Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-09-08


such controlling supervision, as Congress
may by law prescribe. The prluclpa'
officers whose appointments would become
necessary under his pan. taking the lar
gest number suggested bv the Secretary Of
the Treasury, would not exceed ten; nor
the additional expenses, at the same est.
mate, sixty thousand dollars a wear.
| The power and influence supposed TO be
connected with the custody and disbursement
Of the public money, are topics on which tho
public mind is naturally, and, with great pro-
priely, peculiarly sensitive, Much has been
said on them, in reference TO the proposed
| separation ofthc Government from the bank
| ing institutions; and surely no one can OF cct
to any appeals or anmadvcrsions on the Sub
icct, which arc consistent with the facts, and
evince proper respect for the intelligence Of
the people. If Chief Magistrate may be al
lowed TO speak for HIMSELF on such point,
can truly say, that TO me nothing would be
more acceptable than the withdrawal from tho
Executive, to the greatest practicable extent,
Of all concern in the custody and disbursement
Of public revenue; not that | would shrink
from any responsibility cast upon me by the
duties OF my office. but because it is my firm
belief that its capacity for usefulness is in nc
degree promoted by the possession ofany pa
tronage not actually necessary to the perlor.
nance ofthoSe duties. But under our present
| form Of Government, the Intervention Of the
| Executive officers in the custody and dsburse
ment of the public money seems TO be una"
| vodablc and before it can De admitted that
the influence and power of the Executive
would be increased by dispensing with the
| agency Of banks. the nature of that nterven.
ton in such an agency must be carefully re.
gardcd, and comparison must be instituted
between its extent in the two cases.
The revenue can only be collected by officers
appointed by the President. with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The public moneys
in the first instance, must, thefiore, in ali
cases, pass through hands selected by the
Executive. Other officers appointed in the
same way. or, as in some cases, by the Presi-
deut alone must also be entrusted with them
when drawn for the purpose of disbursement,
1t is thus seen that, even when banks are en-
ploved, the public funds must twice pass
through the hands of Executive officers. Be
sides this, the head ofihe Treasury Depart
ment. who also holds his Office at the pleasure
, ofthc President. and some other officers ofthe
same department, must necessarily be invested
with more o. less power in the selection con
tinuance. and supervision, of the banks that
NAV be employed. The question is then mar
rowed to the single point, whether in the in
'eriheu'a'c S'a%e oe'" &C." we correction ana
DISBURSEMENT oi .l' puo"c money ',e agency
Vi o'''NS 10 NECESSARY ~ aSo'u dangerous
49,, E,.no,,;,,o Dr., j. !, o,o,, ,l'n, ,hao
noc,inn or,hc rxecp,ive wi,b nowerc,l nan.
ovoL ;n,,;,u,ions canahlo or m;,,;s,nr;n,,,o
~ ;,,o,as,s % n,an ~, ,o;r,. ,nh,,o ,L'',,a
''os, ae,s.;l',a - c,,r,i,; !, loss i,I,'a ~,
abuse. than his constitutional agency in the
. appointme and control Of the few public
: ,Ii,,,. ,,,;.ai i ,h, ,n,,saJ ,l,, W.
. ,ha ,1ll;, n,on,, ,yh,n j., ,L.;, L,,ds h.,
= 1,at.,,;,,, ,v,,sad ,o ,n,, ;,rnro,o. ;,,a,cor
: ,o e, ,i ,'l., - ,h, rvoa,,;,.o, Na,,
W., ~ I',i 'r ,t,,a .,t,',, c'a il;a
;na, a,,J NATURALIZATION a,,a.
n ncru,iorlv eynosed 10 them. viii dnter him
,ro,, ,nv su,h ;,,errcro,ce ovo, If b;rLn-
natives La,f,uod ;norer,l;va, N,yno, ,np.
q rross xo ,eruI,,o bv I,,v .,ho dn,v -, ,"o
n o6ce,s. and .nhieci !, 10 such sunervi.;on, And
! nrbliciiv as ,o nrcvcn, ,he pos,ihil,v or anv
- .cr;ous ahn>e ~. tina mar, n, ,be eyocu,ive,
r and !, ,her. eoual room for sucb snpervision
# and nubl,c;,v in n conrccii,n wi, n hanks
= ac,inr under the shield of corporate immu
r mites and conducted by persons IRRESPONSIBLE
/, TO the Government and the people, /, is be-
- lieved that considerable and candid investl-
e gallon Of these questions will result in the
n conviction that the proposed plan is far less
o liable TO objection on the score of executive
# patronage and control, than airy bank agency
That has been, or can be devised.
Wit these views, | leave TO congress tho
' measures necessary to regulate in the resent
u emergency, the safe keeping and transfer of
the public moneys. In the performance Of
e constitutional duty haye stated to them
: the result my own reflections. Tnc subject
is of great importance, and one on which we
y can scarce expect TO be as united in sentiment
q / as we are in interest. IL deserves a full and