Constitutional Whig. [volume], June 22, 1830, Image 4

About Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
ron> the Norfolk Herald ol Wednesday.
Wo pros-ent our readers to day with tire promised
reply ot Mri.KB Kino, Esq. to the charges aflccling
his conduct as Navy Ag« nt. contained in the recent
communication of ihe Secretary of the Navy to Con
gresa His rejoinder to tho" Report of the Fourth
Auditor vrill follow in a susequeut number:
It is unneecssarv fur Qs to detain the reader by a
einfflc remark The reply of Mr. King will be pcrH
8od with an interest corresponding with the deep con
ebrn which the coramuuity hove felt in the viiidica
t**m of a character hitherto unsullied by the faintest
breathing of suspicion, and now for the first time as
sailed. That his vindication is amply and satiel'octo
rily made out in tho explanations he has given on all
the points of accusation, wo think no mind that is not
utterly deaf to conviction will deny.
THE ANSWER~OF MILES KING,
hate Navy Agent at Norfolk,
To the Letter o the Secretary of the Navy, and
the Rkpoht of the Fourth Auditor, upon tlio
subject of his accounts.
The publication of tho Letter of the Secretary of
the Navy, of the £7ili Mny, with the Report of'tbo
Fourth Auditor accompanying it. transmitted to Con
gress at the close of its laie session, anil tuuce publish
ed in the U Stales Telegraph, and other papers, has
imposed upon me the unpleasant duty of troubling the
public with some remarks in reply. That those com
rnui.ications, indeed,althouoh made ostensibly, in obe
dience to a resolution ol tho FloUsc, were both contrived
und calculated to injure my reputation, as far at least as
was deemed necessary for the vindication of the extra
ordinary proceedings of those officers in relation to my
accounts, must e obvious »o all. 1 cannot but feel
therefore, that I owe it to myself, to tny friends, and
to my fellow citizens generally, who mhv take an in
terest in my ense, t*. repel the false anil calumnious
charges \vtncli have hccu thus openly and maliciously
udvaiiccd, or insiuuated, against me In doing so.
however. I s‘>all endeavor to abstain as much as pos
sible from ihe expr»*ssion of those feelings of honest
iodignatioD, which the treatmeut tliai I have reemved
is so well calculated to provoke. .It is not my purpose
or ray wish, in any thing that I shall write, to inflame
the violence of party spirit; nor shall I address myself
to either the enemies or the friends of tho present ad
r^inistration as such; but to all candid and considerate
persona of all parties, who, 1 feel confident will dome
the justice to weigh the facts which £ shall submit,
and draw their own fair conclusions fVom them. But
before I proceed to state them, I must beg leave to
make a few preliminary observations, which seem to
bo necessary te place the facts themselves in their pro
per light.
i nave to rom*rk then, that I received my
fast appoint meut as Navy Agent at Norfolk, from the
v-rierable Madison in 18IG, and without any solici
tation from me. or, as far as I knew, from any of
my friends; and I continued to hold it fromthat time
to the 11th of August last, when I was suddenly, and
Without any reason assigned to me. dismissed from it
by the present Secretary Dunngall this period,my
coudurt h id given, as I had every reason to believe,
entire satisfaction to the distinguished man from
Whom ray appointment had emanated, and also to his
auecessot. Mr. Mon non. and 10 his successor Mr. An
AMs, by both of whom I had been daly nominated to
the Senate for re-appointment upon the expiration of
the term of four yeara for which my office was held
by law. On all these occasions, too, the nomination
of me was sustained by the unanimous vote of the ho
norable body to which it was made, and this when
the practice has always been for that body to confer,
by a committee raised for the purpose, with the Head
of the Department to tarhioh the nomination more par
ticularly relates, touching the character and conduct
of ti.e .ffi cr designated by the President, previously to
tlicr uciing upon his nomination. The inference is
therefore plain, as tha fact is certain, that my whole
coarse of conduct had been fully approved by tho Se
cretaries, Mr. Thompson, and Mr Southard, who,
it will easily he supposed, must have known both my
duty and their own, a' least as well as the present in
cambent. Linder ttu-secircumstauces, if it had secto
red good to .Cren. Jacks..*, immediately upon his ele
\ vat,on to the Presidency, to dismiss me at oaco from
my place, or rather to decline n.uninaiiog me again
to the Senate, 1 should have had of course no perso
nal cause to complain The ground of his proceeding
ndeed, would then have been apparent to all, anu
tool*I only have been regarded as a retaliation upon
tie fur the decided preference which I had always
ftse'y. but moderately, avowed *for his predecessor,
anf which he had not the generosity to forgive; and,
viiWed in that light, his act could havo lcli no stain
u<on my charactqy. thougli it might periiap.- have cast
©tne small shadow over his own A' the same time,
w both my fortune an I my spirit raised me ubove
iependiug upon any toon, I could easily have conso
Cil myseir lor the lass of the honor and profit of iny
office, by the calm consciousness of mv integrity, and
Mio recollection hat I was only suffering along with
many.and far lao.e worthy men, in oth**r qaarters of
mtr country, whom it had suited the vindic ivo pol.cy
