Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-26
Stances their compensation ha. to 3 1000

stances, their compensation has to 100
or 6oO0 per annum. Domestic Agents have been al
lowed round sums Ion Contingent expenses without be
ing required TO pro luce vouchers with the evident
tent Of swelling their emoluments beyond S2OOD. Som
OF the principal Agents have received tho refund
OF $500 for clerkhire $50 for Office rent 2IO for Porte
hire, and $50 for fuel and candles. Others have beer
i allowed less sums To one Agent, at least. comm
sion OF l.2 per cent and II per cent. $4,000
| has been allowed ON vast sums of money swelling hi.
emoIumcnts to many thousands. 500 10
Let me not he understood to mean, that the cempen
sation allowed by law, is in all adequate de-
sign only to show, that the Navy Department has dis
regarded the law, and taken the liberty the
emoluments Of these Agents according to its dis
erection. If the compensation of Agents was found in.
ADEQUATE II the duty of the Secretary to represent
the case to Congress, and obtain change in the law
rather than attempt to remedy the defect by ndrection
10 certain Surgeons until recently, there has been
stated annual allowance made rs Purveyors of Mcrii-
cine, &c. in effect increasing their omolunents.
| 10 all officers, commuation of Is cents per mile
mas been allowed for travelling expenses, when on
many routes their actual expenses are scarcel,
third OF the sum- AMI by this means their emoiuments
are increased.
been adopted At some places this exceeds the actual
cost, and the excess goes t. swell the officers
ment' Al others II falls short, and the officers
pain At one place. by express direction of the late
th Auditor the Purssr instructed pay the officers
the value Of their allowance for WOOD according to In
market price, to take their receipts for SO much wood
ana not Tor money. Upon vouchers thus made fso by
Official authority, the officers have claimed SO SO
for their wood.
rus oHnlisSiOners OF Navy \ ards nave been al
lowed $3.50 in addition to their regularpay Captains
OF the Navy, while employed in tho business of Navy
Yards, and their travelling expenses.
The Commissioners of the Navy have been allowed
dollars per day when absent duty and travelling
expenses.
Officers engaged in the examination of Mdshipmen
and Surgeons, have the same allowances.
Assistant Surgeons and MIid,hipmen attending ex-
animation, arc allowed 81 50 per day, and travelling
expenses on returning
Captains acting on Courts of Inquiry and Courts Mar
hai, are allowed 50 per day. Master Comman,ants
and Midspmen 81 So with their travelling expcnces.
Officers :ttendng as witnesses. allowed 81 so,
ana travelling expenses; citizens allowed So, and
travelling expenses.
Officers employed in surveying harbors have been al
lowed from 81 so to per day.
Officers ordered home from foreign stations or re-
turning on sick ticket, ALLOW their passage
money.
Seamcn discharged in foreign countries are senthome
at the expense of government
ocers necessarily travelling TO this city, for the
tement OF their accounts allow travelling expenses,
anu 81 on per day for expenses while detained.
Officers taking the place of their superiors tempo
rary command Of Ships Stations, have been allowed
the pay and emolumens Of those superiors.
The expenses of officers when sick, have been paid
deducting formerly their whole pay and rations and
Gently one half.
In addition to all those allowances by executive au-
thor'ty, we have variety Of Offices and Agencies
mating from the source.
Under the law authorizing the establishment Of Dry
Docks, the Secretary Of the Navy has created the Of
hce of Engineer with salary Of $1,000 per annurn
$50 per month for board, when absent from home Is
cents per mile for hstraveng expenses, and all his in
cidental expenses paid he sides.
There is an Assistant Engineer, appointed by the
principal, at 81 per day, with travelling and other ex-
penscs.
We have had Superintendent of Live Oak plsn,a-
on, Ia Florida with salary of I: 400 81 an overseer APP
pointed by him, with a salary Of 800
- We have had Agents for surve ring Live Oak lands in
Florida at 81 to So per day, in addition to the expenses
custody fee OF ID cents per day hns been allowed to
the Sheriff Of Florida for keeping Africans landed from
Slaves Ships
We have Agent Liberia for receiving Africans at
salary of $1,000 and an outfit OF $500.
We have Architects Of Navy Hospitals who receive
salaries of $4,000 per year.
Un'ii recently, IN. Navy Department employed
special agent, who clerk in this Office and all w
ed hun one per cen. on heavy disbursements, when
tn; law xnressy provides that all di-bursirg iii Ger.
shall be appointed by the Pe'ilent, and nominated TO
the Senate.
Many o her special agents have been employed Tor
particular services, and many thousand dollars pal |
them by way OF compensation.
The original authority for mott of these all noes
exists only In letters from The Secretary OF the Navy
10 the 4tli Auditor For Of the TO- not even tb at
authority any other, except precedent, can lie
found. An account has ba.n allowed by the Secrcta.
~; another one like IT is allowed the princi
Piles; the precedent becomes law, and its gin
l. orgoiten. This kind OF Legislation has been 6uc-
tuating as il has been loose. Sometimes more is al
owed. aud somstim's less the Navy is full of
plants oil paraliiy AMI almost every thinks that
he has right to some allowance, because a similar
claim has been allowed 10 others The auditor is har-
rasssd will arguments drawn from expediency; the
heretofore made; and because have ocnred i'm
proper Allowance lie Is cen.ured hecsuse he does not
put all upon an equality by making improper allow ances
to ohtrE Every thing is dark aud tain; and in
stead Of being able 10 turn to some law. or
lawful regulations by which to tsst evory claim which
Is presented, he s compelled 10 spend hours and days
in hunting for old letters, aud looking into preceen
Some boldly claim allowances without law authority,
because their cases or others like them, EN-
braced Ia the estimates which the appropriations
were founded. In their view, estimate authorizes
an expenditure. 50 far has this impression gone,
that men, employed by contract at prices less the
esnstes placed upon similar services, have advanced
serious claims TO the whole amount estimated. II 10
in vain 10 urge that tho es'irn ates are ought
based existing law, that they form, no part OF
the appropriation law; hat Congress almost uniformly
appfopIiates less than is estimated, without leaving any
recorl explaining what part they disapprove. No
gumen,s avail With those who consider custom laws
or fipd their convenience or fhr interest in set
ting thsr rules absye those of the le cIstive DOW
Congress have conf lance that the execu'ive Of
TIGERS will be governed 10y law in thrir esimates they
never 'crutnize them with impression that they
TO be taken as law after their adjournmenU and
nstances are not wanting where ihsy have been de-
ceived into appropriate for objects other han those
which the estimates med 10 present. Next 10 al
lowing the Executive TO make appropriations by his
own authority, IL the danger Of considering appro-
pration based on estimate without shadow OF aw 10
authorize the estimate make the appropriation
ray sff lent authority for extending money Yet,
such has been the prac ice OF The government, ami
| from tbs practice have sprang many Abuses.
II may be well supposed, that almost entire want
OF legal aud fixed 'yHcm the allowances ma e, (for
! the Department has not obeyed its estms'ss) must
materially affect the OF this Office, and the APP
propris'ioDs male by Congress. BY some new rule,
or upon some unknown rea'on many thousand dollars