South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1834-12-13

1884, and TO extend its accommoda-
tons to the community. The grounds
assumed in this aInunciation, amount
ed to an acknowledgment that the cure
tailment, in the extent 10 which il had
been Garfield, was not necessary to the
safety of the bank, and had been per-
sisted ia merely TO induce congress to
grant ths prayer Of the bank 10 its me-
usp6shss,, satiiSGe " ibe .sepiaisai al. .hs
They were substantially confession
that all the real distresses which indivi-
duaIs and the country had endured for
the preceding six or eight months, had
been needlessly produced by il; with
the view of affecting, through the suf.
ferings Of the people, the legislative ac-
ton Of Congress. 1t is subject Of
congratulation that congress- and the
country had the virtue and firdiness to
bear the infiiction that the energies Of
our people soon found relief from this
wanton tyranny, in vast importatlons Of
the precious metals from almost every
part Of the world; and that at the close
of this tremendous effort to conroul
our government, the bank found itself
powerless, and no longer able 10 loan
out its surplus means. The commu.
nifty had learned TO madage its affairs
without its assistance, and trade had
already found new auxiIiaries so that
on the first of October last, the extraors
dinary spectacle vas presented Of ma.
tional bank, more than one half Of
whose capital was either lying unpro.
duc,ive 10 its vaults, or 10 the hands Of
foreign bankers.
To the needless distresses brought
on the country during the last session
Of congress, has since been added the
open seizure of the dividends Of the
public stock, TO the amount ofone han.
dsed and seventy thousand aud forty
one dollafs, under pretence Of paying
damages, cost, and interest, upon the
protested French bill. This sum con-
s.ituted portion Of the estimated rev.
enue for the year 1884, upon which
the appropriations made by congress
were based. 1t would as soon have
been expected that our collectors woald
seize on the customs, or the receivers
Of OUT land Offices on the moneys aris-
ing from the sale Of public lands; under
pfetences u claims against the United
States; % that the bank would have
retained the dividends. Indeed, il the
principle be established that any one
who chooses 10 set up claim against
the U. States, may, without authority Of
law, seize on the public property or
money wherever he can find it, to pay
the claim, there will remain no assur-
afice that our revenue will reach the
treasury, or that it will be applied after
the appropriation to The purposes de-
signated ia the law. The paymasters
Of our ARMY, and the pufsers Of our ma
Wy, may, under like Pretences, sppIy
to their own use, moneys appropriated
to set in motion the public forces, aud
in time Of war leave the country With
out defence. This measure resorfed to
by the bank is disorganiziag aud rev.
oldtionary, and if generally resoFted to
by private citizens ia like cases, would
fill the land with anarchy and violence.
1t is constitutional provision. that
mo money shall be drawn from the trea-
sury but in consequence of appropriations
made BY law" The palpable object Of
this provision is to prevent the expendi-
ture of the public money, for any pur-
pose whatsoever, which shall not have
been first appropriated by the representa-
tives Of the people and the states in con-
gress assembled. II vests the power of
declaring for what purpoaes the public
money shall be expended, in the leglsla-
tive department. ofthe government, to the
exclusion of the executive aud judicial.
and it is not within the constitutional au-
thority of either of those departments. 10
pay it away without law, or to sanction
its payment. According to this plain con-
stitutlonaF provision, the claim ofthe bank
can never be paid without an appropria-
ton by acs of Congress. But the bank
has never asked for an appropriation. 1t
attempts to defeat the provision of the
constitution, and obtain payment without
an act of Congress. Instead Of awaiting
an appropriation passed by both houses.
and approved by the president, it makes
an appropriation for itself, aud invites an
appeal to the Judiciary to sanction it,
That the money had not technically BEEN
paid into the treasury, does not affect the
principle intended to be established by
the constitution. The executive aud ju~
dietary have as little right to- appropria-
To and expend the public money without
authority of law, before it is placed to the
credit Of the treasurer, as TO take it from
the treasury. In the annual report of
the secretary ofthe treasury. and in his.