Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1840-01-24

ously passed ny The Legislature OF florua, were
suffered TO remain in force, by virtue OF which
bonds may be issued to very latge amount by
those institutions, upon the faith OF the territory
resolnt on intending 20 be Joint ono passed
the Senate at the same session. expressing the
sense of Congess thnt the laws in question ought
not TO he permitted TO remain in force unless n
mended in many material respects, but tailed ID
thr House OF Representatives for want Of time,
and the desired amendments have not hren made
The Interests invoked ale of great Importance,
and :he subject deserves your early and oafeiui
attention.
The confined agitation Of the question rcla-
tive to The best mode of keeping ana dlshursing
the public money, still iniurousy affects thc but
sincss OF the country. The suspension OF specie
payments in 1888, rendered the u'c OF deposte
banks ms prescribed by the act of 1886, source
rather of Embarrassment than aid and OF necessity
paced the custody OF most Of the pu'dic money
Iarerward collected in charge fthe public officers
The new securities for its safety, which this re
ouire,l, were a prmci pal cause OF my convenlns
an extra session of Congress, bot In consequence
ola dj>a srremeai Between the two Houses, nel-
thcr ihcn, nor nj any subsequent period, has There
been any legislation on the subject The Effort
made at The ast session to obtain The aHthohty
Of Congress to punish the use OF public money Tor
n iyate purposes rs crime, measure attcnlc1
under other governments with signal Advantages,
was also unsuccessful, from dWcrsitlcs oil opinion
! in that body, notwiths anlin9 the anxiety doubt
less f.lt hy il to afford every practicable security
The result Of this is still To leave the Gus oily OF
the pnbc money without those safeguards which
have been for several years earnestly desired by
the Executive: ard rs the remedy is oaly 10 be
f, md In the acton Of the lcgs'a urc, il imposes
on me- The d,ty Of again suhm ting TO you the
propric,y of passiuga Law, providing for the safe
keeping Of the pubic moneys, an cspHclaly 70
ask that lis Use tot private purposes by any OH
Ger; intrustcd with it, may he declared to be Il
'elony, punishable with pcnalucs proporlicnd to
! the magmituls Of hc offence.
These circumstances, added TO known deftct'
/ in tic existing laws and unusual arrangement in
TIC general operations OF trade, have, during thc
last Irec yea 9, much increased lie difficulties a.
lendant on the collection, keeping, AMI dsbnsc-
mcnt of the rceCunc, and called iUith Correspond
inc cIcrti0ns from those having them IN charec.
, Happily those have been successful beyond e.
recitation. Vast SUMS haze been collected and
risAur.cd ny the several department: with uncX-
pcctpd cEcapness AID ease: Transfers have been
readily made 10 every part Of the Union, however
distant, and drfalcatjons have been far less than
might have been anticipated, from tie absence ct
adequate LEGAL restraints. S,ne the officers OF The
/ Trcasnrv and Post Orce Departments were
charged with he custody Of most Of the public
MONEYS received by them, there have been i
ccted sixty six million, OF do'lors, and, eNendne
1.-THE case OF the late ccllcCtor ut New York, tie
acerante amouut Of lose. su-taiucdin thc cocc-
ton cannot. it is believed, exceed sixty thousan'
dollars. The dealcaljon Of the a'e co lscjor at
that ,itv. Of the extent aud circumstances of
which Congress las bcsn fully Informed, ran
though al the modes Of Keeping TIC public mo
Bav that have been hitherto in use, and was dis-
tnguished by an aggravatcd disregard Of duty
thai lr kc throl gh the cs,raius OF every system.
and cannot, t e ctorc, be u.eIul!y referred TO As
lest Of the comparative slG " OF either Addi-
tonal Information viii also bc furnished by the
report Of the Secretary oC HE Treasury, in reply
TO a cal made upon that officer by the Howe Of
REPRESENTATIVES at he last &c sion, requiring de-
tailed information on the subject Of defaults by
public officers or aecnts under each Adnini.tra-
ton, from 1850 TO lS3I.
This document viii he subuitten 10 ynu in a
lew DAYS The general results (ndependem Of
tic post Office, which is kept separately aud viii
he stated by ieclf) 60 far as they hear upon Chs
suhcct. aic, that the 'o,scs which have hecn,'no
ARC Hkcy 10 he. sustained, by any class 9gcnte,
L. have crn-thc greatest by banks, including, as
required III Inc feNRil lbN, tUtW U'PNtli'E' pa
rer received for public dues: that the ucXr laTg-
est have tocn BY disbnrsng oilic y, aud the least
Ihy collectors aud receivers Ifihc losses on dty
, bonds are included, ttoy alone viii be lhr clolI
= by both collectors AMI receives. Or whole cH-
pcriercr, therefore, furnishes the strongest evil
t tden,e that The desircd legislation of CCngess /,
alone waning to insure, in those op rationo, Tie
{ hirhest degree Of security and facility. such
also. appear, 10 have been the experience of other
q nations. From The lc,ults Of inquiries made By
the Secretary OF tie Treasury m regard to The
pActicc among item, am enabled TO state, tina
p in twenty two out Of twenty seven foreign go
veumenis. from which undoubted information
= has been obtained, the public moneys are kept I,
/ claao Of public officers. This concurrence O
opinion in favor Of TINT system is perha as grea
q as exists on any question Of internal adminslra
ton.
e In the modes Of business and official restraints
on di.bursing officers, no legal change was pro
: duced by the suspension specie payments. IN
y. report last referred to will be found 10 contain
also, mvch useful information in relation to thi
\ subject.
have hcretofore assigned to Congress my rea
sons for believing that the establishment of al
Q ln'erenicnt National Treasury, as contemp'at
J ell BY the Constitution, Is necessary to the sai
. action ofthc Federal Government The suspen
: 81 on Of specie payments in 1857, by the banks
: having the custody Of the public money, showed
@ in so alarming degree our dependence on thos
i institutions for the performance of duties rcquir
c cd by law, tha, tten recommended the cntir
ItlesQluion Of thai 'cnnneXion This fccommen
t daon has been subjected. as desired 1t shoul
i. be, 10 severe scrutiny and animated discussion
i and allow m, self TO believe that. notwi'hstand
ing the natural divcrsiies of opinioa which ma
n he anticipated on all subjects involving such in
O portant considerations it has secured in It's fave
Il as general Concurrence Of public sentiment 4