472
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
Please excuse this hasty note and accept the assurances of my friend- ship and esteem-
Yours trulv- Thos. J. Green. [rubric]
To
His Exel.
11. B. Lamar.
) Austin City ) Texas.)
[Addressed]
[Endorsed] Thos. J. Green
Free.
His Exel.
Galveston
11. B. Lamar,
Nov. 18th. 1840
Austin citv Texas:
Relative to J\Iexican Prize &c. &c.
No. 1942 1840 Nov. 19, J\I. EVANS, SECOND AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AUS- TIN, [TEXAS] _TO J\I. B. LA:\IAR, AUSTINJ 23
Second Auditor's Office, Austin, 19th. Novbr. 1840.
To
His Excellency
:Mirabeau B. Lamar: Sir,
However unpleasant it may be, I feel it my duty as Auditor of public accounts to state to your Excellency, that in the last settle- ment with Wm. Thos. Brannum, Navy Agent, fol' the two quarters ending 30th. Septbr. 1840 I am not satisfied with his conduct as dis- bursing Officer. Having been ordered to New-Orleans in June last, he charged for travelling expenses and board, while in that C'ity, and attempted to collect from the Government, the sum of $353.09 in par funds to realize which he had sold in New-Orleans $2,119.54 of the promissory notes of the Government. He presented the account for his expenses to the Honble. Secretary of the Navy for his approval, without stating to him, or letting him know, that it was in par money; and it was approved under the impression that it was in promissory notes. All that his expenses could have amounted to, and all I, con- sequently, allowed him in settling his account, is $112.50 in par money, making a difference of $240.59, or $1,443.54 in the promissory notes of the Government. · He produced several old bills or accounts, which ·originated in the year 1838 or before, purporting to have been paid by him in full for the whole amount. I was suspicious at the time, that all was not right, and rejected the accounts, notwithstanding they were approved by the commanding officer of the station, and by the Secretary of the Navy; since which I have received information from Galveston confirming my suspiciouns, and inducing me to believe that he did not pay the amount of the bills, but that he bought them up at a great discount, charging the Government with the full amount.
"A. L. S.
Powered by FlippingBook