ar the new administration to proscribe. But 1 was
icparate«l from them, it seems, in the first instance,
only 'o be made the >bject of tenure secret and sub'
tie malice in the end. I was accordingly again notn
laated by him to the Senate, in March i829. and th>
committee of that body having again conferred with
the new Ileidoftiie Department, now the honorable
Secretary himself, upon the subject of my official con
duct, and received from him, (u I mw>l preumc. the
assurance that my accounts with the Department toere
oil fair and regular, again unanimously confirmed
my appointment. And yet it was but a little while
afterwards, in the course of \lay or June following,
that t: began to be whispered about, as coming from
his own lips, that I was to be removed from toy office
and that i,I)on the ground that l was a defaulter to
the government
Now IB It not apparent, I ask. apon the very face ol
the proceeding, that this charge was without any jast
foundation in fact?—For can it be supposed that the
honorable gentleman who was hardly yet warm
m his seat, hud, in the short space oftwo months, be
come so thoroughly acquainted with the stale of my
accounts, as to have discovered from them what hat
escaped the sagacity of all his predecessors, and even
his own but a little while before, tnat I was a defaul
ter to the Government to a large amount? And is tl
hot rather more probable at least, that the calumny
was the kind sngges'ion of som*-familiar toad,” whe
had whispered it in his ear, as a v-ry convenient ex
cuse for transferring my office to another? Indeed
the gross prevarication which stooped to use at
first upon thesotijectof his charge againsr me, broach
ing it only to my enemies, and denying it to my friends
and the different representations which he made at
different times ns to the extent of the pretended de
falcation all shewed that he hud, as yet, no such
knowledge of my urcounls, as could excuse hia chnrn-e
against in- even to himself Me ,ms, however, doubt
less examined tin m since, with all his own skill, and
with tfie additional aid of a more wily adept to euide
ns scrutiny; and we have .he result ot his labors m
the letter before us—which I shall now proceed to
Ulsseet.
it begins*of course, in the usual form, and pretends
accordingly to l.ewr»t!igi ‘in obedience to the reso-'
lutiou of the House of It presomut.veH of the 15th
ins' callup tor Cortaiu mf rmation in relation to the i
accounts. Xc of M,les King, Into Navy Agent a
Norfo.k. Vn &r Bm 't may be proper fo note
lha that resolution was moved by Mr C*rs<>\ „
fto th Carolina, a personal friend nfthe Secretary
andnodoub- a. h.s special ins-am,-and rem^f
eo was virtually moved by the Secretary himself
why was if moved.,, the House rather than in the Son
ate, to winch the subject properly belong.-<p Only be
cause t he . «! <nover had failedto obtainan instrument
of his mahee in that hon-.ruble body, where the «„See'
of my accounts had already been agitated. & in a man
cr I suppose, not par-icularly calculated to grat.fy hi*
pride. 1 t is now well known, indeed that mv ance asor
in the Navy Agency at this place, bad no ifetin d.ff,
qulty insetting hi* u<>minati*ac«nfirai«d by thafian
ate; and not tram any p&SObal objection to the geli- i
tier tin himself, but only from the indignation winch
some of the Senators had justly conceived against the i
manner in which I had been ousted from my nfuee to ,
make room for him In that body, toq, it wns well;
known, that there was a distinguished man whom I
have the honor to call my fVicnd, and who is also the
ft iend of the-present administration, although hois
not the approver of all its acts, who,happened to be
Well acquainted with my accounts, and stood prepa
red to defend them It was: taught prudent and, pol
itic, therefore, to shift the scene of tho attack Upon
me from the Chamber to ibe Hall, and tho resolution
was accordingly moved in the House, to which the
letter was sent only a day or two before »hc close of
its session, in order that, in the burry of business, it
might escape tho exposure which it so richly deserved.
It is easy, then, to sec that although the letter was
written in obedience to the resolution of the House,
the resolution of the House was, in fact, the contri
vanceof th>* Secretary, and very cleverly got up to
give him an opportunity of vindicating his own con
duct in relation *o me, and, of -course, by aspersing
my account-—This apparent motive of tho writer,
fdrnishos the true key to the cnterpretation of this
lot ter. nnd will serve to explain that curious style ol
insinuation which lie has so ingeniously adopted, at
once to vcdl and to accomplish nis design. The whole
document, indeed, is a singular specimen of iguornnee
and cunning united, (the result, perhaps,of a clubbing
of wits.) Which I flitter myself I shall very easily ex
pose.
•‘There is also^ transmitted,” continues the Secre
tary, “marked A, copies of oertiao vouchers presen
! ted to the Department by the said late agent, which
. have been rejected, on each of which, respectively, is
j given the reasons for their rejection, or disallowance
l by the Department." These "copies of certain vouch
j ers,” however, have not yet appeared in print, and hn
j ving waited for some days past, to see them, in vain.
I may take it for granted, I presume, that the publi
cation ot them has been suspended for some good
cause, which it has not been deemed proper ro state.
