Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-18
0OM@RRSSIONAB
THE DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
FEBRUARY 30, 1890.
SPEECH OF MIR. LIVINGSTON.
CONTINUED J

For the full understanding of the accounts I have
just referred 10, II may be necessary to state, that, pre- |
vious to the year 1901, the accounts OF cur foreign re
lstons were kept at the Treasury, under the head "In- |
'erconrse with Foreign Nations and Included every
charge in relation 10 our foreign reia,ions-even the
" contingent expenses of foreign Intercourse com
monty known hv the appellation Of the Z" Secret Service |
Fund" In 1901, according TO an arrangement made
by Mr.. Gala,in, the bankers of the United States in |
Europe were directed 70 open an account headed " the
Diplomatic Department. a corr espondent account was
OF course opened al the Treasury, and, under this heal, |
until the year 1914, were brought every item which
had formerly been comprehended under tho head of
The intercourse with foreign nations; and This fund was
provided, by general appropriation, in the same words.
In 1914, the appropriations became more specific Z" for
me salaries, allowances, and contingent expenses OF
Ministers TO foreign nations, and for Secretaries Of Lee
gation;" and in 1918, the present form Of appropriation,
designating the several missions, was first adopted. Blu,
from the date I have men'i med. 1901, until the pre-.
sent day, the accounts have been kept in the Treasury,
under the general head of the " Diplomatic depart
men," And the course has been, to remit TO our
bankers in Europe, and charge TO this fund, the moneys
necessary for The payment of the salaries and allow ed
expenses OF our foreign agents. These bankers are
sometimes in advance to the United States, when un-
iore'een occurrences obiige the President during the
recess, TO increase the cap, nses of our foreign inter-
course ny new missions; and in t.o'e cases. aPpropria,
tons are asked Err, and made at IL next session Of
Congress 70 reimburse them. This was the case in the
year 1916, TO the amount Of $50 900; in the year 1918,
to the amount OF $4,000; and probably, other instances
may be found by a more car. II ! examination than i
have been able to give 10 the SUI ject.
In the lat year. owing to the insufici'ncy Of the con-
tngent fund Tor the expenses Of JDreign missions, which
must not be confounded with the contingent expenses of
Lforefg intercourse, Che se"ret service fund.- there was
a de efficiency of about 3 10, 900, which wa, incluted in the
estimates for the current year, and, as / stated in the de-
bate on the appropriation bill, would have been more
accordant with form, TO have been asked for rs a deficiency
in the appropriations of the last year. But the effect is
precisely the same; by appropria,ing for the salaries and
outfits OF foreign ministers, sc. as il stands i'm the bill, il
is carried 10 the credit Of the diplomatic fund, and will
be RENTED TO our bankers TO make good their advances.
After having shown tina, tie sum expended for the
foreign interCOtiree lie arfually nnrh loco Than In forpna r.
administrations, the statement / have just made Of the
mo lie oil keeping the accounts, may he necessary, when
we consider another charge, loudly made out OF the
House, and confidently and with a triumphant air re-
p"ated on this floor, that the laws which forbid a trans
fer OF ors appropriation 20 meet a !efciencv in another,
have been violated by the President. The Senator
from Delaware, who most earnestly urged this charge,
added that The President had appropriated money for
outfits contrary to law. Now, sir, the honorable Senator,
in the charge Of an ileg a transfer, must have heen ILL
informed. or he would no, have haZarded it. No trans
fer whatever has been made. The balance in the
Treasury 10 the credi, Of the diplomatic Department"
was applied 10 outfits thai have been paid; that balance
was what remained unre miited to our bankers ia Ei-
rope. If cur Ministers there have drawn upon then
for their quarters salaIie due on the frs, of January
last, they OF course are in advance; because, As L have
stated. the appropriation of 1929 fell short of the ex-
%penditure aholt the sum of S 40 900. The arpropria-
ton for the con'ineen, exncnses of missions abroad al
ways formed part oil the Diplomatic Fund, y" and with
out any exception has been made liable TO the drafts
on that fund; therefore, there was no illegal transfer.
