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

|
UIioie House the state offhe Union.
Mr. Hamilton, from the Select Committee to whom
The subject was referred, made the following
REPORT:
I lhe Select Committee appointed under the fol-
lowing resolution:
| RESOLVED, That Select Committee be appoint
ed, whose duty it shall be inquire and report To
this House, il any, and what, retrenchment can
be made, with safety to the public interest, in the
number OF the officers of the Government of the
United States, and in the amount of salaries
| which they may respectively receive more es-
| heads
LIST. What reductions Of expense can be made in
the State Department, in the number and salaries
OF the officers and clerks attached TO this Depart
ment; in the expenses regulating the foreign in
terconrse and in the printing and distributing of
| the public laws Of the y. States.
! I'd. What reductions in the Treasury Depart
| menf; and whether an effective system Of ac-
countability, and for the collection Of the public
dues, is there established.
Sd. What reductions Of expense can be made in
the Navy Department, in the clerks and officers
now acting unfortunately TO the Secretary of the
Navy.
18th. What reductions of expense can be made in
the Department Of War; in the Indian Department,
and in the clerks and officers now acting subord-
, nately TO the Secretary oil War
9th. What reductions of expense can be made in
the number OF officers, and the amount Of COM
pensation which they may receive, in the Post
I
9th. And that the Committee be further instruct
ed TO examine the several contingent funds 2f each
| OF these Departments, and TO report the amount
and objects for which disbursements have been
| made from these funds; and that they report the
amounts, vouched and unvouched, which have
been paid from the secret service fund, since the
first day OF July, 1890, or the fund regulating The
contingencies OF foreign intercourse, and of the
fund for the expenses of the intercourse with the
Barbary Powers.
I And that they further report whether the COM
pensaton of Members Of Congress should be re-
duced. and whether the fixed salaries of the off,
GERS OF this House, aud its contingent expenses,
can, with propriety, be diminished.
! And further, that they inquire whether any
modification of the sinking fund act can be made,
with view of producing more speedy eXtin-
guishInent OF the public debt
RES PECTFULLY REPORT, IN PART:
That, IN obedience to the inunelious contained
in the fore going resolution, they have taken the
several subjects referred TO them into considera-
ton; and before exhibiting the results of their Id
bors they desire to proptiae the indulgence of the
| House Tor the imperfect manner i'll which they
may have discharged their duty, by statement
OF the difficulties which belong the subject, and
have characterized their examination OF it.
In the first place, the field of inquiry is co-ex-
tensive, very nearly, with the whole operations of
this Government. An inquiry, 10 do justice TO
which, from its multiplied relations, the patient and
uninterrupted labors OF year would scarcely suf-
hce but when il is considered that the session had
mittee were appointed, and that since their APP
poIntment, question of eminent magnitude ex-
citing the deepest interest, affecting nothing more
or less in its influence, than the entire industry of
the country, has been before the House for ne
nod OF seven weeks, by which the attention of
| cry member OF the committee, representing, as
| they ought the sympathies as well as the interests
OF their constituents, has been called off from the
specific duties OF this trust; and that besides this
unavoidable abstraction, the first four weeks after
! organization
consumed In obtaining answers to their several
calls on the Departments and the last six Of their
session have unfortunately been interrupted by the
severe ndisposiiion Of one OF their number and the
! continued illness of another. Notwithstanding
these disadvantages they nevertheless chcrisl,ihe
hope, their iabors will prove altogether fruit.
less, and that they have ascerained and calculated
many facts, OH which sound principles of admins
tration may hereafter be superinduccd, leading TO
judicious irugality in the disbursements of the pub
lie money, and enforcing a rigid accountability in
the public agents.
Your committee considered il as their first duty
TO address letter, copy Of which is marked No.
| l, lin .he appendin,) to each of the Heads OF the
| Executive Departments, the Postmaster General
and the Clerk OF the House OF Representatives,
calling on them for precise information as to the
reductions which might be made without injury
TO the public service, in the number and salaries OF
The clerks and officers in their respective Depart
nents and in the contingent expenses OF the same.
| Their several answers, marked No. 2, 3, T. 8. q,
! z, will be found in the appendix.
1t will be seen, from these documents that each
OF the Secretaries of the Executive Departments
conceives, that neither the number, nor the saa
RIGS, received by the officers and clerks in their res
pectye Offices can be diminished with safety TO the
| public interest.
| Your committee feel great difficulty in concur
ring in this opinion. This difference between their
impressions, and the opinions Of these officers has
convinced them of what could, in no event, have
been doubtful, that, without the cordial aid of the
Executive, no effective scheme of retreuchincnt
eau be instituted hence it is that the conviction
expressed by these officers, added TO the fact that
II was impossible for the committee to ascertain by
their own examination, the amount of labor donc,
by each clerk i'll the several Offices, has prevented
them from proposing any specific reduction in the
number of clerks in the several Offices because
they were apprehensivc, without the concurrence
Of opinion and cooperation of the chief Of EACH
Department, they might cut oiTsOne useful branch
OF the public service, in aiming at the excelsior of
some unnecessary one. Your committee howe.
yer, will be seen in the testimony reported in
the appendix, obtained information enough TO sat
isiy them that, by udicious system of reform, in
siituted by the Executive officers themselves AT
least lid Oh the present number of clerks i'm the
Departments, might be reduced with safety 10 the
public interest. We believe that there are in fact
a corps Of invalid pensioners attached to some of
these Offices, aud Just in proportion 10 their ncreas
ing disability to discharge their duties is an i'm.
creased necessity for the appointment of new
clerks; TO say nothing Of the TACT disclosed in fine
evidence, that actual incumbent is considered
to have such sort Of property in the Office, as TO
eDable hin 10 farm out its duties, and TO receive
part OF its revenues, for doing nothing. We also
uHfk That, ~ new distribution Of the office hours
theTe would be an addition Of ut least one third 10