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

service al the Navy WAS unasceriained.-
mai commiitee met, prepared a report,
| ana were ready to make /, when thai bill
should pass. But they could not MAKE
| ~, Tor Tie circumstance already stated -
and they labored under the censuie OF
MOI having made a report, when il was
Impossible that they could have made
one. One word more. Mr.. X. said, and
, he had done. He should not be at all
surprised, iiiliese words, surplus fund and
baiahceof appropriation, SHOULD lead some
oi us iuto mistake. A balance of AN.
preparation was one thing, and a balance
OF money Was another. IL was a baatce
OF appropriation carried To the surplus
tuna, but ~ was by no means. certain that
II WAS, and ii seldom was, "a balance of
| money.
On suggestion of Mr.. SToRRs, the 10Th
section oil The ACT of March Sd, 1906, was
read which Is III the following words
Sec. 10. And be IL further enacfed That, in
regard TO any sum which shall have remained
uneApended, upon anyappropriationnt her Than
TOT the payment OF interest ON the funded debt !:
Tor the payment OF interest upon, aud re-
endorsement, according To contract of any
ioah or loans made on account of the Unit ed
States; tor the purpose of the sinkin. fund :.
OF Tor purpose, IN respect 10 which longer
uurdlionis specially assigned by law, Tor more
IMAM Two years alter Tia" :. piratiOn of the ca.
iehnar year III which the act of approximation
shall have been passed such APPROXIMATION
snail De deemed L. have ceased and been de-
'ermiheu ana the sum SO unexpended shall lie
va'ieu 10 an account on the books of the
treasury, 10 he deuomuated The surplus
| fund"
Inc committee now rose, reported
progress, aud had leave 10 sill again.
TUESDAY, DEC. IS.
IL was moi until TO- day, that the house
resumed the consideration of this subj ct.
hen, having resolved itself into com
mpice OF the whole,
MIR. SMITH, of Maryland, said, that the
course which The discussion had taken oil
former day, on the bill now under con-
sluefation, would make il necessary for
HIN 10 travel back into our laws, aud the
proceedings under them, and would plead
Ills apology for lie lime that lie should be
u""er HE necessity OF occupying. En-
curry, sad lie, WAS mace as To The manner
oi executing HE aci OF 1895, and the pro
ceedinSs OF The executive officers under
HE act Of 1909, aud doubts seem to have
been entertained that the II 81 had been
eVaded, ana The idsteXecuted OIL Improper
principles.
Ana,i passed in 1895, commonly called
The sinking fund. lis object Tie gradual
payment of The national debt, iniO " hcii
WAS gathered every Item that could be
spared Among others IT was enacted,
nal any sum unexpended, of any ap.
Proprlali0n, Tor more than two years alter
me Gale OF tho appropriation, should pass
10 AN account TO be called The Surplus
fuhd, and thus form part of the slnk
| ing fund. Al tha lime there Was no NAVY
Department. The Secretary of War was
vested, by The al OF 1889, with powers 10
sup' rlntend naval affairs. All moneys
required for either the army or navy.
however trlfiing, were drawn BY warrants
direct OH the Treasury. This mode was
found extremely announcement and irou-
Dlesome TO the departments. On the Both
OF April, 1893, an act passed erecting the
Navy Department, and on the 10Th July
OF lie same Year, a law passed" That the
Treasurer OF the Uuiled States shall dis
buIsc all such money as shall have been
,rdcred for the use OF The army or navy /"
The Treasurer OF the United States thus
became the Treasurer, or Banker, OF the
War and Navy Departments. The Heads
OF each drew from the Treasury In large
sums, and deposited them with Their
l easurer, Oh whom they drew warrants
as the wants OF the departments re9nired
| Prior TO The aci OF July, 1906, all unex
| pended balances III the Treasury were
carried TO The surplus fund subseauen,
| 10 that act, the money is drawn INTO the
hands OF the Treasurer, Tor the use OF The
army aud navy. Although there have
| been uneXpended balances, they have moi
been considered such as The law coutem.
| plaied 10 he carried TO tIte "Surplus Fund
! And such has been tile uniform practice
under those several acts all unexpentled
balances IN the Treasury Department 90
alter two years, To the - Surplus Fund >
| those III Tie hands OF The Treasurer of fin,
War and Navy Departments do not tI,ey
are applied as wanted Tor The public ser.
| vice
During The administration of General
| Washington and MIR. Adams, a gross sum
was applied, by the appropriation law, fol
The army and navy, To be discussed on
certain specific objects. The Whole
amount WAS considered as applicable IN
| all or any OF the specific Items so tha,
II there was too much allowed Tor one el
! the objects, the officers were authorized
| ioapply the surplus To- meet any deficiency
That might arise IN Others. That mode
was not approved by MIR. Jeffersou-and
~ ms inaugural speech find tile follow
ing recommendation, 10 wit
| IN our care OF the public contribu.
lions ehlrusted 10 our discretion, II would
be prudent TO multiply barriers against
'heir dissipation, by apprOpriatlng specific
sums 10 every SPECIFIC purpose susceptible
OF definition, by disallowing all applica-
lions for money, varying from the appre-
prlaiion III object, or iranscendlng il m
amount, by reducing the underlined field
OF contingencies, aud thereby circun.
ScrbIng discretionary powers over mo.
ney aud by bringing back TO a single
! department all accOuniabilIlies Gormouey.
v here lie examination tnau L.. .........',