Litchfield enquirer., 1837-09-14


 fer and pay it in such portions and as such times e the Treasury shall direct
 Surely banks are are not more able than the. Gov. ernment to secure the money in their possession against accident violence, fraud. The assertion that they SO, must assume that vault in hank anS cerk not sesc,s M Snc M tnas d ernment, nor under it's control, more worthy of confidence than officers selected from the people and responsible to the Government; officers bound by of fical oats and bonds for faithful performance of their duties, and constantly subject to the supervision of Congress.
 The difficulties of transfer and the aid heretofore rendered by banks, have been less than is usually supposed. The actual accounts show that by far the larger portion payments is made within short venlent distances from the places of collection and the whole number of warrants issued at the Treasury m the year lS4-a year, the results ofwhch will it is believed afford safe test for the future-fe short of each State ;n the city of New York they did not av- craze more than two day, and at the city of Wash ington only four. 7+
 The difficulties heretofore existing are, moreover. daily lessened by an increase in the cheapness and facility of communication; and it may be asserted with confidence that the necessary transfers as well as the saekeeping and disbursements of the public moneys, can be with safety and convenience accom- Rished through the agencies of Treasury officers This opinion has been, in some degree, confirmed by actual expenence since the discontnuance of the banks as fiscal agents, in May last period which, from the embaTassments in commercial intercourse, presented obstacles as great as any that may be here
 The manner of keeping the public money since that peod IS fully stated Tn the report of the Secretary of the Treasury That officer also suggests the proprie-
 o asslgnlng by law, certain additional duties lstlng establishments and officers, which, with the modlhcaons and safeguards referred to by him. will, ne thnks enable the Department to continue to per form ths branch ot the public service, without any material addition either to their number or to the pres- en expense. The extent of the business to be rans- acted nag @ already been stated and in respect to the would be entrusted any one tie 1t appears that s- suming balance of five millions to be at ali times @ Kept the Treasury, and the whole of left in the hands of the collectors and receivers the proportion of each would not exceed an average of thirty thousand dollars: but that deductng million for the use of m the mnt and assuming the remaining four millions to be m the hands of onehaf of the present number of ofhcers-,a supposon deemed more likely to cores pond with the fact--the sum in the hands of each bonds now taken from the receivers of public money. Every apprehension, however, on the subject either in respect to the safety of the money or the faithful to me- be efecualy removed by adding to the present means of the Treasury the establishment by law, at few important points, of offices for the depose and cannot with obvious safety and convenience be left in the possession of the collecting officers until paid over by them to the public creditors: Neither the amounts retained in their hands, nor those deposited in the offices, would, in ordinary condition of the revenue, be larger in cases than those often un- der the control of dsbursng officers of the Army and such securities and exercising such controlling super vision, as Congress may by law prescribe. The prin- clpal othcers whose appointments would become 1e- gesed by the Secretary of the Treasury, would not exceed ten; nor the additional expenses, at the same estimate, sixty thousand dollars year.
 These can be no doubt of the obligation of those who are entrusted with the affairs of Government, con- duct them with little cost to the nation is consist ent with the public interest and it is for Congress, benefits to be derived from keeping our fiscal concerns apar and seyerng the connection which has hithsr- to existed between the Government and banks offer sfry fkn ses. If the object to be accomplished is deemed im- portant to the future welfare of the country cannot allow myself to believe that the addition to the pubic expenditure of comparatively so small an amount as will be necessary to effect 1t, wib objected to by the people:
 It will be seen by the report of the Postmaster Gen l that Department have been successfully conducted since May last upon the principle of dealing only n the legal currency of the United States, and that it needs no legislation to maintain it's credit and taci- tate the management of it's concerns the existing laws being, in the opinion of that officer, ample for those objects.
 Difficulties will doubtless be encountered for sea- son. and increased services required from the public functionares such are usually incident to the com mencement of every system, but they will be greatly lessened in the progress of its operations.
 The power and influence supposed to be connected with the custody and disbursement of the public mon- ey, are topics on which the public mind is naturally and, with great proprety peculiarly sensitive. Much has been said on them, in reference to the proposed separation of the Government from the banking nst- surely no telligence of the people. If Chief Magistrate may be allowed to speak for himself such point, can be, than the withdrawal from the Executive, to the greatest practicable extent of all concern Tn the custo dy and dsbursement of the public revenue; not that would shrink from any responsibility cast upon mo by the duties of my office, but because it IS my firm belief that its capacity for usefulness IS in no degree promoted by the possession of any patronage not actu- ally necessary to the performance of those duties S he custody and disbursement of the public money seems to be una voidable and before 1t can be admitted that the IT, fuence and power of the Executive would be increas- ed by dispensing with the agency of banks, the nn- of that intervention in such an agency must be carefully regarded and comparison must be nsti,u- ted between its extent in the two cases.
 The revenue only be collected by officers ap- pointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate: The public moneys, in the first m- stance must therefore in all cases, pass through hands selected by the Executive. Other officers appointed dent alone, must also be entrusted with them when drawn for the purpose of disbursement. It is thus seen, that even when banks are employed, the pubic funds must twice pass through the hands o1 Execn- Department, who also holds his office at the pleasure of the President and some other officers of the same department, must necessarily be invested win more vision, of the banks that may be employed. The question is then narrowed the single point whether in the intermediate stage between the collection and the public money, .ne agency o panks patronage and influence of the Execuhye! But IS It clear that the connection Of the Executive with pow inc interests of men in points where they are most c. cessbe to corruption is less liable to abuse than his constitutional agency in the appointment and control of the few public officers required by the proposed plan? Will the public money, when in their hands, be necessarily exposed to any improper interference