Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-04-10

in their discussion Whether, therefore, the
allowance proposed, .e considered in the cha
racter Of "a precedent, or as measure ofjustice,
it seems not less Incl mbent upon the Govern
ment to grant the remuneration.
The only remaining subject for consideration
| is the claim Of interest. The committee Tor
bear to go into an examination OF the arsu-
ments which have ofen been advanced TO sus-
tain or oppose the pigment OF interest by the
Government, upon Gains where there was no
! specific contract TO that effect
1t will suffice to observe, that this Govern
ment has not adhered to any settled rule upon
this subject. The decisions OF Congress are so
various, that it is TO De supposed they have been
governed by the peculiar circumstances Of each
case. Whatever considerations OF policy may
require that claims allowed by the accounting
department should not carry interest with them,
The same reasons 70 not apply to, nor have
they controlled the DECISIONS made by Congress
where the general rule OF equity, which re-
quires that every Jus debt should carry inter-
est with it, has, in very many cases, been adj
mitted and acted upon 10 its full extent. The
present case is, in thisrespect, peculiarly strong.
Mr. Monroe's public employments, however
elevated and honorable, down to the period Of
his appointment TO the State Department, in
| 1910, have no doubt been the means OF heavy
pecuniary sacrifices, and have o:casioned the
loss of greater part, if not the whole, of his
private fortune. Had the allowances now pro-
| posed, been made al the time the expenses
were incurred, the debts contracted for want OF
| them would not have existed. These debts
have not only carried interest, but they have re-
CURED sacrifices of property to meet them; the
case, therefore, presents strong appeal TO the
equitable discretion Of Congress in behalf OF
the claim for interest The committee, there
fore, recommend that interest be paid on the
aggregate amount Of the items herein propos-
ed TO be allowed, from the date Of the last set
Element of MIR Monroe's account, viz: Sd OF
December, 1910, to the time when the same
shall be paid al the Treasury
1t will be observed, that a part OF the claim
proposed to be granted, is OF date long ante
rior to that from which the committee recon-
mend to commence the calculation OF interest.
In fixing the latter period, the committee have
avoided all conflicts with the practice oil the
Government in refusing interest, upon the sup
position thai the non-payment of claims IS In
some measure attributable to the claimants
This objection cannot, in the slightest degree,
apply to the allowance of interest from the date
assumed bv the committee. Mr.. Monroe was,
soon alter that period, appointed Secretary oil
State, when considerations Of eelicacy and pro-
priety forbade the settlement and allowance OF
any account in his own case, for which there
was no established precedent IN the previous
decisions of the Department The same cause
continued to prevent any steps from being taken
in relation TO this claim, with a view to de-
cision before his retirement from the late high
station which he occupied IN the government
In determining upon the several items OF this
claim, it should be observed, that the commit
tee have used their best endeavors to ascertain
the amount proper TO be granted, and, in doing
so have applied the same rules which they
would have done in the case OF any other lndl-
vidual In the allowance r. contingent expen-
ses in the missions 10 France and Great Britain,
the committee have not adopted the highest
sum given 10 other ministers, but they have In
both cases, taken the average amour, paid to
all our pu0lic ministers at the respective go
vernments, as their guide in determining upon
the allowance proper to be made to Mr. Mon
roe
In the other items the Committee have al
lowed nothing more than what they have rea-
son to believe was unavoidably expended by HIM
and to which he was subjected in the service OF,
and by the orders Of the Government.
The following statement exhibits the several
items of the claim as proposed to be allowed
by the Committee.
|. Three months and twenty days
detention in France, after audi
dience of leave, at the rate Of
$4,000 year, $3.50 90
?. Contingent expense OF that mis-
sion, from lst Aug. 1894, TO lst
JAM 1877, being the average al
lowance to all the American
Ministers in France the sum OF
Sllo, previously allowed, being
deducted. 1895 IS
5. Amour: paid By Mr. Monroe TO
j. Hicks for demurrage, sc $50 oo
+. Contingent expenses of the mis-
sion to Great Britain, in addi-
ton 10 the allowance made at
the settlement Of Mr.. Monroe's
accounts, making the average
of the sum paid to all the other
American Ministers al the same
Government, 4oI 90
5. Remuneration for extraordinary
expenses incurred by Mr.. Mon
roe's detention in England by
direction of the Government,
for two years and four months,
at $4,000 per anrum, lo,5oo 90