Year: 1873

SS'AH A-'AAhISiitNo DioILOcIhTS.


The following is special dispatch from
Washington


Several members of Congress in vari.
Gus parts of the country are either ques.
tioning the accuracy Of lists lately print.
ed in these dispatches of those Congress.
men who have returned their back pay to
the Treasury or are attempting to create
an impression that because they have not
actually drawn their money it is still in
the Treasury. The lists as already pub
lished were yesterday compared again
with the official record in the Treasury
department and found to be accurate
They include every member of either
house who has either openly or under 10
junction of secrecy returned his money
to the Treasury and made it available for
the uses of the government, SO that as
printed they show all who up to June 10
have replaced their back pay in the treas.
ury in such a shape that it is beyond their
control. The claim of many Senators
and members that they have notified the
disbursing officers of their respective
houses that they will not draw their back
pay, simply amounts to leaving the money
where it can be drawn by these members
at any time, nor do such instructions
cause the back pay of those giving them
to remain in the Treasury. Congressman
do not themselves draw their pay from
the Treasury, and could not do SO if they
wished. When the appropriation bill
containing the items Of compensation and
mileage goes into effect, the entire sun
appropriated becomes subject to the re.
QUESTIONS Of the disbursing officers of the
respective houses, and it is no longer in
the Treasury, and any member of Con,
gress can draw his share whenever he
chooses from the disbursing officer. No
portion Of the pay due any member can
be placed beyond his control except by
his drawing it and having it returned to
the Treasury, in which case it is no long
er subject to the action of appropriation
bills or disbursing officers warrants, but
becomes again available for the general
purposes Of the government. Some oil
the members are claiming that if they re.
frain from drawing this back pay 1t will
lapse into the Treasury as uuexpended
balances This is not the case, as under
the law as construed at the department
the certificates Of. the amounts due each
Senator, Representative or delegate which
the President Of the Senate and Speaker
Of the House are obliged to make out,are
held to be conclusive upon all depart
meDts and officers of the government, and
the certificates are passed public accounts
and the money can be drawn upon them
by congressman their heirs or executors.
at any subsequent time. The books OF
the Treasury department show that Thom-
as Benton drew back pay and construc.
tive mileage five years after he denounced
the bill providing it as public robbery
and notified the dsburspg officers that
he would not have it, Tho books also
show that Andrew johnson drew for mile
age he had refused and the receiving OF
which by others he had denounced en- the
stump after he had left Congress, served
as governor Of Tennessee, aud afterwards
returned as member of another Con.
gress. The books also show that Robert
j. Walker, after the close Of the late
war. drew sum due Tor constructive
mileage for attending the FIRST session Of
the Senate in Folks administration which
at the time he had refused to take from
the discussing officers.