It may be conjectured, however, I think, that the
reasons for their rejection or disallowance by the De
partment" endorsed upon them, wiil hardly seem as
satisfactory to the pablic, as they must havo been to
the writer himself.
j But the lion. Secretary proceeds to Inform tbc House
, dS the public, that “in addition to the reasons assigned
I on those vouchers fur their reduction, it may b- proper
I to state by way of explanation an to a part of them,
that the salary of the Navy Agent is limited by law
to g-’000 per annum; and that all surra allowed to the
Agent over and above this amount, are intended to
cover expenses which have been necessarily incurred
in the discharge of the duties of his offibe.'for clerk
hire,office rent stationary,fuel, &e.,” and lie goes
on '.o add t hat “m the vouchers alluded to, it appe ■ ra
that the demands of RJr. King to cover these expen
ditures wo e made from time to time, allowed by the
respective Secretaries, and the several anrus carried
to his credit, on the books of the Treasury”—and
yet‘-after a lapse from ten to thirteen years these
cbarg.-s for clerk hire &c are re-produced, and the
tteun considerably increased in amount.” The infer
ence which he would have drawn from the premises
is obvioas enough, but it is his language only that
leads to it, and not the fact which lus language disgui
ses; and a little explanation Will serve to shew that it
Would be entirely fallacious and unjust. D»*r the truth
I on this point is, that lor the first four years of my ap
pointment, that is from 1816 to 1820, I had brono-ht
no charge whatever against the government for unv
of these extras, but had paid them all out of my own
pocket; but in the latter year, being informed that
such charges had besu always allowed in the accounts
of every other agent, I do-med it proper to add them
also to mine, and I accordingly did 60; charging only
the sum ofS3255 for them all for the four years wliicl
had elapsed, that is a little over §300 a year: At this
time, however. I was not apprised of a fact which 1
discovered only in September or October last, in look
irig over the papers relating to my accounts in the Au
ditor’s office, to wit, that on the 6th of June, 1817, c
circular had be- n addressed from the Navy Depart
ment to the Navy Agents.ofNew York, Philsdelphic
and Boston, fixing the amount of those extrua ai
certain specified sums. That circular is in these words
“Sir, Ike nature and extent of the business youi
agency involves the question of reasonable allowaa
can for contingent expenses, and for which you are tc
distinctly understand that the following allowances
will be admitted in full of all office expenses, viz. fot
office rent $150; clerk hire $1000; a porter $210; ata
tionary, books, &c fit50; fuel and candles <550, total
amount per annum <1600 ” Now ns it was altegeth
er clear to my roindtlrat this circular, although ad
dressed to tin* AgSms at New York. Philadelphia,
and Boston alone, ought, in all fairness, to regulate
the charges at Norfolk also, where “the nature and
, extent of the business of the agency” made it obvi
ously as applicable and proper as in either of thos
o'her cilice, df as my accounts were now subjected t
the most captious criticism on all possible poime,
deemed it entirely correct to prefer my claim for tn
ext ras according to these established rates; and I
therefore, made out a new account against the De
partment,in which 1 charged them at those sums
m>m the commencement of ray advice, and gave i
credit for the said sum of §3255, which I had alrcu
dy received, as for so much on account. The item
tlids on}yr corrected, and not exactly “reproduced,'
were of coarse “considerably increased in amount,’
but only because I had ignorantly wronged myself fe
undercharges for them in my former accounts It m&i
be proper to state, however, that this new uccoun"
did contain one single new item, which was placed bi
itself, and was‘-toexira clerk hire from the 16th o
April 1830, to ifcia date (lGth April, 1825,) tu gatH
per annum, §4000:” for as a similar charge had beet
allowed to other Navy Agents, (as even to myself als<
Jrom l\i&l period,) I could see no good reason why i
should not be allowed to roc. I will onlv add, tha
the grounds on which I made all those choro-es a
given above, were particularly stated in a oote°at\hi
foot of the account itself, which the Secretary mus
have seen! It is entirely clear, 'hereforc, after this ex
planation, which was be/ore the gentleman himsel)
that the truth of the case will not countenance tin
imputation which his phraseology has been artful)
fhsh.oned to convy. And, indeed, my right to thesi
additional allowances which I claimed is so apparent
that I must believe that neither the Auditor nor th
Secretary would have found any difficulty in admit
ting it at once, if it had not become necessary by thi
time for their own exculpation, to moke me out n de
taulter by *-.11 possible means.
Hu* the Honorable Secretary proceeds to say, “In
answer to that part of the resolution which calls for
inlormatjoo as to the manner in which Mr King has
kept his accounts, and made his roomily and quarter
ly retarns,” an enquiry evidently prompted bv hirn
seit to let id the important reply which he was'ready
i Rr'^ nrix|ouf: t > give,' -»)t may {>■ premised, that the law
requires the ISnyy Agent to make quarterly returns
| of his accounts to the Treasury Department, qqJ
that these shall be accompanied by “vouchers neces
sary to the correct and prompt settlcificntthereof;” and
it is required that monthly returns shall be made to
the Secretary of the Navy of tire * moneys received
and expended during the preceding mon»b. and the
unexpended balance in his hands.” This is subslanti
ally true; but it is not exactly true that the monthly
returns are required by law. (as the phraseology ev
idently implies.) but by a regulation of the Navy De
partment itself, made in 1322. But the Secretary
charges that “the monthly returns of Mr. King were
not made in conformity to these requisites of the law" |
— that is, ..f the regulation. Tnis is a general
charge, nnd [ meet it at once with a general answer, j
and expressly assert that my monthly returns were ■
made in exact conformity to the requisites of the law,
or regulation aforesaid But he gives us a sort of
speci0cntion which I must notice a little more par-!
