Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-25

statement annexed 60 the report OF she former com
mittce made 70 the House IN the session of lS2i5,
the expenditures of the Department for those 1
years amounted 10 the sum of sos ,3ll Is, ayerog
ing something more than $4,000 per annum; /,
when the expenditures for each of the years en-
braced in the inquiries OF the committee, will ave-
rage than 1872 900.
The committee have viewed the appropriations
Tor the current expenses OF the Department as be-
ins strictly contingent, which, though technically
true, cannot be in point OF fact. However indie
finite the appropriation laws may he, they are pre-
Dictated upon an estimate furnished by the Secrcta
ny OF State specifying the various objects TO which
there necessity for the appropriation of public
money; which estimate, owing TO the faith reposed
in the public officer, founded upon his experiment
! tai knowledge Of the necessities of the Depart
ment, is received as the basis on which such APP
preparations are made. Hence, an unlimited ex-
ercse oi discretion cannot be assumed i'm the after
disbursements OF the money, in disregard of the
enumeration which he has made of the objects
without violating that faith which was reposed i'm
his estimate. The committee from that considc>
ration have adyerted TO the estimates presented for
each the years to which they have extended
! their inquiries, as TO the sum necessary to meet
! the cxigencies of the Department for extra clerk
hire (which they find has uniformly been 81 900
that sum tor the three years would amount to
$1,000; when, in fact, there expended, during
that period, more than four times That AMOUNT
Under the act Of Goth April, 1915, (Which regula,-
Ell the amountof the specific appropriation for the
clerks oil the DEPARTMENT. there was appropriated
Tor the years 1925 and go, each, the sum OF SI5,-
goo for clerks. By the act of the I'd of March,
1877, there was an addition of 81 400 made to the
former appropriation; making the sum of $50, 800
Tor that year; Notwithstanding which, there was
expended ofthe contingent fund for extra clerk
nire more than LEGO over the expenditure ofIS25
| for the same object
| The committee are unable to say whether the
mechanical and other labor, and materials furnish
ca, constituting so large an item in their former
! ciassiiicatlon, were necessary, and, if 81, were
| performed and furnished at their equitable value
as II was impossible for them to traverse so wide
field in their investigations; but this they will saw
that, II such expenditure called for, instead of
resort being had for nine thousand dollars to the
contingent fund, an appropriation should have been
made by Congress for these objects, and the pre-
| caution used of disbursng it under the Supcrin-
tendent OF the Public Buildings, rather than the
discretion oil clerk who, in the nature of things
must have been more incompetent to the task than
one skilled IN mechanics. The committee can
| recommend no mode better calculated 10 promote
economy in the disbursements of the Department,
than (where practicable) TO specify, in tie appro.
pration laws, the several objects to which such
appropriations shall be applied-leaving as little as
possible TO the discretion of the officer That all
the Objects OF expenditure could be foreseen so as
ooe provided for, is not TO be expected; allowance
| must ever be made for unforeseen cases; but the
comiHittee are of opinion that much greater pre-
Cation could be used than has hitherto character
| s'S 'Se5iSi"tiou "a congress OH that subject.
The committee have herein before stated, tina;
the amount appropriated for the printing and
distribution OF the laws of Congress, for the years
before stated, amounted TO the sum of & Il 500
winch, with S6,55S, the unexpended balance of
former years, amounted 10 the sum of $50, O5S
vi that sum was expended for these objects, in the
year 1925, ~ soO
| III tosc' I6,500
III ioz" 1880
go roo
Lcaring uncxpended OF that fund, ON the 3lst of
December, 1927, the sum of 81, 55S The expen,
durc OF those appropriations and indeed for print
ing generally, are at the discretion of the head of
Tue department except so far as there is a lm;ta-
uon hXed by the third section of the act of 1878
upon that discretion in regard to the compensation
oI tie pToprietors OF newspapers in which the
laws resolutions, &c shall be published. As this
supect was SO fully discussed in the House during
the last Congress, and must be so well understood
the committee forhear to make any recommeIda,
ton thereon.
! The committee beg leave to add, that, from the
document "a, II appears that the sum of Sl97 was
paid TO Peter Force out of the CONTINGENT fund of
The Department. for publishing proclarnations Of
ind!an treaties, when, from reference to the act
OF Congress OF May, 1920, it will appear Chat the
publication OF such treaties is expressly confined
70 one paper, and that to be within the limits of the
state or Territory 10 which the subiect-IDa;ter of
such treaty shall belong.
! Iheyare OF opinion, fran the best Information
which they can obtain, that the distributon oar
sun be made through the Post Office Department.
without detriment TO the public service, certainly
BY the mail contractors, for very trlno amo,,nt
compared with that ofpriyate agents as now prac
| used: ihey, therefore, recommend the expedier-
cy oil withholding the appropriation of So 500 from
future acts, and that said distribution he made
through the agency Of the Postmaster General
me committee have been induced to examine
the library Of the State Department, from havino
seen standing annual estimate ofS2, 600 per am
mum Tor the purchase of books. Itembraces the
statutes, compilations, and digests of the Laws of
the United States and of the several State. and
Territories, Foreign Statutes and Digests, Natio.
n ma Law, Common, Civil, and Municipal law, and
reports hereo!; Treaties, Conventions and Histo
RES OF Negotiations, Journals and Histories of
Legislative Bodies, and State Papers; Scientific
GEOGRAPHY, Voyages and Travels, History. bio
gFaphy, Medicine, Chemistry, and ANATOMY, Sta
Issues, foiiiicai Economy, &c; Miscellaneous.
n nlIi, uie magazines, Reviews, Newspapers, and
PUBLIC Journals Of the States, as we'll as foreicn
countries; Aliases, Maps, Charts, &c. The Com
Hiitee can discover no necessity for so extensive
a library in that Department.; embracing yyorts
which cannot possibly be required in the DISCHARGE
OF Official duties, and which involves so much eT
pense, without being called into use. They are
induced to recommend the eKpediency of with
holding that appropriation, TO great extentN in
future, from the following considerations: Ist The
inuiiiiy OF very many Of these books; 2d That
access to the Library of Congress could be afforded
70 each oil The officers Of the Government for s,,cb
DOCKS as might be desired, and which were NOT
necessary TO impart information in the discharge
oil Official duties: such Law, Medicine. Che
fnlstry, Anatomy, Miscellaneous, &c. 3d From,
the fact that Librariah, at the annual salary nj
Si'1Vo' appears now to be incompetent to make
OUT the catalogue oil so extensive a library, with
out employing assistants, at an expense Of 300 n
Ihc Government, as appears from the statement
a, hereto annexed.