.
ARSENIC INEBRIETY.