ticulorly •• Requisitions.” says he, “were made up ‘
an the Department in the early part of May, 1829,
for a considerable amount of money, when the month- j
ly return for April shewed that he had in his hand I
large balances applicable to the same objects for
*bu»h bis requisition* w*rcd*%wTU An explanation
W#» asked of tins variance between tiis requisitions bud 1 ■
return. (Sec letters of the 13lh May, 1029.) No satis
factory explanation was given.” Now the explanation
which was given to the hon-ruble gentleman n: iny
letter oftho 18th May. m answer to hisoftho 13th,
and which I humbly think ought to have been satis- j
factory to him if it was not,—and which 1 trust will
bo entirely so to tho public, was substantially this: 1
that the apparent balances under the particular heads .
which he mentioned in his said letter, to wit,the heads
of “Provisions” and“Gardual Improvement were not j
real ones, bnt had been made by the DejyKtruent’s '
havin
had
’ vui I1UU UUU1I UJCIViU UJf vuv uuvnv o
ing 6ent the money uudefct hoso heads which I
; drawn Qnder others, and disbursed accordingly.
by tho express direction of the department itself. To ;
explain this to those wito arc not acquainted with the
subject, it is only necessary to observe, (what must
be known to the Secretary by this time, il it was
not when I wrote,) thui the money furnisbod by the
Government to the Navy Department for the service
of the Navy, is appropriated by law to bo laid out un
t \ m* 11 11(1 /*n*l »# It a Ii aaImi t It a * I t*n '1 ull f vf to f* .
der and charged on the books of the Treasury to par
ticular heads, such as “Pay,” “Provisions,” “Navy
Yard,” “Gradual Improvement,” “Contingencies,”
&c., and the accounts oftho Navy Agents must, of j
Course, bo kept in a correspondent manner. As it of
ten happens, however, that money is wanting for u j
particular branch oftho service when there is no mo
ney in tho Treasury under that head, although there 1
is more than is wanting under some others, the prac
tice of the Department, in such cases, has been to
borrow the money required from any hood that is re
dnndant for the use oi the one that is lacking, while
tbesum so obtained is charged to the Navy A«»ent
on the books of the Treasury, and of course credited
on bis own books, under the head from which it is
drawn, though it is in fact to be disbursed under an
other—For example, the North Carolina arrives in
port, and the Captain calls on nte for §50,000
to pay off his men, and having no money in
band under tho head of “Pay,1, I make a re
quisition upon the Department lot the sum- But
the Department also has no mouey in the Treasury
under that head, but has enough and more than is
wanting under the head of “Provisions.” Now wlmt
is to be done? Why the Department draws money
from the Treasury under the head of “Provisions,”
and transmits it to me charged to my account under
that head, to be credited of course in my account
under the same head, but yet to be disbursed for the
service in hand, that is. under tho head of “pav —
But, in so disbursing it, it must be remembered,'I am
not at liberty to charge it to the head of “provisions,11
and can therefore only charge :t as money o/erpaid
under its head of “pay.” Accordingly, in making my
monthly return to the Department, mv statement will
show a balance of $50,000 as in hand, under the
head of “provisions.” (with a corresponein«r charge
oi o\cr-pavment Qnilcr the head of “pay,”) though,
in tact, 1 have not a cent in hand Again, I have
occasion to make a requisition for several sums of
monoy, for various objects, at the same time, nay for
“contingencies” $1000, “Navy Yard” §2000, “re
pairs ’ $1000, “ordnance” $1000: making in all $3000:
And tho Department sends me tho sum required un
der two heads only, ns 5000 dollars under Mie head of
“repairs,” and 3000 dollars under the head of “ord
nance,” and I disburse it, of course, under ail the
heads for which I required it. It is obvious here
that my monthly return will shew balances in favor of
the heads of “repairs” and “ordnance,” (and over
pnynit.nis against tho lieads ol “contingencies” and
“iiavy Yard,”) when I have nothing left It fdlows
that if money is wanting immediately afterwards for
any head under which one of these apparent but not
real balances is found, it must be neo-ssary to draw
upon the Depnrtm°nt-for it. Nothing can be plainer
then this, and the Head of the Department, (if there
is any head there) must see at once from tho previous
return, why the money is drawn for, notwithstanding
the apparent balance which he may find accounted
for it he choo&os to look, in tlie charges for over
payments under one or more of the other heads in
that very sain.-, or sumo previous return Now this
or something very like ii, happened to bo the case in
the instance which the Secretary refers to: for tho-m-h
it is true that my return for April shewed, as he says,
“large balauoes under the heads of provisions’ and
‘gradual improvements,’" yet, in fact, the monoy fur
mabed under those beads bad been required by me
under other heads, and disbursed accordingly, by the
express direction of ihe Department itself; and this
that return, and the one or two preceding it most dis
tinctly shewed (It may be proper for me to add
here, by the way. that both that return, and all my
former ones, had been necessarily submitted to, and
approved by, the Board of Navy Commissioners, be
fore they came to the Secretary.) Ir was, therefore,
necessary for me to draw Upon the Department, as I
did, early in fitay, for some small suips (not very
“considerable’’ ones,) of real money for the use of
the bunds of “provisions,” and “gradual Improve
meats,” those apparent balances under them to the
contrary notwithstanding. This is wljat I stated,
substantially, to the Secretary in my answer to his
letter, and I really thought that it bad satisfied him
ontirely, especially as I was bound to suppose that he
knew, or would make himself acquainted with, the
course of business of his Department But the hon
orable gentleman, it seems, having but lately left his
plantation, and hardly at home in his new office, did
not find iny explanation “satisfactory.” Indeed it
appears that it even excited his suspicion: for he pro
ceeds to say:
“It wh9 then deemed proper to examine into the
state of his accounts with the Treasury, from which
it appeared that whilst his returns to that Department
to the 30th June, 1829, exhibited a balance to bo due
from Mr. King to the U- States of $2$,5G8 85* the
monthly returns to the Navy Department, ending on
the same day, stated a balance to be due from the U.
