The advocate., 1894-12-05
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
November "a, 1874.

or Ghe pubic debt on the hrSb day or JAnu-
sry in each Of the years from 1871 10 1842y
inclusive, and at various dates in subse-
Quent years, to July 1, 1870, as printed ON
page 276 Of the finance report Of 1870, may
be omitted from your tables in the forth
coming reports, or else that 1t be corrected
to conform TO table d, on page XIV Of the
same report for the same year.
This request iS made in consequence Of a
letter from the assistant secretary Of the
treasury, now in London, who complains
that these different tables are frequently
referred TO in England, and the disOPepan-
Oies between them constantly and unfavor-
ably commented upon.
The table found on page XIV is, be-
lieve, as nearly correct as the examination
Of the accounts up TO the present time will
enable it TO be made, though I am under
the impression there will be some changes
necessary in order to make it absolutely
reliable. Very respectfully,
J.H. SAv1LLB, Chief Clerk.
Hon. John Allison, Register of the Treasury.
|, Referring to this sub ject the COM
mittee said:
The letter Of November "a, 1871, pro-
ducsd by Register Soho field, is an official
order Of the secretary of ths treasury,
through the chief clerk, to Register Allison,
TO make certain changes or else omit from
his next official report TO congress the tabu-
lar Atetsment Of the public debt which had
been regularly made and officially reported
by him from the foundation of the govern
ment. The then register, Mr.. John ALI
son, obeyed the order Of the secretary, as is
established by the citations already made
from the testimony Of Messrs. Schcfeld,
Titoomb and Power.
Concerning the changes made and
the table to which the register was
instructed to make his forthcoming
report conform the committee said:
The register is the official bookkeeper of
the government, and no money can law
fully 60 into or out or the treasury unless
upon warrants passing through the regis
ter's Office, and yet a secretary Of the treas
ury ordered the register TO change his off,
Oisl statements TO congress and enforced
the order against the protest of the regis
ter, the changes involving many millions Of
dollars and covering long series Of years.
The registers duty to make full and truth
ful official statements is as old as the gov
ernment, while statements from the office
Of the secretary in this regard were never
issued until 1870, the bureau taking charge
Of that subject not having been actually es-
tablished till a comparatively recent period,
and not having been recognized in law till
1876, by what is known as the Kellogg
amendment 10 an appropriation bill, March
3, 1876. page 10,)
On page IL Of the report is the fol-
lowing relative to the authority upon
which the secretary based his order
for the changes made:
From the above We SEQ the division Of
warrants was organized in 1870, By the then
secretary Of the treasury, but was not
known in law until 1875; yet, from this
Office, in 1870, the statement was made upon
which the register was ordered 10 make
changes in his statements Of receirts, ex-
pendiAureS and public debt, as reported 10
congress in che official finance reports Of
previous years.
On page 20 of the report the COM
mittee says, after quoting the testi-
mony of Major Power, upon which
! the statements is based;