Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-05-30

alter the daily adjournment of the two Houses OF
congress AT present, the public offices are not ac-
tuaiiy open Tor the discharge OF public business or
than, on an average, four hours each day. Will,
Il hope OF applying a remedy TO these abuses, yuug
committee have prepared and will report bill
AS your committee have not Interpreted youPin.
suiciions, as extending to their considering anv
reduction OF the officers in the Army NAVY Judi
eiary, and Custom House Department, thew hay,.
iorborne oinvestigac subjects, sufficiently various
ana important, for separate inquiry; they will
therefore, proceed in the order of the series PFC
scented by the resolution to give the result of tic
examination Of each Department
! LIST STATE DEPARTMENT.
w NAT reductions OF expense can be made in
the State Department, in the number and salari,5
OF The officers and clerks attached to this Depart
iheht; III the expenses regulating the foreign inter
course, and in the printing and distribution of the
pubic laws OF the United Statcs.''
: or the reasons assigned in the preliminary mar
OF inns report, your committee will recommend n,
specIhc reduction in the number of the clerks il.
TINS department; although they feel satisfied that,
had the officer nj its head concurred with them h
the opinion, they might have presented plan, tor
NOT only gradual reduction of the number OF
clerks. but for actual increase in the efficiency
OF their labors
/ The office contingencies in this Department win
DC noticed IN subsequent part of this report
f" In the expenses regulating the foreign inter
course, your committee are decidedly Of opinion
mat the diplomatic relations of the country are p
n scale unnecessarily expensive that. instead nj
hereafter having ministers of the FIRST grade at CO.
ionhia and Madrid, Charges ought TO he substit,,
cd; and that Consuls General, or Commercial ~
gents VIII be adequate TO all the public objects II.
Naples, Guatemala, Chill, and Bucpo, Ayias. Wiz.
PleniPoicntiary at Mexico.
Your committee concur entirely in the view Ia
Ken, III their report, by the Committee OH the EN-
penditures OF the State Department, made darin.-
the present session, the proprety of abolisify,
the iund created in the appropriation act under t
denomination of deiraying ''the contingent erne,,z
ses an missions abroad" as they believe tL.t
merely enables, in point of fact the Secretary cF
State 10 make such additions 10 the COMPENSATION
Oh Ministers and Diplomatic Agents as he thinks
proper In some cases, the allowance made 4 Il.
contingencies TO Ministers and Charges annually.
Is nearly ohe-eighth OF the amount of their sala-
RES They would therefore recommend a fixed
appropriation Tor the contingencies of each mission
varying from $500 to 5000, according to the exI.
gencies OF each mission, but in no case exceedn
ii'e ii'ter amohnt, which sum is TO cover the eX-
peises OF stationery, postage, office, clerk hir,
and all other contingencies whatsoever
IN relation " to the printing and distribution OF
the puohc laws, IAN item oil 10 small importance -
your committee VIII postpone their remarks am
suggestions on this point, until they present, ;.-
they viii do In the sequel OF their report th.j.
views on the public printing generally, tonic
oil sufficient Importance 10 claim separate discus
sion.
Your committee, whilst they propose meeting all
the requirements Of the resolutions under vfcI,
they are acting, have taken the liberty of adontin,r
an oder, IN bringing out the information the hay.y
topics presented In the resolutions themselves,
subjects OF Inquiry; but AS they have believed tbt
l"c connection OF The different parts OF this repor.
cousi be better maintained, and the continuity oil
the text better preserved by doing So they vii.
arrange specifically under The head of each h..
partneht, the entire results OF their examination :,
shch department, both as 10 the practicabilitv os
inturc reTenchIcnts, and the objects s. amount.
oi !ts past disbursements although under the re
luton, the latter investigation would seem mos.
properly TO beos To the sixth division of the same
III pursuance oil thlS plan, your committee will
no" proceed TO exhibit first, the general expen,i
lures OF lie State Department., and next NOR.
detailed expedition OF its particular disbursements.
and III the discharge Of this portion of their div
(Which requires them to 'examine the con,;r.;,
luiid OF each OF tie departments and to report HI
OBJECTS and amounts for which rsenents ,a,,
bech made, &c III beginning with the Deparf
ment OF State II Is necessary to premise that tber.
ae tnree distinct contingent funds under the con-
Iro' o' his Department; one 10 detray the contn
gent expenses of the Department itself incIud;,,
'he expenses oil printing and publishing the laws.
another Tor the contingent expenses nj f,rcir, T.;
'ercourse; anu third for the contingent expenses
Oh missions abroad. Indeed, the whole expenditur
on account oi these missions, stated as well nc co..,
ilngen, depends on the discretion of the Exec,,.
1--WE, exercised through the Department of Staro.
ioI, thouh te salaries and outfits paid to the f,1uc
TO naries OF Tie nation abroad, are regulated nv
law, yet the number and grade of these Junction.,
res and, OF course, the total amount expended G,.
ihciF support, are primarily determined by r.
wiz oil me Executive, % whom il belongs undo
the constitution, 10 "appoint ambassadors otI,e,
puDhc ministers, ana consuls."
For tins reason, and for the further one ,t,
Tue committee are expressly Instructed to eno,,c
INTO tie Expenses OF the foreign jntercoursa,, 80
iDc country; the whole amount of these exnenso,
WIN be embraced IN the view about TO be submit
ecu OF ue disbursements Of public money! tl,ro,sr.
'ne agency oil the State Department The co,n
in''ee ieei The less difficulty in taking this extend
gu view Oh the expenditures of the Department ,s
ol'te DC ause, III doing so, they are only follow
| ing ule example oil the Head Of that Department
~ Ieuer addressed by him 10 the committee AMI
"hich WIN De lolnd annexed to this report mart
ca NO q ~ That letter, purporting to be in coin
Pi'hce WIN resolution Of The committee r
guessing the expression of his opinion, whe Their tre
number or salaries Of The Offices einnIoved in H.:
Department, or any other expenses inci1ent ,oi
could be reduced, without deiriment IN the n,,Ilt
service, nc took occasion to exhibit several So,
nehts, III relation 10 past Disbursements Of tho ~,
pdrtment embracing the whole rance aboven,s,
TONED, aud founded thereon certain cofnparisans.
us expenses, during equal periods of the Iafc a,
OF the present Administration TbouoI, tl,esc s,,t.
mems and cOmplrisOns were unca!led for H.
coin see avail themselves of the facts discIose,
Dy them, az having the sanction oftbc HIGHEST ar,
'horhy' ana bearing the stamp of unuucstion,fL
authenticity. IL appears from the statements coz
taned III this letter. that the expenditures of In.
state department, for the various objects entrt,sf
ca 10 its management were, during the three l,,
years OF the late Administration, aud the thro.s
years Just elapsed ofthe present AtIniuistra,on -.
follows, 70 wit;
List .4f0',"'stration Present. .q1mi1tsfsa-
1922, SI73.S19 81 a.,