States to him of §20,065 li, making a difference
b.-tween the returns of §45.083 9C ” Now this is
literally true, and yet deceptive again; for the houor
auit? o«cre»ary Jias cnosen to overlook or to conceal
the additional fact, which he Iidcw, or ought to have
known, us it was apparent on the face of the Abstracl
Advances accompanying the return to the Treasury
.according to usage.) that from that balance o!
Jj525,509 there was to be deducted the sum of $1 4,000
tor monies which I had advanced on aocounl which
would have left the actual baianoe only $10,709 _
But even this Bum svm not actually due to the United
States, because against it I hnd claims on accounts
not yet in proper form, but in progress to be made
so, amounting to abont 12.000 dollnrs, and accounts
suspended for additional vouchers, (most of them
since furnished,) to about 9,000 dollars more; so fhai
if my account could have been fully and fairly audit
ed at tho time, it is plain that tbo Government must
have been found in my debt for a considerable sum —
Au to the ''difference" between my monthly returns
to Uie Department and my quarterly returns to the
Irensury on this point, so ignorantly or so artfully
paraded against me, it was no! of the least moment,
•si shall presently shew from his own winds,_for
trie letter proceeds to say:
'•A farther inves igatioo of this subject developed
l.!Klw > following facts: 1st, That the monthly re
turns to the Navy Department from the year 1822,
never did ngreo with the returns made to the Treasu
ry Department for the same time and th sanue pur
poses; and 2d that they invariably showed a smaller
balance against Mr King than was proven to be the
fact by bis settlement with the Treasury Depart
innnt And. proceeding to comment on this fact, in
rns usual style of insinuation, he adds, “The import
nnce of these disagreements will be better under
stood when it is kept in mind that the quarterly re
turns nre made to the Treasury for settlement, while
the monthly returns ti the Navy Department nre
statements upon which advances are to be made to
k ■‘V’!'01' •ft c<tn scarcely be necessary to remark, j
that if the accounts of the Agent contained a correct
representation of the transactions of his office, the
three monthly returns to the Navy Department j
mould agree with the quarterly returns made to the
i reasury Department for the same period. This :
vos found to be the fort, with the returns of the other i
>rincipal Agents.” Now as to the first eftheggj
act#, to wit, “thtit my monthly returns to the Do
lartmcnt never did agjcc with uiy quarterly returns
0 the Treasury,” I readily admit it to be true_
hut is, sc far as lhe monies disbursed are concerned;
or as to the monies received,they have alwuys ihvart
ibly and exactly agreed But the utter mrignjficance
jf this fact in uny point of view that can affect my
:fcaracter, (a» lie evidently intends it should by attach
ing u> much “importance” to it,i or in any respect
whatever, will bo plainly perceived when it ie rem
embered, what be has already remarked himself,
that t lie quarterly returns to the Treasury Depart
ment are required by law to be accompanied by
‘vouchers necessary to the correct and prompt settle
ment thereof;” whereus the monthly returns to the
Navy Department arc only '‘statements upon which
advances are to be made to the Agents”_that is,
they are intended to show the Secretary what sums
of money have been expended during the month, and
for what objects, and so to enable him to see what
further sums aro likely to bo wanting for any branch
of the service. Now os the monthly returns shew
all the actual payments on account. and the quarter
ly returns can shew-oniy such of them as are duly
touched, “it is hardly necessary to remark,” as it
must br entirely obvious to any one but the Secreta
ry himself, “that they should” not “agree,” or at
least can hardly ever be found to do so.* But if unv
one uot conversant with the business should ask why
the partial payments cannot appear in the quarterly
return when receipts are taken for them of course,
1 answer it is only because the Department, to save
ltsclt from the intolerable * rouble of examining so
many separate receipts, requires its Agents to send
up single vouchers Jor the xchole sums, which can
only be obtained when the work in hand, or other
business, is completed. For example, I was in the
habit of paying out large sums, from day to day. on
wbat are called allotment tickets, (or tickets on
wmcn pari;.<»r tne pay accruing to absent sailors is
paid to their wives, or other assignees at home,) and
these bums were accordingly stated m rav monthly
returns; but yet those .same payments could not ap
pear 19 my quarterly returns until the tickets had
run oat, and the. whole were settled, at the end of
tho terra or cruize. In like manner, I had oflen large
contracts in hand for work, and sup-plies extending
through months and years; and here too my pay
ments on account, though noted on my monthly re
turns, were always necessarily omitted in my quar
terly ones, as they were lying over for the vouchers
which could only be had when the work was Gnish
cd or the contract closed. It is entirely plain,
therefore, that although the ttvo sets of accounts
1 8,lou.,d ®J\frays agree in their statements of the sums
: t cceioed from the Department, (as mine always did,)
they can hardly ever agree in their statements of the
sums disbursed. As to what is so nicely added, there
fore, that “this agreement was found m the accounts
1 of the o;hor principal Agents-,” I can only say, that
if it is really the fuct as to sums disbursed, the state
, of business at their stations must have been very
different from that which existed at this place, or it
is a most marvellous re incidence indeed! At all e
vents, I flatter myself I have clearly shewed that a
difference between the two 6orts of accounts can be
of no significance, for the plain reason that although
they are for the same period,they are not (as the S*^c
ret ary asserts) --for the same purpose,” but emanate
lrom different authorities, relate to different objects,
embrace diflerent subjects, and have, in fact, no real
connexion with ench other After this, the gross
insinuation which he has founded upon the natural
and inevitable want of agreement in the statements
of disbursemon s in my monthly & quarterly returns,
must appear to all honest minds as mean as it i*
false.
