Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-01-02

s.o.., so"cession II that mass of patronage
Con.,;,,' Tue Executive by the provisions of the
mas no power to reduce. n no, NV object.
sa'u mr.. II. to dwell on any of these topics. /
- barely adverted to them, for the purpose OF
u"s 'hat there are considerations involved in
-, a. 4"y nave proposed, of the deepest import
nc SOUND admInistratio Of the Government,
" o,aer 20 attract to them the deliberate atten-
d.. s Rouse, and OF the Committee to which
tire subject is submitted. Ifit should become ne
cessary, In the farther progress of the measure,
=; IN enueavor to develop my views of this subject.
:" az AZ us bearings. more fully TO the House.
-, oa''ieu said, he was happy the attention of
rouse had been called to the general subject
III. 1 manner In which appropriations are made by
ouse' a resolution had been lying, for
s"u'e DAYS, on his table, which. from that reluc--
lance he ever felt to trouble the House. he had
.1,oorne 20 offer, the object of which was nearly
!, W .nat OF the gentleman from Virginia-but
~ covered more ground, and went farther than his.
nc was persuaded that, on examination, il woald
oe iouhd, that there was not Government on
Sc n' "here public money is appropriated as it is
'. Estimates are sent to from the De-
pa''neh's, In shape, which he did not say was
improper Gas he did not doubt the talent of the
ouirers concerned but which, to many, was GER
AMY not clearly Ineligible These communica-
o"s were usually referred TO very able Commit
Dut no Committee is justly expected to be ac
quahted with all the various departments of infor-
a'ion embraced especially in the annual report of
vac treasury, and " hich derived from a great
variety OF sources. The duty of the Committee Of
ways and Means does not demand that it's menu
oeis should be familiar with all these particulars:
SINCE lis appropriate duty is more than 10 point
ou' The manner in which the resources TO be ap-
propriated by the House, shall be best applied But,
as .n'nss now operate, the power of apr opria,on
resides. practically, in the Heads of Departments
Whe the responslbilify IN
,es's on this House. The Departments are in the
hao'' Oh asking Tor specific sums as in pa,t pay
''eh' ior such and such objects while the ,ohole
."ona' winch The several objects require is never
stated and nobody knows how great j, may be-
t"e complaint was frequent that the communica
uohs are uninteliisble, especially 10 new mem
oeIs, and, indeed, TO old members too unless tbey
will take the labor of extensive and teous invest;
s"'on OF documents lie therefore, offered the
i"ii"wihS amendment, which, he hoped, would be
| accepted oy the honorable gentleman Fl ON Virginia,
| az modification of his own
| Resolved, That the Committee of yyavs and
MEANS oe Instructed TO inquire into the expediency
q'i"e' mat, hereafter, all estimates of ap-
preparations Tor the operations of The different
Departments OF the Government. when the same
are 10 De applied to the construction of works ola
permanent character, shall be accompaioed with =
sene'si description OF the work proposed with a,
es'imate oil the entire for its completion. and
nv" year 10 year, with statement of the sum,
| eApe"ueo ana the balance which will be required
| hesoioed, also, That the same Committee in
9uire into the expediency of making provision h,
an amendment OF the Rules ofthe House or o,ber,
wse' that, hereafter, the estimates for Military ser
vice and defences shall be referred 10 che Comm;,
tee on Military Affairs-the estimates far Jud;,,
expenditures to the Committee on Indian Affairs
the estimates from the Navy Department, 10 the
COMMITTEE on Naval Affairs-anJ the es,;n,.,a
Tor the Public Ruil,linue
Public Buildings; and that The several Commi,,ees
snail make report upon the same, before any bill
making appropriations for the purposes of speb
estimates, shall be considered by the House.
IL was proper, Mr.. b. said. that, in public. as
:'u' as IN private concerns, when any undertake
ing was entered upon, to sit down fist and coun,
the cost The effect OF this resolution wouId a,II
the House TO do this. The Committees of the House
can then pronounce with confidence on the nro.
priety OF making the appropriations asked: and Tho.
power oil appropriation will then be- wher. o,ob,
| TO be, ,ouh the responsibility
! re had not the least intention of reilec,inp n,
the Heads OF Departments; he knew their en,irs
competency TO the discharge of their srduous din :
+, ties. He did not reflect on the men bu, m ,h
system on the mode of business pursued III.
result OF such Plan often " as that an oliec, b;
had been recommended by one of these ofScers
and IN part appropriated for, was dsapproved by
his successor in office; and thus the House MIL,
down what ii had built up, and the PUBLIC mopsy
was uselessly squandered.
| Mr. Rives replied, that il did not apnear 4,
hiin from having heard the resolution of the In
norable gentleman read, that its tenor and int
ton were at all parallel with The views he had J,d
fin Offering his own. 1t contained no reference 40
| the surveys made for works Of internal imnrove.
ment-no ausion whatever to the subject Of road.
and canals, or 1t 10 them, in general terms. NOR
to the expenses OF the preliminary steps which led
| to their adoption, nor 10 the discretionary nova
OF authorizing those expenses and eon,Tol,..a
them.
| The subject 10 which his own resolution bao i.
ference, stood, he thought, in peculiar si,pa,;o I.
in no law ever passed by Congress, was 50 wide
discretionary power entrusted To the Executive A
gross sum, and very large one, was pu, info bis
hands, for the purpose of having such roads .nd
canals surveyed as he might Judge promo,iva of
| the nations advantage. But was not the House aa
| competent the President of the United state
10 JnuSe which OF 'he various objects proposed
! would promote that objecs Where was the pesd
of reposing this immense Discretionary power I,
| the hands OF the President? He thought the Hous.
should retain it in their own hands: that gross
sum ought not 10 be given; but that specific an
preparations ought TO be made wherever practicable
Tor these preliminary surveys as well as for anu
subsequent stage of the several works He sa,y
much TO approve in the genteman's resolp,ion
but he must pardon him if he declined accen,ine i,
as modification of his own. As separate and
independent resolution if offered,by that geDtlemsn
be would cbeerfuliy vote for it,
Mr.. Bartlett then observed, that as the two reso-
iutons had general reference to the same subiec,
and as there was possibility that the objects Of
both might be embraced by uniting the two; with
this hope he would move that the resolution Of The
a m IN ..l