The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-06-19

Mr. TALLMADGE presented petitions from view
York city and from Albany, for e'enerai DA"A''p'
law Referred to Judiciary COMMITTEE. IN |
Mr. HENDERSON introduced resoiu''o", ea'
inc 10, report on the delay in the intended survey Oh
the coast, from Apaachicola to the mississippi =
Nj NICHOLSON introduced resolution call
inc for information as the interests OF the state OF
Tennessee some public lands particulars not heara
MIR. MERRlCK presented memorial IRON 'he
Union Bank of Georgetown praying Tor more une "
wind up their business, which was referred -
Mr. MERRlCK submitted resolution calling ioI
the of the delay the repairs of the Potomac
Bridge, which was agreed to-
DISTRICT BANKS,
The Bill to revive and extend the charters of GER
tain Banks in the District Of Columbia was taken up
on It's second reading, when , i
On motion Of Mr.. EVANS, the consideration oil
the bill was postponed until tomorrow.
The unfinished business of yesterday was then
taken up, when - >, ~,
Mr. EVANS rose in reply to Mr.. Woodbury.. Inc
Senator from New Hampshire had avowed 1t to be his
object to point out enormous errors In the report
of the Secretary of the Treasury, while great part OF
his speech occupied in disproying what ne hau
admitted that the Secretary had not asserted lie SCI
ont with proving that great part of thirty-one mil
lions stated by the Secretary as unnecessary appopn-
ations was not debt of the last Administration NO
one had asserted that 1t was so. Inc secretary hau
made no such assertion, and the Senator had himself
admitted that he picked up the information from ale
house politicians.
The Senator had also found a remarkable coinci-
dence between the calling oths extra session ana 'he
issuing of instructions to the Attorney General, on
the subject of Mcleod. And he had pronounced the
extra session to lie unnecessary, and seemed 10, ne
puzzled TO find reason for it. He would give that
Senator reason The present Administration, on
coming into Office had found declining revenue and
an existing debt The estimates OF receipts made by
the last Secretary of the Treasury were found to be
faIaclous far exceeding any actual results when any
could reasonably anticipate. And thus TAR the re-
h.yp fall
must be a deficit of millions, the receipts oil the
year not being likely to exceed fifteen mlllcns II had
become take some step to sustain the pup
lie credit. Not thought was bestowed on the future
of the country and the means to meet them, by
the last Administration; and it was apparent that the
Treasury must be exhausted before the end OF June.
1t therefore became necessary to call Congress to
gcther.
In the other House, at the last session. he Mr..
Evans) had himself earnestly appealed to Congress to
make such provision for the future as would render an
extra session unnecessary. But these appeals were
voted down, and he presumed, with the knowledge
and consent Of the Senator He then took view of
The number of Treasury notes which had been now
Issued and of their origin and effect and the history OF
their introduction He exposed the tallacy OF the po-
son taken by the late Secretary of the treasury that
Treasury notes to be considered in the light OF
anticipation of the revenue and not as public debt
They not redeemed, but by the substitution OF
whole of the outstanding debts rom Banks M nrIle
above three hundred thousand dollars while the Trea-
sury notes had been issued to the amount of eight mil
lions An addition would be required to enable to
meet the current expenses of the year for which he
believed 1t would require twelve millions Was it
not necessary then to call Congress together for the
purpose of making provision for this state of things.
he rldculed the Importance which the Senator from
New Hampshire had attached TO an error of the prin
Ter OF the Senate In printing figure for figure B.
although the error exposed by the table to which
the report referred, and by the House copies of the
report. And this the Senator claimed magma
nlmlty Tor not charging on the Secretary. 1t has
IN ahn ItScra h..
port OF the Secretary and the message of the Pres
dent, and he showed that there existed real scre
pancy.
AT the same time Mr. Evans protested against the
grown up practice of the President interfering with
the Secretary of the Treasury. He is the officer Of
Congress and as such he regarded by General
Washington. 1t had now become the practice of the
President to give the Secretary certificate Of good
behavior From this point he proceeded to crcise
the pretended deficit in the receipts of the year from
the estimates. The statements of the two officers
harmonic TO an totd and show that there must be
deficit even when all the Treasury notes included
he only slight difference hat which from
The issue OF Treasury notes between the preparation
OF the message on the 9th of May, and the report of
me Secretary OF the Treasury the LIST of June. =
ne other discrepancies indicated by the Senator
either OF like unmportant aspect or were easily ex-
plainabe and explained, He himself could regret
slight differences in figures which only had the effect
OF urging 10 investigation and correction Of error,
MI. Evans contended that the amount of thirty
millions, instead of being too high in fact low |
because il did not include the revenue bonds due in
1856, but which were postponed in consequence of
the great fire IN New York and which had since come
INTO the Treasury, amounting TO between four and
five millions. In reply to the exception taken by MIR
Woodbury. to the years selected by the Secretary on
which to found his comparison of receipts and expen-
dures he showed, that the receipts and expenditures
Of every year from 1916 this time had been taken
in order TO satisfy the public that whereas until with
IN the last four years, receipts had exceeded
pendtures, during those four years II has been the
verse.
The Senator from New Hampshire considered the
extra session to be unnecessary, because he saws
there was no deficiency He replied to his suggestion
that the country was IN an abundant condition by re-
tering to the report of the Secretary and facts
There had been usually at the end of year about
eight millions balance and would be that in the
estimate of uneapended appropriations chargcabe on
ls4l II was estimated at eight millions when il in
fact was nearly twelve millions.
Mr.. WOODBURY. explained that the estimate
made by the subordinate officers but not his
own.
Mr. EVANS resumed 1t was usual To look 10 the
Head of the Department for the information not to
the subordnatcs and he commented strongly on the
neglect of applying these appropriations during the
year 1910. The appropriations made last year were
about Sl2 300 600 according report Of the Secre
iary Of the Senate and of this small part only was
expended leaving the aggregate of outstanding appro-
pnalions above twenty light millions The Secretary
proposes 10 cnpend nineteen millions, which would
leave unexPended balance of about eight and halt
millions lie would thus leave exactly the amount OF
balance which the Senator had said the
~ balance.
Nj Evans then referred to the practice Of the for
mcr Secretary ot nterposing his power between APP
proposition made by Congress and its expenditure by
the proper department and expressed his asonishment
that Secretary should assume so great a power |
This practice had grown up to great extent and had
induced Congress last year to control Their appropria.
atoms. We were building steam frpacs without an
apropnaton, but by borrowing the money from the
81,