As to what the Secretary adds that “the paper
marked B contains a synopsis of these discrepancies
from 1852 to June 30th 1820,” if he means to have
it understood that there were no such discrepancies in
my account prior to that period, so as to let in the in
ference that they crept in after it, it is only necessary
to say that I made no monthly returns before 1822;
the Department, as I have already remarked, having
first begun to require them by its order passed in that
year: And as -othe assertion “that this document shews
that Mr King had for the last seven years (with the
exccptiou of a short time preceding his removal from
his office) returned in his bands, unacknowledged to
the Navy Department, an amount of the public tao
I nies averaging from 40,090 to $46,000 per annum”_
1 answer that it is not true that I ever had any balan
ces ill my hand, of any amount, that were not duly
acknowledged to the Department in my monthly re
turns, and to the Treasury Department in my quar
terly ones. Indeed, it is worlhv of special note, that
it 16 from a synopsis of those very returns that he pre
tends ta show the avernge balances in ray hands._
But how then,could they have been “unacknmoled"
ed," when they must necessarily,have been slated^n
those returns before they could have been embraced
in his1 synopsis of them? The falsehood of this part of
the charge is thus branded on its face, and the dupli
j city of the rest must be obvious to every one but the
| Secretary himself, from the fact, that, from the Very
I nature of the service in which 1 was engaged, I ought
I to have bad, (and more frequently than I had
in reality,) considerable sums of money in the
Bank here, (and not exactly in ray "hands ”)
to meet the daily and hourly ' drafts which were
constantly coming in against me; dnd the De
partment, apprisedof the state of things from ray re
| turns and otherwise, and acquainted with its own
duty, generally took care to furnish me with the ne
cessary funds accordingly Not unfrcquently, how
ever, so sudden and pressiug were the calls upon
mo that my reported balances would be actually ou»
before my roturns could reach Washington, and I
have often had to make advances out of my own
means in anticipation of further supplies Indeed,!
could easily shew, if it wero necessaay here, that
in tuis way I have actually saved the U. States at
least $50.000.to which I am justly entitled, as for in
terest on advances: though my service to the Gov
ernment in this behalf remains not only uncompen
sated, but, so far as the present Head is concerned,
“unacknowledged’' by the Deparmcnt. Nay.it ap
pears that he has very dexterously contrived to pro
vide hirnself with a countercharge against it; for lie
goes on to oL.-erve:
.* he paper marked G. shows the amount of the requisitions
i ilVn by ,^lr ,Klng fro,n ,he lBt nf May 10 the 5,h of ^OEU«t
' 18-za. and it also shews as aecuratebj as could be determined,
the amor at necessary to meet the expenses of the naval service’
at that station for the same period, exhibiting over draft*, op
ou the Navy Department amounting to about §53 427 08’’
Ibis document again is not yet published, lint, m ihe mean
• tune the Secretary’s obliging anticipation nf its contents is
i doubtless intended to convey the idea that l had drawn at dif
fereut times for more money than was wanting for the public
service—of course for my own benefit—and that even after he
had conic into office; so contriving to cheat not only his igno
rant and careless predecessors, hut even his sagacious and vigi
lent self—though, as to this last part of the affair, he doubtless
intends to have us understand that he managed to protect the
Government from my intended fraud by declining (as he cer
tait.ly did) to honor my requisitions Now the far? is, and the
gentleman himself knows it perfectly well, that my requisitions
; have always been made in the usual and regular manner, pres
crilied by the Nary Department, on estimates, and hillsof par
t ic u la is, furnished for 'he mou part by (he Commanding Ofli
cer of the \avv yard, (ihn’ sometimes only by myself.) speci
fying the olijects for which the money is wanting; and mv re
quisitions themselves have been invariably signed and approved
by him How. then is ,t poss-ble will the Secretary please
to ask lumself, that / can lie chargeable for over drafts- if any
had ever been made? How can I he chargeable for them atone I
when the Commanding officer must at least have concurred in
tny drafts. \ nd how can I he chargeable at all, w lien, in most
instances, my repositions have been founded on his estimates
which t was cf course bound to honor, and not to question or
impugn. Tim charge, therefore, of the Secretary, though atm
ed so pomtedlv against me. evidently graze* the Commodore
who prestdesat the Yard, and who happens ot be yet in per
feet orloitr With the Department It is proper. however, to add,
that it don* not hurt him in the least: for it is quite obvious, in
indeed that he must know the wants of the service at least
aswej! asthe Honorable Secretary himself, and the Secretary
wotdd hardly venture, I presume, to insinuate that he would
wnfu Iv sanction an overdraft How. thci the good gentle
man has arrived at his conclusion that mv requisitions, found
f ^ estimates anti mv own were
