Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-17

mend the additional appropriation required; or
that the sanction Of Congress be given in some
other form, at an early day OF the session, TO the
making oil the necessary repairs upon the only
safe and durable plan which presents itself.
Another public work OF great interest com.
mtted to the care Of this Department deserves
some notice at this time. The sum OF SIS 900
was appropriated at the late session Of Congress
for clearing out the Red River raft. The large
sums of money heretofore expended on this OBJ
ject, the high expectation INDUCED after the first
successful experiment, Of the practicability Of
efiecting it, the subsequent accumulation and con-
tinuance of partial distractions, and the conse
quent disappointment Of the public, caused the
Department to give its early and serious attention
10 the sub ject. Believing that Congress, in ma
king this appropriation INDUCED the hope that it
would be all that would be required for the com.
pletion OF the work, the Department, resolved that
the highest degree Of permanence and utility at
tanabe by the use OF the means placed at his dis
posal should be accomplished, directed that an
officer Of the highest credit for skill and Judge
ment should proceed without delay to ascertain
the nature, extent, and causes of the obstruc-
tons which interrupt the navigation of that river,
and to submit plan for their removal. That Off
intended that the steam and snag boats, after being
repaired, shall ascend Red River, while it con.
tinues in navigable state, to the point OF OBJ
struction but it is not designed to enter upon the
work until autumn. This policy, as will fully
appear from the report Of the Chief OF the Topo-
graphical Engineers, and the accompanying let
ter Of the superintendent, was dictated by sound
economy, if not by the necessity Of the case.
A practice has prevailed in the Indian Depart,
ment of making payments from moneys drawn
from the Treasury under appropriations by Con-
gress, without regarding, in all cases, the objects
OF the appropriations as specified in the law.
This practice virtually defeats that provision
Of the Constitution which declares that no msn-
ey shall be drawn from the Treasury except I'M
der appropriations by Congress; for the object Of
this provision must have been not merely that
money shall not be drawn from the Treasury
without being duly appropriated but that it shall
be paid only for objects specified in the acts Of
appropriation.
The practice Of making payments under such
circumstances-that is, Of taking money drawn
from the Treasury under an appropriation for one
object, and applying it to the payment of &C
counts, and for objects for which no appropria-
tons has been made-renders the reports OF the
condition Of the Treasury entirely fallacious, and
utterly destroys all confidence in them. The
true condition OF the Treasury, or of its labili-
ties, is not and cannot be presented under such a
practice.
The Indian Department has favored itself in
the means Of practising this iregularty by anoth-
er usage, directly in contraventon Of the law OF
Congress requiring that unexpended balances OF
tbo ovniratio, Of
shall revert to the Treasury. 1t has been Gus
tomary before the expiration Of the two years,
to withdraw from the Treasury the balances not
actually required for disbursement within the
specified period; and these balances have been
placed in the hands Of discussing agents, form.
ing very large fund, from which payments have
been made from time 10 time for objects for which
no appropriations have been made by Congress
The amount of funds in the hands Of these spe
cial agents Of the Department has ranged, on an
average, from two to three hundred thousand dol.
lars for the last or eight years, and this has
been generally deposited in the banks selected al
the discretion of the agent himself.
Under these circumstances, the disbursna
agents, having received moneys under authorized
heads Of appropriations, which have been applied
to objects not sanctioned by law, have had thei
accounts brought into such a condition as will
not allow OF their settlement at the Treasury with
out special appropriation by Congress- and hence
there are discussing agents who have been unable
TO obtain a settlement during several years, and
whose accounts ars still open, Notwithstanding
the act of Congress, most salutary in its object
requiring a settlement annually on the first o.
October
As one irregularity is often the pretext oi
another, SO, under the usage Of the Indian Bureau
by which large amounts of money have been
held by discussing agents, which should have re
verted to the Treasury, these agents have had
the means of loanng and have eiTectually loan
ed, large sums, within the last few years, TO NEE
the necessities Of the Treasury in other depart
menls of the Government or other and distinct
branches Of the Indian department, and, in th
manner, system of accommodation was obtain
ed without responsibility and unknown to law.
The evils of the practice, the subject Of thes
remarks, will sufficiently appear when it is con
sidered that they precisely those which it wa;
the object Of the provision in the Constitution
prescribing the mode Of drawing money from tn
Treasury, to guard against; and those also whic
were Intended to be counteracted by the law O
Congress requiring that uncxpended balance
shall revert to the Treasury at the expiration c
two years.
In the present condition Of the accounts {
discussing agents, it is impossible to obtain til
precise amount Of payments requiring approPn ii;
tons by Congress for their final adjustment
5 the Treasury, but the amount is known, thus "a
to exceed 5000, 900, and it will probably requ
| 250, 900, and possibly 800, 900.
1t would be easy to multiply remarks upon Il
] imprOPriety of this practice Of the Department,
S lac objections to il are numerous and weight.