Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-10-02
UNCLE SANS BOOKS.
Eoms Curiosities of IA Lengthy Document
Recently Issued by the Governments

Recently Issued by the Government.
The House of Representatives, on
July q, passed a resolution calling
upon the Secretary of the Treasury for
a statement of balances due to and
from the Government of the United
States. The answer, which was very
voluminous, was sent to the Public
Printer, and the work Of placing il in
type was completed few days ago.
The fact that certain sans are charged
against individuals as due the United
States does not indicate that the per-
sons SO charged with indebtedness have
profited by the amoun. involved or that
they owe the money. In the great
majority of cases the accounts are held
up awaiting the settlement of some
technical question rs to the legality OF
the expenditure.
Among those who are carried as
debtors on the treasury ledgcrs are:
President John Adams, who owes
Sl2,S9S on account of "household eN-
penscs;' Major-Gencral Lafayette, who
owes 1875, on account of an oycrpay-
ment made to him, and Edmund
Randolph, Secretary of State, who
owes S6l, 800, on account of va
rious expenditures made before
1884 The diplomatic, and par
ticularly the literary men, who have
been sent abroad rs Ministers and Con-
suls, seem to be more generally in debt
to the Government than any other class
of public servants. James Russell
Lowell owes S93. 6S in his account as
Minister to Great Britain in 1888; John
Latbrop Motley owes 81, 49S as Minis
ter to Great Britain in 1871; Reverdy
johnson owes 50, 3SS as Minister TO
Great Britain in 1869; Bayard Taylor
owes Sl02 as Minister to Germany in
1879; Washington Irving owes 3 cents
as Minister to Spain in lS41; AlcXan-
der Everett owes 1898 rs Minister to
Spain in 1885, Ninian Edwards, Minis
ter to Mexico in 1926, owes 1924; James
Gadsden, Minister to Mexico in 1857,
owes $40; Andrew j. Curtin, Minister
to Russia in 1872, owes S94i; +. W.
Stoughton, Minister to Russia in 1879,
owes $12. 100, John Busseil Young,
Minister to China in 1888, is debited
with IS, 145 and is credited with S507;
Stephen A. Hurlburt, Minister to the
United States of Colombia, is debited
with S13, 22S in 1871 and 81 900 in 1872;
James A. Bayard, Envoy to Ghent, is
debited with 800; Adam Badeau is
debited with S10,572 as Consul
General to London in 1882 and with
80, 1866 rs Consul-General to Havana
in 1884; William ID. Howclls is debited
with $24 as Consul to Venice in 1868
and credited with S7l in his account
for 1868; John S. Mosby is dcbited
with S2,1lS as Consul to Hong Kong
in 1885; Thomas j. Brady owes the
Government 1919 as Consul TO st.
Thomas in 1874; Titan j. Cofleeis is debit
ed with 81, $50 as Secretary of Legation
at st. Petersburg in 1870 and 1871;
Beverly Tucker is debited with S2l, ,264
ms Consul at Liverpool in 1862, and
Simon Wolf with S293 as Consul Gen
cral at Cairo in 1882.
On the the other hand the statement
shows that the Government owes John
Quincy Adams $1,000, as Minister to
Russia in 1918; A Alphonso Taft, 81, $40,
as Minister to Russia in 1885; John
NJ. FTdnclS, us hlnSteI 10 huSlild III
1885, So, 000 Edward +. Beale. as Min
lister to Austria in 1877, Sill; John A.
Bingham, as Minister to Japan in 1888,
So, $50; John Howard Payne, as Consul
at Tunis in 1853, S205.92; Bret Harte,
as Consul at Glasgow in 1888, SlS5.l6,
and Henry Bergh, as Secretary of Le-
cation at st. Petersburg in 1860,
S135.4i. One of the largest debts in
the list is Francis L. Spinner. Treas
urer of the United States, $3.50, 267.46,
on account of bullion deposited with
A. j. Quirot, treasurer of the mint in
New Orleans, in 1866. DR.. George b.
Lorings disputed account for S20.-
S0S. 80, as Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, is, of course, charged up against
him. - Washington Cor. Chicago Herald.