i Y ^ m°re than the naval service reejuirert, I acknow
|P.f|Sr u *,m utterly at a loss to divine. It is possible, however,
t link, as he has added the qualifying words “rw aevratebi as
rnul be deter mined," and "about," (though he gives the sum
° a r-ent.) and does not probably plume himself noon the ab
so tie accuracy of hit calculations, (which he turns over to
fnend A-Jifor,) csWe * th„rap^
marked C. will be loom! a l.tile overdraw-\>v mistake lU
shrill si»n whpll f:ivitr« lie •• 'lltv • i._ *»™
shall see when he favors us with tho document i.TJirf?” ^ r
dore, ai his ease. Cut, in the meant imL'mish('’Jhe C<?mno*
ly that no overdrafts were made upon him and *! cnoflu,,va*
mate, with which he hail an, Jh,£g *di,“? *“ "“«•»*
tially accurate, it is only necessary to observe ah"**rT*
money which 1 have ever drawn fur since he came in,* !w! n
partment, has been actually lurnished—not Indeed, De‘
(except a small part of it,)—but to the I'urser at tl,eY..,S “eJ
to my successor heie. as, 1 am confident u critical examh,’.?®”
of my requisitions, and the various items oo which the. w°Q
based, with the subsequent expenditures, would clearly vIV*
1 he only wnntiuing topic glanced at in the Letter. iTiK»
cla.m, “growing out ol ,ny agency,” which tbe Secretary-**
has been "set up" by the United States’Bank at Norfolk w
“advances professed to have been made to tho Agent solely on
Government -account;” and, be adds, ••under no view of tlm
case was the claim deemed admissible.” Now I have some
reason to believe that, in point of fact, no claim has eyer been
'set yp by the Bank for this sum, though it may have hmn
vited from it—(the Secretary will understand what I mean anil
see that I am aware ol the low artifice to which he has resort
ed to give him some color for his assertion, and which I will not
expose at present for some delicate reasons ) Indeed. I cannot
perceive why the Bank should have beeu auxious “to set tea" a
claim lor tins meney, when 1 have secured it for the whole
amount of it, by a deed in trust on a part of my estate, and it
fnr. !»"i 7 “PP[f ‘Cuti\no dan&ei of any *"ss by me Nor has it,
in truth, strictly speaking, any right to demand This sum, (e*
eept under my assignment of it, which it must, of course, wkC
W* rhich ,heGovernment ha. agai,,, it
k or Nitlio the Bank <lid very properly and handsomely ad
vance the money (every dollar of it)/or the public servile: and
11 ''••,l? a v,,1SBr understanding, might seem to give it some son
| °f claim upon the Government, still l admit—Hay I contend—
i that it advanced the money to me, and it is I, therefore and’
1 nut the Bank who have the right, m the first instance aTieiS
to look to the Government for it—and so. 1 believe, the sublecf
is viewed by the Hank ..self. Let the secretary say. then. If
he pleases that the claim which he has invited the Bank to
make for this money is not due to r'f— what theu? Was it nnl
due to me. And lias not the largest portion of it been, in fact,
allowed to me at last, although part of it is indeed still with
held from me under the most fasle and insulting pretences7
And what right has he, then, to introduce this private debt of
mine,o the (Tank, (as he himself is pleased to effidf it?) into
m> public account with the Government? And would he bring
Aw own private dealing* into view in this way? For the rest!
to dissipate at once the imputation which 1m has so finelv
sought to cast upon me on account of this transaction, I have
f " adperl lor a moment to tbe state of things out of which
1 For ^1,at were the circumstances under which I oh
tamed these advances from the Bank7 Whv it kann.
the time, shortly after the honorable mZSfcJL happened. al
office, that (here .... h„ “S
«11“S'Sr&rrr
moment swallowing up Targe sums The Frie was.*,very
her crew and bending her sails for another voyJJ ^Andfffa
Comtdlauon was new suddenly ordered to be fined ouiVhlt
all despatch, to take the new Ministers, Mr. Rive« and
5!nva'ri l° * ra"Ce iand. .EnR,aud The honorable’Secret”^
inay perhaps remember this, for he was here himself about the
time, preparing to take his first sea voyage, in that verv frivate
to New York (to qualify himself for KSHlC
were all these demands to be met?— for the honorable gentleman
in the hurry of his oilier engagements had forgot to make nnv
provision for them.-Or, perhap, he was onf* *£££3
contrivitis to make me pay them out of my own
order to covet my presumed default. At all events he look!
ed on, and did nothing 1'erhaps he could do nothing— far
there was no moony, I presume, in the Treasury and h» Dri
NowCred.,t WaS n°1, J t!elieve« in ,he m°s» flourishingconditEn£
Now, m this* slate of things, 1 did what I felt it a dutyand^
pleasure to do, and what i must still feel it a happmew to
have done-1 stepped forward and borrowed the monev frnm
tho Bank, on my checks as Navy Agent, (backed of corns* bv
my personal responsibility) and ll.at liberal and patrtoflfctaS
^ ohJectSonctoc/i it Teas Wanted, d.d not b^
ltate to lend it me. in the just though dhapruinted exuectaiinn
that my rcqu.sit.ons would soon be hnn.^ed hy the (.lovern“
moot, and my checks accordingly redeemed. This is the iraa
his.ory of the transaction, and 1 have only to add that neither
the bank, nor the Government has yet suffered, or can ever
suffer, the loss of a single cent on the account.
