The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-05-01

had exercised his discretion wisely or not The
law requires 40 other voucher but the Presidents
certificate. aud there is nothing in it's provisions
which requires any "enircs receipts, letters,
vouchers, memorandums, or other evidence Of
such paymens'to be preserved ia the Executive
Department The President who makes the seer.
tiiicate" may, # he chooses, keep all the infor.
nation and evidence upon which he acts in his
own possession. II, for the information Of his
successors, he shall leave tho evidence on which
he acts, and the items Of the expenditures which
make up the sum for which he has given lis
" certificate" on the confidential files OF Of
the Executive Departments they do not. IN any
proper sense, become thereby public records
They are never seen or examined by tho account
ING officers Of the Treasury when they settle an
account on the " Presidents certificate" The
first Congress Of the United States, the LIST Of
July, 1880, passed an act providing the means
OF intercourse between the United States aud for
eign nations by which similar provision to
that which now exists Was made for the settle
ment Of such expenditures as, in the Judgment Of
the President, ought not 10 be made public THIS
act was limited ia lis duration. II was contnu.
ed for a limited term in 1893; and betwe cen that
time and the date Of the act Of May | 1910,
which is nov in force the same provision was
revived and continued Expenditures were made
aud settled under Presidential certificates, in pur
suance Of these laws
II the President may answer tho present call,
ho must answer similar calls for every such eI.
pendltura Of conhdcntlul character made uGdcf
every Administration, la war and in peace, from
the organization Of the Government 10 tie pre-.
sent period. To break the sea! of confidence in
posed BY tic Law, aud heretofore uniformly pre-.
served, would be subyers.ye OF the very purpose
for which the Law was enacted, and might be
productive Of tie most disastriOus consequences.
The eI pontttutes Of It's confidential character,
j, IL believed, were never before sought 10 be
made public; and should greatly apprehend the
consequences Of establishing precedent which
would render such disclosures hereafter inevitable.
am fulty aware Of The strong aud correct
public feeling which Ists throughout the coun
Try against secrecy Of any kind Ia the adninls'
tfrt,ou Of the Government, and especially in re-
ference to public expenditure. yet our foreign
negotiations ere wisely and properly confined to
tho knowledge Of the Executive during their
pondeury- Our laws require tie accounts Of ey
ery particular expenditure to DO rendered aud
publicly settled at tie Treasury Department. The
-ugie exception which exists -, not that the a.
mount embraced under Presidents certificates
shall be Withheld from tie public, but merely
that tie items o. which these are composed shall
not he diyuigea To this extent, and no further,
is secrecy observed.
The .4u4lbIe VIZ lance OF the pc pie in regard
10 oil the expenditures Of the government as
well a sense Of duty on the part Of the Pres
dent, and G,a4ro 10 retain tie good opinion Of
he fellow citizens, viii prevent any sum eNpen.
4ed rom oeiEg accounted for by tic Presidents
licate. unets 10 oase. Of urgeni necessity.
Such cor, fiealos have therefore been rcsortel to
uul seldom throug OF! aut pust history.
Tor NY own port have not caused any nc.
count whatever t. be settled Presidential
certificate have had 10 occasion rendering 1t
necessary, in my Judgment to make such Ger.
l.fcate and II would be an extreme case which
would ever induce mo 10 exercise this authority
vet. if soch coso ould arise, il would be my
duty to assume The responsibility deyolyea on me
by law.
During nv administration, all expenditures for
contingent expenses Of foreign intercourse in
which the accounts have been closed, have been
settled upon regular vouchers as all other public
accounts are settled o., the Treasury.
Il may bc alleged tlat the power Of imqeoeh.
mcni belongs TO The House Of Representatives,
and that with view TO the exercise Of this pow.
er, that House has rigAl TO investigate tie con.
duct OF all public officers under tho Government.
This Is cheerfuy admitted In such case. the
safety Of tie Republic would DO The supreme law,
and The pewer o. ,.o House 10 pursuit of tins OBJ
ieci -yuIu penetrate into the most secret reccsses
OF tie Executive Departments 1t could com.
lnand tie attendance Of ATTY and every agent Of
tie Government and compel them 10 produce all
papers, public or private official or unofficial,
and TO testify on oath 10 all facts within their
knowledge. But even ia a case OF that kind
they would adopt all wise precautions 10 prevent
the cr posufs of al suoh matters tue publication
Of which might iuJurously affect the public H..
tcresi except so far a. tins might be necessary
fah of
tho House of Representatives, as the grand IN.
quest of the nation, should al any time have rca-
son TO believe that there has been m4lversation
in office hY an improper Use or application of the
public money by public officer, and should
think proper TO institute an inquiry INTO the mat
ter, all tho archives and papers Of the Executive
Departments, public or private, would DO sublcc,
to the inspection and control Of a committee Of
thcit body. and ever facility in the power Of the
Executive be afforded to enable them TO prose,
cute the investigation.
The experience Of every nation on earth has
demonstrated that emergencies may arise IN
which 1t becomes absolutely necessary for the
public safety or the public good, TO mako eHpen.
drturcs, the very object of which would be detea.
tod by publicity. some Governments have very
large amounts at their disposal, and have made
vastly greater oI psndtnres than the smslis a
mounts which have from time to time been
counted for on Presidents certificates, In no M
ton is the application OF such sums ever made
public Ia tGmo of war or impending danger, toe
situation OF tho country may make It Necessary
to employ individuals for the purpose OF obtain
ing Information, or rendering other important
services, who could never DO prevailed upon TO
act, II they sntcrtaned the least apprehension
that their names or thett agency would IN any
contingency be dvuged. So It m,y often be-