Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-09-18
4se.Ys ElsR'EG.
ltEl'l)R /


Of S,ac York, 1888.
On the 18th Of March, ISIS, Mr. SAMUEL o: RrcctEs
Chairman of the COMMITTEE of Ways and Meanstt the
Assembly of the State of New York, submitted to the
House the following Report on the United States De-
pos, Fund, and on the recommendation OF the comp
truller to levy direc, tax:
MIR pusules, from the standing Committee os Ways
md Means to whom referred so much OF the an
rnaI of his Excclency the Governor relates
In The surplus revenue vi the y deposited with this
Stale and also the annual report OF tie Comptroller
u,un The finances hess saTe IL respect IL that portion
of the message. md also ia Tespt to that portion oi
the Conprollrr's report which recommends The i'm
poson Of a direct tax 10 submit The following Report
That under the act Of Congress passed June 23 1886,
which directed the surplus moneys in the Treasury of the
Uniird States, beyond the amount OF five millions, to he
5s,osited with the vera! Stakes the of 314 go
II has been psd 10 ths State, being three ourlhs
of The moneys hch it entitled 10 receive under
that law by virtue Of the subsequent act t." Congress,
ppssed October = 1857 which directed the transfer u!
,hp remaining fourth ne postponed until the LIST day
Of January 1889, ihe residue Of those moneys, amount
iny to 81 3 coo has hitherto becn wr;hheid aud whe
her will he paid al the time specified IN that act, may,
for the present. be regarded Us doubtful Serious differ
sncps of opinion have prevailed in respect TO the expe
dicncy of thus deposilng this Surplus revenue with the
States; and Il the sentiments "f those who believe
more pol;;ic for the Federal Government to retain it,
shall hapren TO prevail the fourth instanent may pos
sibIy be permanently withheld from this Stale.
|; il not, hnweve reasonably 10 he ipaed tina;
The money slrradv received will ~ withdrawn The
act of June 90 1896 which directed the dcposi,e to be
made declared that when The MONEY any part Of il,
"shoud be wanted by the Secretary Of The Treasury OF
the Uni'ed States 10 meet appropriations by law, il
should be called for upon certain notice mentioned in
the ac bu, the subsequent law of October 9 1887 pro
yded that the thus deposited should remain with
the States, "un'il otherwise directed by Congress"
Il canno, be deemed probable, that majority Of the
States represented in the National Congress, will direct
the withdrawal of these moneys Whatever may have
been the literal provisions Of The law directing these
moneys be "deposted with the States, the intention
Of those WIN passed it evidently WIS, TO perma.
neut distribution, and not temporary loan Of the
plus revenues In fact the doctrine that subject
il was first advanced BY President Jackson himself,
plainly contemplated an irTerocabe appropriation. In
his message to Congress, in 1929, he DECLARED tina!
"ite most safe just, and Federal disposition which
could be made Of the surplus revenue. would be its ap
poriionment among the States. according to their ratio
of AID N the of the subsequent
wear he removed all doub;s to his intention in that
respect, by stating that his prior message he had lr!,
il To- be his duty .o nd the adoption OF
plan for tie distribution nf the sp'ms uuds among the
States proportion the number of their representa-
tvrs to be applied by them Tor objects CT internal in
provcment
The sentiments thus promulgated at Washington
distinctly responded TO and adopted by the G"yer
OF This State, in his annual message TO the Lsgsla
ture in the year 1896; in which, after speaking of the
funds 10 lie rived from The surplus revenue US "app
cable the extension of public works, he says that
"here I've valid objection 10 the distribution of Tie
surplus among the States to be disposed Of 81
their discretion The Chief Magistrate, in the
succeeding year. 1881 after stating that u his
distinguished predecessors Gov CliDton) had ailud
ed TO The subject in his message in 1897 renewed
the suggestion contained in his former comnu ncaon;
ard pressed it earnestly upon the consideration Of the
Legislature. A committee of the Senate in the same
year. reported tha, in their Judgment The proposed dis
tribu,nn ga matter Of The first Importance; and Tn
the ascn among Others that would enable the State
in prosecuting her works Of internal Improvement "to
satisfy the just claims Of all her citizens" The commit
tee fully concur in the soundness of the opinions thus
expressed in respect to the distribution of these moneys
md in their Judgment. the receipt by this State of the
large Of 50 g74 500 II thus allotted TO it, whatever
may br the opinions of those who doubt the cxpedlsncy
Of the measure ought 10 be subject Of unsixed con
graduation.
Wi,hou, pretending question The ALLEGATION ufthis
State 10 repay the money thus deposited whenever ii
shall be lega; demanded nv act nf Congress. mag
nevertheless, Re assumed that no enable probability
exists that it will ever be thus demanded. or the Sc
veral States which have received their respective por
TONS amounting in tie aggregate 10 nearly forty mil
lions Of dollars the greater number have already appro
prated it 10 objects of permanent nature, from which
il canp. be Withdrawn without serious injury and in
convenience. Many Of the States have expended it in
works Of internal improvement or in paying debts pre-
vouslY incurred for that purpose. In instances
has been loa nee tu their citizens; while example,
least presented in which it has been actually dis
tribu,cd Numerically. among all the inhabitants Of the
State In nearly all these instances, the repayment Of
the money. IL called for by Congress, will become incon
vrnent oppressive the people OF these States and
only be made ny ncurr:ng debt or imposing bur
thenscme taxes. Under these circumstances, therefore
il may be satlY predicted, that majority of The repre-
srnaiivrs Of the Stairs and Of the people in Congress
will hesitate lcng before they consent withdraw from
the States the moneys TINS distributed; but the
iTory that they will prefer On it should be found
necessary repensh he Treasury by temporary loans
in anticipation Of the revenue.
The committee, therefore, wholly dissent from the
opinion expressed by the jrint committee Of the last
LEGISLATURE upon The subject of this posite fund that
the peeunary means which il has furnished To the State
should be regarded as merely temporary" ard ,ha,
the period Of repayment is mot far remote" On The
contrary. they are well satisfied. that The sum Of S.
OLA 800 n thus acquired vii! never be Withdrawn; and
,bey recommend that in al measures Of legislation it
should be treated as portion of the permanent proper
,y nf the State. -,
The amount 60 received, ,es been leaned under The