1 have thus answered this extraordinary letter of the Wr*
tary of the Navy in detail, and, 1 cannot but fla»er myre^
the entire satisfaction of all who are capable ol comprehe’nd
mfo'n? l'lbjeCl ,l mu,t now be apparent, indeed to every
cand<?ur’ ,hat lhe representations which he ha*
suffered himself to make to Congress in relation to my accounts,
betray either the grossest ignorance of the business or his Efc!
partment, or the basest malice against me. He may take
m nerhuart|0f thC a'terna,lve as his own conscience may detey
| mine his choice for myself, as I really harbor no enmitv
against him, notwithstanding the unworthy manner in whictf
VO .red1 If,erfd W“! hav,n£ dcPrived me of office, he has endea
rharftihi deSp°,‘ ™e °> "'Y reputation, 1 shall adopt the most
ha* nn i concl“!"‘,n; and willingly suppose that his conduct
And ,,rocfeded f'om a “»a‘ incapacity for his station
And, having thus vindicated myself from hischaraes and in
siniiations i leave him to his own reflooiioos and ttofjudgme^
MRICHMOND FEMALE SEMINARY—
Rfc> CHRISTIANNA G. BUUKB respectfully
announces Iipp mtaniinn __ • .***
announces her intention to open in th s city
on the first day of October next, a Seminary for the
admission of \ oung Ladies as Boarders and day scho
rhitmo^nre.rn.pla,ed t° offer aD Institution,comhiping
nndTb i- ‘m ac<Ju,rpmpnta, with the most poplar
and lashionable accomplishments Without layina
claim to any extraordinary qualifications for discbJ?
will'd ,C frdllOUf &nd ,ugh,y responsible duties which
Jon dr°lve on 08 Principal, Mrs B. feels confi
duit that on early attention to the subject of Educa
tion, and an experience of many years in its details—
united to lhe assistance of so many able teachers, will
enable her to afford advantages equal to any in this
State, and not inferior to those of any Northern Insti
tution.
Mrs. Burice will roceivo daily assistance from Mr.
Burke at an hour not interfering with the duties <jf
his own Seminary. Mr Macully, Teacher of Mcdbc
maiics in the Richmond Seminary, will also give deify
instruction in the branches conni cted with Awdenart
rnent.
Mr. Stephen Bernard, a Dative of France, wifi
teach the modern languages
Music, Drawing and Dancing will be taught by tiro
most approved masters. 3
Boarders will receive that parental attention, which,
whilst it avoids undue restraint, will insist on the flfl.
J“f.n °f a 1 moral and religious duties, and eBjoio a
strict regard for those observances best calculated Q>
insnre an easy and becommg deportment.
mlr £c,J°'Y.in£ *ablp exhibits a more extensive
course of studios than is generally offered for the ed
ucation of females. They are submitted in detail, an
account ot the belief, that many parents will couaftfCi’
them essential to a complete education:
Orthography,
Reading,
Writing,
English Grammar,
Elocution,
Belles Lettres,
Epistolary {Style,
Ancient and Modern Ifis
tory.
Geography, with tlie use
ot Globes and Maps,
Asironumy,
Natural liistory,
Arithmetic,
Book-kcepio",
Algebra, °
Geometry,
Natural Philosophy,
Chemistry,
The Greek, Latin, Premia,
Italian and Spanish Lan
guages,
Vocal and iastrumeufo!
Music,
Drawing and Paintitpe,
Dancing,
Botany.
in P'ciirnnn<1 F«nale Seminary will be opened
, . I'. "’.'!'1’ .°n | ~‘b ^reet. once occupied by tho
itc Mr. I- rudertek 1 leasauts—central, spacious, ele
vated and retired; no location in the city can better
ailoro the necessary accommodation.
terms.
Board for the scholastic year of 10 months, *20n,
tuition mall the English branches,
Extra charges regulated by those of other schools
Application in person or by loiter, will rereiv^
prompt arte,.tion. in« w_f JJJ°
ii_r’ The Uonstitctiok aj/vV iih., ''' ‘ ■’!?■"
werk, ( riieailnys and Friday,,) five'ctoMa'
lUim. payable in art vance. " 0n
S- A ;"Ut rharKPf' accordingly,
iltreeelv rs *’ ! 1P Editors iiiii,i be post-paid, or they
-v "'receive no attention. J
bartered «peeie paying Bank* of any bf
, oi PS ,f> rpc®ived in paymrrit for subscription to
t?, though Virginia or U. State* Bank Write;; would
l> rz:""" remittances can be made through ilu>
Po*t Office at the risk of the Editor,.
■ ** Previous to a discontinuance of the paper, all ar
ea-ages must be paid up. And those who may wist, to
'iscoi.tinue, will notify the Kdisorsto that effect at left**
btrtydays before tho peffo-J esplreafo, wfiicb tfrcysu*.
iCiiuoa.