Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-13

'Arae b.iamCcs, which at one time had
accumulated. ausw,te., that he knew OF
! to iuetl,od ID, Witch ii,rN could he iegaiiy
| - regularly brought back mio The 'rrca-
surN and that The Oriy wGS IN which they
! could be disposed OF, WAS Ia disburse HE
moneys, hoieay u0icgS. lur the use ot he
department. II ~ toe dutv at the House
10 Interfere aad chez k the abuses 10 which
SuC! system tr&Gs. In Tie stands OF a
proll,ga'e and corrupt administration,
(andwe ha,e un reason 10 bciIrVG that We
shall hereafter br exempt hum The cum
mon lot Of natIous) The accumulation of
these funds may enable ii,rnt sIcct ssimlv
10 DEFY even the power of Congress. For
| one, will irust no administrator with
pccnniarY resources beyond the ANIMAL
appropriations voted bv this House =.
There are many con>i iera'iUms which
| misht he urged, and hope successfully
viii he, against The practice which Is nov
developed, Mh,H this subject shall be
brought b fore us Tor Legislation imnrdi
a,rly III relation to
Sir said MI. = alihouah The honorablo
chairman of the committee ct WAYS Il Means
has disclosed ihat branch oil our system OF
public expenditure which relates 10 the power
OF transfer, Vet there ar. ot!itr subjects inti-
matelS connected with It. which deserve ouI
attention. The only clue which Is tn, nishpd Ia
tho House by which Jc amount OF these ba-
lauceS. al ANY period can he discovered is The
account annually rendered bN the Eeads ui
the Departments, III pursuance ut the act OF
1900 Bat as it by the most sing uiar fatality,
the whole system was iuteudcd 10 elude All
our vigilance aud sagacily, these balances are
by the act directed 10 he made mp 90 the 3Oih
day of SEPTEMBER, ~ each year. " hiiC W
appropriate for the dGmjnical year the fiscal
year commences. and ends on tie 3O;h >,pIem-
inf
them is, that the annual accounts of the
Departments rendered 10 Congress fail three
mouths short OF the commencement OF the pc
Rod of approprr attOus tor the ensuing wear
aud at the same time extend back and lhClud.
three months disbursement OF the appropria-
ton. made TWO years before the rendition
of the account. If we undertake. therefore
HE examination OF the account for the fi-ca.
year pre- ceiins this session, we shall find thai
ii includes the disbursement of the last ANIMAL
appropriation during six months only. Al
though tine balances may appear To he stand
ing in the books on the 3Oth OF September il
is doubtful whether amy such balances exist
on the LIST OF January succeeding. at least th,.
IL nSe have no documents by which il ma, be
determined. Ii might often be highly eNnr-
dieut. that the balances of appropriations of
certain descriptions, az they exist at the com
mencenIent of the year. should be dedur.co
from 'he new appropriations. The Honse had
no means ot asceriainlug the prorIiety of that
course. IL was indeed, time That the commit |
lee Cf ways anu Means, IN making mp their
estimates, might be enabled, b> diii,eut AID |
close enquiry at the public Offices, 10 deter
NINE with some degree of certainty the |
amOHhi of deduction whichit might be pru,icut
10 make bur lie accounts should be SO kent
and rendered that every me- mher could easily |
understand and comprehend the operations a. |
results al the whole system. Ii should be |
reduced at east to snch simplicity that moi |
ohiN the appropriations of one wear might be |
precisely compared with tile eHpenditur,s of |
Tie same year. but that the pNlendIIu., under
each appropriation mi hi he distinctly traced !
ms could aOt he done so long as Tie accounts |
OF the expenditure of successive vpa,s were |
continually running into each other Much
iesS cOnlu tie rXrendliHTe under the 5upro-
PiatIons he satisfactorily traced while Tie
tran ter Of old balances 10 the rev anpropria-
nous continued 10 increase the pprplexitS In
regard 10 appropriations Of permanent cha
racter as To their objects snch as fertilization,
or arSenals, u might be, aud properly was
ln,rparabIe from their execution that th,
balances OF such appropriations should lsmain.
ana the result would urCe>>aril, be That The
apr pr'atlonS wonid IN some measure he Gu
INITIATIVE; Uui as 10 other app Opriatious u. of |
That description, different rule shouId Ia, |
adopted The accountability Of public agents |
was more perfectly secured in PROPORTION In !
The simplicity OF The pubic accounts and the |
frequency OF settlements As the system was
now nrgdntZed. all satisfactory examination uf
tHe accounts seemed 10 BE- den ed To the Keen !
est hagacity or the most penetrating ~. emily |
Hefe was, indeed, Giie document. Which was |
distributed unnuaIiy 70 The monlhcrs Of Ihe
House. By which the amount drawn from the
rsaSury on warrants IN each wear might he
Determined He referred 10 the book of re- |
ce,PtS aud eXpendituIes-but EVENT. partial |
Ii"ht furnished by this book was OF no use, for
unfortunately il was disiil!Iuted some Two or
three years after the expenditures had been
completed The latest which he had received |
comprised, lie believed the eX pemd,tnres ofthe
year iSl7. Ii might have been OF some aid had
II beeH distributed TO the mcmhrrs OF a former
Congress hut 10 this. the almanack ut ina,
year might have been laid OH oar tables with
dhOni as much practical utility.
Sir, SAID Mr. let me not be rdiSundrrStood
am happy 10 find that The system which /,
now developed neitt originated nor was
perfected under the present administration
/ Is not, therefore with view 80 Ccnsurc II
thai have thus freely expressed my views
from what sobrCe II may have spruug from
whai hands II aidy have originated, or at what
period II may have been Introduced, is PEI
maps imma'tiIal now TO examine Satisfied a,
TIE House must be, That IeioIm IL imperI-
1uS!y nec"SNaTy, hope that after the bill now
before us siaii has passed. our early attention
"'Ii be directed to s"iuiary correction and
revision Of the system
Rapport TO be coatiauedl