The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-02-16

il compeIs lis creditors who ought TO be paid promptly
in cash every Saturday night 10 submit 10 an unjust
and cruel delay Of payment for several months and Ia
resort therefore the necessity of hawking the ere
d. of the Government IN the market on petty ace
counts, with serious loss TO themselves and then, has
ing done this il round, in the face Of such
Transaction and blows trumpet OF praise 10 ilsel
| for having promptly met every demand uponh
| will allude 10 other case, very much IN point
! am informed and believe correctly, that 10 carry
on operations on the important works OF Fort Schuy.
yer, on the East river, of money was borrowed
| OF one OF the banks in New York--the Mechanics
Bank, think-bonowcd for six months on inte
fest Of three per cent for that time Here, then the
contractors, mechanics and laborers and those who
furnished supphes were paid in cash. and paid prompt
~, yes, paid promptly and in cash. but with rigid
and invarable deduction from the total Of every
count rendered ofthree per cent Here accounts
for work and labor performed and provisions and sup
plies furnished al stipulated prices and before these
accounts would he paid, discount must he submitted
TO equal to the interest on the money for six months
In other words and in effect the creditors themselves
obliged TO borrow the money, using the name and
credit Of the Government with which TO pay their
own demands on the Government, already due and
past due, and to pay six months interest for IT, How
such Transaction may affect this Government know
not but know that private gentleman could ever
hold up his head again in honorable community
after he had once lesoted to such mode OF meeting
his engagements.
| But, Mr. Chairman, should be done, il J
should attempt TO go through the in detail OF de-
linqnency in the matter OF prompt payment ON the
part of the Administration. must be brief in what
have further 10 say about it.
The Indian Department is full Of instances of gross
neglect and delinquency. So understand and be-
| lie Some hundreds of thousands Of dollars, it il
believed yet remain unpaid under treaty entered in
TO with the Poawatamies, think, in 1883. AT the
last session, we made an appropriation of $36,0Oo to
carry into effect treaty with The Stockbrdge and
Munsee Indians and am told that not one dollar of
il has yet been paid payment has been asked for,
on vouchers acknowledged to be sufficient of the pro-
rHat,ar haze oaJ arIao thata
engagements had been made would be, for the pay
ment somewhere else, and by Indian agent. Pay
ment has also, as am told been demanded Of an In
dian agent-the only one who could be thought OF as
at all likely be entrusted with the caseand nothing
could be obtained. Several of strong and ur-
gent claim mentioned by Gen. Jesup in his report
One by the Choctaws where their property, land has
been taken for a fort-taken for public use, and
payment made, or proposed to be made And another
claim the part of the Creeks positive agree
| ment made with them by the General himself, some
years ago, and no payment is made, or any disposition
shown to make it.
And then, what has been the course Of the Admi-
nistration in regard to claims whether in the Depart
menis before Congress 1t is well understood that
these claims in the Departments amount TO ayery large
sum-probably to millions-cains growing out OF the
Florida war, and Indian affairs and other things
These demands have not been promptly met In
some cases, l suppose, appropriations have been
made to them but the accounts have not been adj
usted In other cases. there has been service accord
ing to law and the demands according to law, but
there has been no appropriation do not doubt that
the next Administration will find millions OF these de-
mands lying under one pretence and another
We hear Gen. Jesup complaining that disbursing and
accounting officers hung up in the Departments
for years before they get their accounts
and demands adjusted. Before Congress it is said,
there are ten thousand claims now pending. Nobody
doubts that very many of these just and ought to
be promptly paid. Yet who that was here at the last
session of Congress failed to observe the studied and
systematic effort Of the Administration, by every pos
dew tn he O
" hole subject And that effort succeeded Congress
passed bills for private claims, in seven months to the
amount Of $4,000 Justice and honor were sacri-
feed openly with the sacrifice ofhe claims Of the pub
| lie creditors. Appeals to the mercy Of the Govern
ment well to its justice, fell UNDECIDED on the
cold dead party The rejection was as deliberate
heartless the appearance OF things must be
saved fol the benefit of party the Treasury must not
bear the burden of these dues at crisis OF so much
political Importance. And thus were these dues boldly
| shufed off. They amount, doubtless to mllhbns and
left with other things like them, as legacy to the
next Administration. He is bold man, Mr.. Secre-
ary who could claim, in the face of facts like these,
and teach his master claim for the Government the
credit and the praise Of having promptly met all de-
| mands upon il!
| But, Mr. Chairman, pass from this point, to
slider another, closely connected with this a happy
man is that President of these United States, who can
say with TRUTH at the close OF his term that under his
administration all the purposes for which this Go
| vernment instituted have been accomplished;
and that is precisely what Mr.. Van Buren, says for
himself Sir, | solemnly declare that would gladly
allow this declaration pass without word OF ami
madverson from me- if could do SO without manifest
injustice to the in coming Administration 1t Is due,
| however, to those on whom the burden of Govern
fall after the fourth of March, that the error
| amounting to delusion which this position rests,
| should be thoroughly exposed In attempting TINS,
shall carefully avoid all differences with the President
on matters involving constitutional doubt or difhculty
shall nothing, for example, OF the course OF the
Administration in regard to currency and credit
Many very important interests have been sacrificed
during the last four years in regard to which the Pre-
sident claims To shelter himself under constitutional
scruple shall respect that claim this OCCASION and
offer him disturbance upon it. shall take him, as
may find him, beyond this magic CIRCLE and there IL
matter enough, in Heavens good name, with winch
mpeach the perfect accuracy OF the self satisfying
declaration to which have referred.
If any body will take the trouble TO look into the
reports of the present session from departments and
heads of bureaus and note the number and variety oil
urgent recommendations for the public service when
they will find there and which and have been the
while wholly neglected by this Administration he Will
then be able appreciate the force and value OF the
claim that all the purposes for which this Govern
ment instituted have been accomplished VIII
refer to few things.
The providing Of proper barracks for the accommo
dation of the Army falls within the province OF the
Quartermaser General These works are indispen-
sable and required in various parts oil inc country
The last year little done, General Jesup says
" except to pay some outstanding claims, even on
the small number Of those works for whicn appopria-
tons were made. The money was withheld by the
order of the President The appropriations ottheiast
Yse eh7 .pfi But besides this, there are large num-
Der of cases presented urgent by General Jesup ana
urged also by the Secretary of War for which no pro-
vision whatever has been made, and none Is propose
The Secretary alludes to the tact that io,VVV IN
dams have been removed during the last four years
adding therefore, that number TO the multitude al,
| ready on our western border. These are, most OF
them dissatisfied, moody, and restless, proodng Over
wrongs and waiting for the chances Of revenge 10y
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