Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-09-03
NATIONAL NOTES.

Z
Tardy In settiement-Ths Court Of Ala
hama Claims Defended-Army Omcers-
Pensions.
WASHINGTON, August 29.-It Is stated
at the Treasury Department that A. Wilson
Norris, late Pension Agent of Philadelphia,
ID causing the accounting officer Of that
department no little trouble because Of his
failure to forward his accounts for the
month Of June last Nh. Norris was 70
moved July =, aud according to the Treas
urers report, had up to July 81, failed to
account for advances amounting to $176,-
III. Judge Williams, Third Auditor of the
Treasury, has several times requested the
agent to forward his accounts for examina-
ton, but 50 far Norris has not taken the
slightest notice of his letters In making
his last formal request;the Third Auditor
called Mr.. Norris attention to sections 3622
and 5491 of the Revised Statutes. which
requires that all officers who hold public
funds for disbursement shall render .
monthly account within ten days after the
expiration of each successive month, and
provide that officers who fail to comply
with this requirement shall be deemed guilty
Of embezzlement and subject to fine and i'm
prisOnment. This letter. il il said, has pro-
duced no better effect than its predecessors,
and the department officers are in some
what Of quandary as to how to proceed.
There are no imputations against tho lofi-
eial integrity of Norr;a
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, August 29-Colenel
Norris, ex-pension agent, being out of
town, Mr.. Huckle, his clerk, who has been
mr. ARR hA 70 Af <hA 81
Gee for the last month of his chiefs occu-
pancy of the place, was seen last evening,
and said that only one letter had been re-
ceived from the department since Norris
left his position, and that within q few
days THE $l76, III referred to in the
iispatch,n said Huckle, never has been in
the possession of Colonel Norris, nor could
he draw against it The money, - tho
people at Washington know, is at the pres
ent moment in tho Treasury Department
1t is there to Colonel Norris credit, but he
could not now nor at any time since his re-
moval draw against it The money is to
ais credit as discussing officer, and as he is
no longer such he has no power over it. OF
course until the accounts are all in this
money remains technically to his credit and
ian not be covered into the Treasury until
the accounts are presented and audited.
The delay in presenting these accounts is
owing to the fact that they are being made
up by Colonel Norris own clerks and are
very tedious They will be sent down in .
few days"
WASHINGTON, August 29.-Judge Asa
P. French, of the Court Of Alabama Claims,
arrived in the city to-day. Speaking in re-
gard to the recent decision Of Comptroller
Durham, he said that the question as to tho
light of the court to employ tho necessary
assistants was considered when the old
,ourt was organized, and it was decided
that they had the authority. The new
court was modelled upon the old with the
exception only that there were three Judges
instead Of five. Secretary Fish, and subse-
luently Secretary Frelinghuysen, Comp
roller Lawrence and the other officers hav-
ng charge of the accounts decided that the
court had the right to employ assistant
counsel and clerks. Judge Creswell, the
special counsel, says the question was
thoroughly discussed and the authority of
the court conceded. 1t was impossible, he
said, for the court to do otherwise than EN-.
ploy assistant counsel to cross-examine wit
aesses In various parts of the country. He
says Secretary Fish at one time decided that
the United States Minister at Hawaiian
Islands could receive fees from the court
for services rendered as special counsel.
WASHINGTON, August 29.-But three Of
The army officers affected by Secretary Endi-
,ott's recent order, sending men on long
detached duty back to their regiments, have
complied with the Secretary's instructions.
These are Captain William M. Wherry, Of
General Sch0feld's staff, who has been on
detached service eighteen years and three
months; Lieutenant C. 3. Scho6eld, of
General Schofeld's staff, on detached duty
six years and nine months and Captain J.
5. Wharton, of General Hancock's stan, on
detached duty seventeen years. Several of
The officers who have not complied with the
order have telegraphed here asking that ex-
.eptions be made in their cases, and their
friends in Washington have replied that no
exceptions will be made. 1t is reported
that some of the officers who have been on
.ong detached service will resign the army
before they will rejoin their regiments.
WASHINGTON, August 29.-The Treasury
Department has paid out about SIC, 900, 900
On account of pensions 50 far this month.
It is therefore expected that the decrease
If the public debt for August will not be -
.arge as usual.