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

70 pass laws like the present. 10 nroy,de
Tor Deficiencies. The President had uu.,e,
his particular care The expenditures on
the Public Buildings, and With all his care
exceeded The appropriation, in four iiems
OF Speclncaiion, to the amount Of lO2, 900
dollars, 10 remedy which excess of ex-
pennl'ufe, Congress passed an act, dated
26ih April, 1898. The Inconvenience al
this system were Ii and bee ame subj is
OF conversation. TO remedy them. MIR.
fiiiIhouse did, on the 18th OF February.
iSU9, Introduce INTO III. Senate "A reSolu-
tion, That a committee be appointed 10
take INTO consideration the several ACTS
relative To The Treasury, War and NAVY"
ana committee composed OF MIR, Giles.
MIR. Hiilheuse aud Mr.. Crawford, were
| elected Thus, then, the subject matter
OF the act OF 1909 was introduced 2Gdsys
before il became "A law. The az, passed
The Senate "ithou, opposlion--it Was
sent TO The House, and on lis first reading.
motion Was made by Willis Aston, Ia
| reject, tan extraordinary mntiop) and
Carried almost b, acclaniation. Am ap-
preparation Tor the army and navy was
'hen Oh ITS passage Ill tie liou.e, IL whn II
WAS 'acReu some section for the regulation
on the seVerai departments il wenl 10 the
Senate, who were offended ti,ai such
subjects should be connected with AN
| appropriation bill ; they struck then, Out.
anu by way OF amendment, inserted their
own bi!l-the House ncgarIyed their
amenoiHent--thr Senate insislcd-,he
House insIsied-and cOuicrees were APP
pointed the result was, that the appro-
prIaiion bill was separal, d, andlhe ar, of
1909 became the law Of The land. The
act had been IN transit 81 ia, - had been
me subject OF conversation, bot whriiitr
The particular attention oi Tie President
la been caIle'i To lis prOvi-ions or not,
am uniformed That Law cuacls. that
ali warrants shall specify The item OF spe-
clnca!lpu To which the Sanlr shall he
charge d-thai the War and Navy Depart
ment shall report 10 Congress distinct
accounts OF the application OF each eX-
pen"ifure under lis respective specifca-
non; that lie President may, on the app
piication OF either Secretary, transfer Tie
surplus ct amy one specification 10 meet
The deficiency III any oiher-repori TO be
made TO Congress OF all SUCH transfers
that statement Of thu msneyS applied
To The payment of the contiugen, expenses
OF lie war anN navy departments shall be
laid before Congress at the be ginning Of
each year.
again repeat, that the uniform prac.
tee under those law has bren TO copsi-
| der all moneys drawn by the War and
Navy Departments from the Treasury,
ami depO~iled wllh ihrIr Treasurer as
taken completely out of The purvIew OF
The surplus fund, and, until entirely ex-
pended. subject 10 HE Presidents power,
uuder the aci OF 1909 10 transfer the uu-
| expended balances 10 any other object Ii
the same Department. for The public SER
vice; III proof whereof, ASK leave 10 sub
| mt three documents which | have OBJ
tanned, Ia wit: The direction OF Tie
! Comptroller for the War and NAVY De-
| partnents, relative TO their conduct Hn,ier
The acl of 1909: Remarks by the Secre-
tary OF the Navy; and a letter from, The
| Secretary Of the Treasury. CHE Clerk
having read those documents, General
Smith proceeded) | have slated what
has been The unliorn practice under the
! acts OF 1895 ana 1909 the dscumrnis
/ Just read tally confirm what | have stated.
Has the construction given In Itose laws
by the Executive been erroneous Of
HAL, every gentleman will determine for
himself ii IL has. Congress las had it
every year pr scented 10 lheIr view; IL has
moi been IL pi secret; report OF those
! hheXpended balances, III The Army and
Navy, has annually been before every
member, dnd the SiaiemelI. printed, show
! ing those very items, (whlch caused the
present dlsCuSslOn,) a. balances uneA-
pended for the last three years, decreas-
Ing annually according d. they we're IN
| part transferred 10 some other object of
public service. The whole subject has
been faithfully reported 10 Congress; no
objection having been made, no notice
taken, Congress did negatively apprUba
The construction gwen 10 The law. Al all
| cVeUis, nO cenSure can attach 10 The pre-
Sent Head OF The Navy Deparlu, Mt
lie has Ondueted hIs Department agree
ably 10 The rules prescribed by the Coop
lrOIler, AMI TO the practice which had
uniformly prevailed. II dUoiher aud diff
ierenl construction be considered more
| advantageous To ihe public interest, d law
To remedy must he enacted. A remedy
TO prevent transfers being made fIun OBJ
Jecis 10 their nature permanent has al
ready been applied by The ACT bf 1917.
which prOinbus The President from
transferring ans appropriation made for
fOriIflcailOns, arseuais, armoTlcs, custom
houses, docks, navy yaIds, OF buildings
| oi any fort, munitions of war, or pay of
The army or pavy, TO any other object"
| | have, Mr.. Chairman, taken view of
all the laws which apply To- Tie object of
the enquiry made on former daN, and,
having furnished The Information required
from the Departments, 1 will proceed 10
consider Tie bill under consideration.
An appropriation Is required, Of
| S475,OOO, 10 pay tie deficiencies in lie
navy Expenditures for Tie year IsID.--
| The appropriation los the HaVS fof fl!tt
| year was sl2ued On The 10Th Of Februa v.
| I he estimates had been made ou ih, eN-
| penScs lIiai would be necessary under the
existing laws. Tie deficiency lios arisen
from various causes. The Senate, beng