Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-11

MIR MERlWErHER, from the COMMITTEE on
Public Expenditures, submitted the following
REPORT:
The Committee or Public Expenditures, on whom
is imposed the duty "to examine into the state OF
the several public departments, and particularly
into laws making appropriations OF moneys, sne
TO report whether the moneys have bends buiseu
corformably with such laws; and also TO report
from time TO time, such provisions and arrange
ments as may be necessary TO add TO the eeono-
my Of the departments, and the accountability O.
their officers" beg leave to report in part:
That, from the immense appropriations which
have been made for the last seven years, and the
large amounts OF money expended under them dur
ing that time, IL would be utterly impossible for
committee OF this House. with the short time daily
lowed them, TO make any thing like detailed ex.
animation, as contemplated by the rule dedling
their duues. They are assduously engaged IN the
investigation of the more important disbursements,
and shall, from time to time, present its results in
view Of securing economy in the management of the
Government, and Of preserving strict accountable
ty Of officers who are charged it'll the management
of the public money. Taxes, whether direct
indirect, bes. but a necessary evil, in all Co.
vernments. They are burdens upon the industry
Of the country; and that Government Is the wises;
and most just which evies them IN view only Of
meeting its absolute and Indispensable wants, and,
when thus levied, their disbursement; should be made
under n system Of the most rigid and strict economy
To secure this end, the officers charged with the
disbursements should be held accountable not only
for the application Of the money to the object for
which It was appropriated, but for the economy in
the mode Of its application. And whenever any
expenditure is made, which manifests departure
from this salutary rule is the duty those charged
with the management OF the public moneys forth.
with TO apply corrective; which. f it should fail to
relieve against past abuse, will at leas, serve 10
prevent its recurrence in future. The Government
must necessarily conhde in the discretion OF its off
anA krt,a tkuN,.
is criminal, the part OF those who can avoid It's
repetition, permit the possibility If its again he
pening. The committee regret 10 say that in many
Of the expenditures of the Government, these prin
clples seem 10 have been lost sight Of altogether
Without inquirng into the propriety of appropria.
TONS which they have no right 10 do they are |
satisfied that extravaganza of the most wilful char
acter has squandered the public money under them
and that efforts 10 have been made by those
who possessed the power, 10 prevent IL. The nets
and accounts oil contracting and disburslng officers
appear TO have passed the scrutiny OF those entitled
10 demand accountability, clad in the mere forms
oflaw, upon no higher evidence than that of the
agent who performs the deed, that he has acted in
good faith, Notwithstanding his very act creates
presumption 10 the contrary and even this evidence
iraI as ~ has not been demanded in the vast va
riety OF cases Until this system shall be changed
and with the Executive department of the Govern
ment alone rests the power Of change, the people
need never hope for faithful and prudent manage.
ment OF the finances OF the. Government.
rnmhcatons Of it, whether civil or military, when.
ever there was money 10 be expended, the most
wliul eItrayagance seems to have followed the ad-
mnlsration Of the law, until the public interests
have been sacrificed by it's influence In Illustration
oih's, the committee will present few of the many
cases which have occurred. In The yesr 1887 Con
gress appropriated the sum Of $4,000 10 remove
o5strueuons from the mouth Of the Missss ppi river
MIR A. Tacott was detailed by the Engineer de
parment for the superIntendence of the work In
November, 1888, he reports "When entered
upon this duty, in the spring OF 1897, the Engineer
department had decided upon trying the effect OF
Dredging the bars, as promising the most speedy re
suit .tieaeious, involving the least expendture
"At the date Of the last report nothing further had
been done towards this Improvement than TO com
menee the construction OF the machinery for dreda-
ing For this purpose, cit became necessary TO
place the dredging ma chinery upon a large and sub
AAhtlal BOAT ." The arrangement OF the machinery
rs every step was, in a measure treadng on new
ground, consumed more time than anticipates;
and was not until late in December that one side
vas ready Tor trial, and then ice running IN the
Den~are." The dredge sailed from Phiadeph
on 7th January, 1888 reached The Balize 9Th March
but was not tried until the 26,h of May "The
hrsi experiment resulted in brenk both chains on
hef Siarooard side, very soon after she commenced
working" THE broken chains were repaired, by
substituting open links which we had provided and
the continued to work occasionally, until our supply
was exhausted" but il appears that she did not
Work long enough TO enable the formation OF an
|
~ dredging. The breaking OF the chain seems 10
nave arisen from on improper selection OF the mote.
Tia used, which was cast iron, and against which !
Ohe machinst protested, unsuitable. The enei |
heer says The short time we operated satisfied
me That cast IRON unsuitable" he therefore OF
dereS chains Of wrought iron. Various mishaps !
seem % have befallen all his plans; and late in
September, he received enough cbain for one sile
ohy. But the chain arriving the engineer says
mat the principal error committed is IN the re of
TIE boai; she is quite too small for the machinery
TN the llth Feb 1889, the Senate called for infor.
nation as TO what has been done or Is doing to-
wares Increasing the depth Of the water at the
mouth Of the Mississippi river" To this MIR Ia.
COW Ispues AT the date Of tho last communion
t'on rom the superintendent, (Janua.y PSI thew
hHu hooe cut one hundred feet wide and nine
hund.'d leet long, and to a depth Of sixteen feet,
hnd TINS mad been done IN ten days, viz: from I7,b
OF January 10 25sh. From the LIST OF October To
the IZth January was spent IN sundry ESSAYS on
The BAR OF short intervals; IN running the dredge
and mud vessels 10 the mouth OF Red river and
back consuming one month, including time spent
there. On 2lst December, dredging was SUSPEND
ed by order Of Engineer department. resumed 18th
Januaryi from then until the I7th the dredge was
operating on n mud lump, about mid channel Of the
pass; but on account Of heavy weather, was com.
PEELED to abandon that position before entirely era
dicating the obstruction"
The expenditure connected with this work. e1-
elusive OF survey, appears TO be 1928 1911 Du.
ring the year 1888, and while there was so little
work done, the Government paid, for services and
pay OF those employed $50, 900; for transportation
s6,l4O; Tor provisions $4,000, and for board
s9u5. These extraordinary expenditures, with so
bnnW returns OF labor or benefit, are well cnleulat
ed 10 excite doubts the fidelity of the Goys,n
ment agents controlling them There are some Of
mese expenditures portion Of which the commit.
tee VII MENTION which reflect the soverest eensurs
upon those making them, and impugn the ofBei,i
conduct OF those who have allowed tbem IL.
nre some Of them:
Silver watches $3.50 90