The other contingent fund Chat for foreign intercourse
WIZ NC sciNtCc iuuu,) miSut OutIs cUiy WIu iuTtn-
er usage, have been applied to this use: but with
a scrupuIous regard TO the directions of the law,
the President suffered II 10 remain untouched, and TO
the amount Of SI3, 900, il has been carried ts the
surplus fund, having been more than two years appro-
priated. There has been, therefore, no illegal transfer
Of appropria 'ions-theT ha, been no transfer wta'ev-
or. And his charge also falls under the investigation,
which the President should rejoice has been provoked
here, where it must meet its final overthrow. Now,
10 The one connected with IT, and urged with equal
warm h, Il will not say violence) Outfits have been
paid, Tor which there was TO specific appropriations.
Can the gentleman have calculated The consequences of
the doctrine implied in this charge? Can we have re-
Elected on the blot its establishment would fix on the
characters oil men whose memory | know he reveres?
Surely not. But as to the consequences of the doctrine?
ii it be true, the President cannot, in time of war, send
a Minister TO make peace in the recess, when no previ-
Gus Appropriation has been made for an outfit. He must
lose the most favorable opportunities for negotiation, and
suffer the ravases of war TO go on until he can call Con-
gress at the expense of more than 800, 900, to get an
appropriation of $4,000. Observe, sir, that, if our bank
ers were ready TO advance the sum-nay, if he were
ready TO advance himself, the doctrine contended for
would make it equally Illegal. How comes il, that gen.
tlemen who agree with the Senator from Delaware in
this doctrine, have ever voted an appropriation TO supply
the deficiencies of former years2 WHY have thew not
ccnsured the Presidents under whose authority they
were created? No, sir; they were silent under Madison.
silent under Monroe, when deficiencies in this depart
ment were voted for withouta word of dissatisfaction
They, and all our predecessors were silent, and il was
reserved for the present occasion TO discover that an out
fit could not be legally paid until there was a specific
appropriation; Gen. Washington appointed Mr.. Charles
Cotesworth Pinckney TO France; Mr.. Jefferson appoint
ed Mr.. Charles Pinckney TO Spain, Mr.. Monroe TO En-.
gland, Mr.. Armstrong to France, Mr.. Monroe again to
Spain, MIR. William Pinckney to England, and Mr.. Err
wing to Denmark, Mr.. Madison appointed Mr.. Craw-
ford TO France, and Mr.. Erving to Spain; Mr.. Monroe
appointed Mr.. Rush to England, and Mr.. Everett to the
Netherlands; and Mr.. j. q. Adams appointed Mr.. Tu-
dor TO Brazil. All these appointments were made in the
recess, and without any specific appropriations. Their
salaries and outfits were paid out of the Diplomatic fund
generally, and when that fund was indebted TO our bank
ers, provision, as we have seen, was made 10 reimburse
them.
Now, Sir, let the gentleman, and these who join him
in the elimination OF the Executive, dstermiDe VIII .her
they are willing 10 incur the ruiDous consequences
attending the establishment OF heir doctrine, and The in
~culpaiion Of every former President, The Father of his
Country included, in their sweeping charge. Aud I
pray The Senate also 10 remark, that If thee app1in
mems and outfits in the recess, without a special appro-
priation, we're proper by former Preidents, Us they
undoubtedly wtre) even in the cases where the apprI.
pridtions, were specified for particular missions, with
out providing for outfits in the recess, the present case
must be infinitely more i~usli6able: for the appropriation
Tor 1928 gives a gross sum for salaries, GU fits, and con.
tingeDces, without specifying how much was intended
fr each, thereby creating a general fund, applicable 10
al snch objects; but, being inadequate TO the exigen-
cits OF the ear, an appropriation has been asked for TO
provide for the dehcieDcy, as has been usual in his and
in every department OF The Government. This de.
hciency was provided for in The House Of Represents
lives without any opposition, and in the S nate only, I
think, three or four dissenting votes. And this, Sir, is the
whole extent of the affairs OF The outfits, ami the ille-
gal appropriations and transfers, which has been made
The ground Of so much serious accusation against Ito
President. ! hope we shsli hear no more ofthis ground.
less charge.
Now, Sir, to another connected with /. the missions for