The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-20

been paid out Of them, and which were expressly
Forbidden and Mr. w. said this Is one OF the reasons
these accounts are now unpaid; IN TACT, he chiei
reason. He admitted the charges for the copying
the laws and for the distribution of them, were, IN
his opinion, too great But no one denies, or can
deny that these claims now asked for are honest
lust. and reasonable He said he had examined as
TO the claims in arrears at the LIST auditors office,
and believed them TO be correct but he thought
the aggregate amount estimated for, probably
when they came to be adjusted and settled
at the treasury, would fall short of the sum
asked for three or four thousand dollars.
1t was impossible the auditor could ascertain
the precise amount outstanding. Mr.. w. referred
TO statements Of the claims he had obtained from the
papers at the treasury, and explained them. he
appealed to the iberaty of the Senate to pay for the
ehaplalns 10 the legislature included in the ask
ed for. He said il was the practice he believed in
every legislature in this country. lie did not un-
derstand this allowance, however, 10 be objected
TO.
Mr. W. said, the senator mr., E. was right as to
the 4th section of the act of Congress- OF August,
1912, authorizing a settlement and payment of all
arrears up TO its passage and that the appropriation
for that purpose was indefinite. The specific
amount of appropriation that year was s27, 1875. All
the current expenses Of that year paid at the
treasury and part of the arrears. But how were the
arrears paidl Not out OF the indefinite appropra'
on made by the fourth section referred to- but out
of the appropriation of S27, l25 made by the act Of
June, 1912, aud the next years. appropriation
by the act of December, lS42. So that nearly
$40 900 Of the appropriation for l643 was exhausted
for arrears before the Legislature sat in ls43, and
the same as TO 1874 and lS45. The arrears were
originally chiefly caused in this way. Senate
was allowed Florida, by act Of Congress, without
at the same time making an adequate additional APP
preparation for the necessarily increased expense.
The nav and mileage ofthe members Of the Terrific
rial Sanata and Hnuaa alma amounted n sOO lNu
As TO the contingent expenses, Mr.. w. said, there
was paid for articles no more than he Mr. W.
paid at Tallahassee for similar articles The ner.
chant should not lose his because the leg
slature pTOdlgal OF candles, or the
statoner, because II wasted the paper, or the
printer because il had too much printing done.
The prices paid were reasonable Owing to the
erroneous mode formerly pursued at the treasury,
the old arrears had been paid out Of the annual cur
rent appropriation till the present auditor came IN,
who very properly pursued different course Mr..
W. admitted some Of the SPECIFIC eNtruTagant
charges pointed out by Mr. EVANS, in the compen-
saon act of the Florida legislatures and he said
hs bill was not to pay for them, but TO pay honest
and just claims improperly and wrongfully deferred
and postponed for these very erroneous claims. He
admitted, too, the council had employed too many
clerks; but he said that reason why the sta
TONERS, and printers, and merchants should not be
paid their Just dues. Mr.. w referred 10 the books
year 1912 TO l545, inclusive, which he cited.
Mr.. EVANS opposed the motion. He said there
could be no misunderstanding OF the law of 1872,
which was passed expressly to meet such cases. II
there were claims unpaid 1t was because they were
not JUST il was because the money appropriated by
the Congress of the United States taken by the
Territorial government of Florida, and put TO other
purposes. Such practices were wrong, and he want
ed to see them corrected He wanted TO see no
claims allowed but such were just, and then there
would be no deficiencies 10 make up. The law of
l642 clearly said that no Territorial legislature should
expend money beyond the sum appropriated by
Congress for their use Now, if the Territorial le-
gislalure of Florida had conformed to that law, il
had not exceeded that sum, and consequently there
could be no Deficiencies; but if they had-if there
were mIsappcatlons Of the money, Congress was
not responsible. He would ask if that system was
to go on TO be resisted at once' Was the law pro-
hlbting them from uanscendng the provisions Of
Congress to be in force, was it to be dead law
IL the principle of the claim now admitted, it
would extend to other Territorial governments, and
there would be no end to claims for deficiencies
government There had been evidences already
given that such would be the He would not
say the present instance that the Territorial gov
eminent had taken the money for other purposes
than the law prescribed; but If 1t so, it
matter for their prompt attention. One instance,
however, of the way money expended was this:
BY the Territorial law il was the duty of the public
printer to furnish copy Of the laws of Congress.
The law Of 1912 was contained in three or four
pages, for copying which ten dollars would have
been ample compensation to a clerk; and yet a
sum of no less than three hundred dollars was paid
| for that service. II was examination into the
fragrant abuses Of Territorial governments that had
led to the passage Of the law of l642, and its ex-
press object was to arrest everything like arrearages
deficiencies, and such abuses. The only evidence
Of anything like deficiency in the present instance
| he NJ he auditpr which he made
4 out by deductng the appropriations made by Con-
gress from those made by the Territorial legisa-
| ture.
| Mr.. WESTCOTT observed that there would
have been no deficiency in the appropriations Of last
year if they had not been exhausted by applications
to discharge the arrears Of former years, and the
greater part of them were be attributed Congress
itself One item of expense was that Of the legsla.
ture, SIS 000 the contingent expenses were above
$4,000; the old arrears were upwards Of 5000
whilst the appropriation Of Congress was only S27
000 In l842 Congress appropriated that sum- but
| in its berality ordered the deficiency to be made
up, which was done, and in the present case there
could be no difficulty in the matter if it was left to
the officers Of the treasury.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON observed that although
the sum asked was small one, yet the attention o
the Senate was due to the subj ct, as it night be
come precedent for many other demands of SIM
liar nature. II, with a positive, clear, and expllci
law to meet the case before them, he would ask then
if they were going to make the disbursement in VIC
ation of it, That was the question. That law was
in force, and he hoped it would be continued; but il
that claim allowed, they would have appca
tons similar in principle although they might diffe
in form, from other Territories in like circumstances
He (Mr. H } was unwilling to accede to the claim
and although the sum small, yet he though
there was involved in it clear principle to which the
Senate ought not to agree but adhere to the law as
it stood The question simply was, they to
make an appropriation in the face and in violation o.
that law 1t would be setting most dangerous pre-
cedent to allow any Territorial legislature, Officer
of the treasury to set themselves up against the law
They ought not, therefore, in clear violation of VIVA
was law, ask Congress to pay them what they were
not entitled to. And although he (Mr. H.) fell
every disposition to entertain any just claims, yet r
the face Of the law prohibi;ory of exceeding apPro
prations, they were called upon 10 object to The
claim. He hoped it would not be received
Mr.. YULEE addressed few remarks to the
Senate, but from his attitude, hardly n word was
heard by the reporter of what he said He was I'M
derstood, however, to say in support of the BILL tina
the appropriation of Congress of S27 900, in 1912
was made in advance of knowledge of the public