Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-04-25


the House il would have been promptly communicated
Congress, oreseeing that might become necessary and
proper To apply portions OF this fund For objects the
accounts and vouchers for which could made public
without injury to the public interest," authorized the President
instead OF such accounts end vouchers 10 make certificate
of the amount Of such expenditures he may think il adj
vsabe not to specify" and have provided that .eyery such
certificate shall be deemed sufficient voucher for the sum or
sums therein expressed 10 have been expended"
The law making these provisions is in full force II is
binding upon all the Departments Of the Goyernent ad
especially upon the Executive, whose duty is take care
that the laws be faithfully executed In the exercise of the
discretion lodged by it the Executive several my pre-
decessprs have made certificates Of the such
expenditures they have thought advisable 70 ecy
and upon hese certificates az NC only vouchers, settlements
have been made al the Treasury
1t appears that within the period specified in the resolution
Of the House, certificates given by my immediate pre-
decessor upon which settlements have been made at the ea
suy amounting five thousand four hundred and sixty dol
lars He has soemny determined that the objects and items
Of these expenditures should moi be made public and has
given his certificates that effect which placed upon the
records Of the country Under the direct authority Of
ng law, he has exercised the power of placing these
pendures under the seal Of confidence and the whole matter
terminated before into Office An important ques
ton arises whether subsequent President either voluntarily
at the request of branch Congress, cam without
violation of the spirit Of the law revise the acts of his prede
and EXPOSE to public that which he had dctemn
ed should not be Sc made public" If matter of strict
duty, would certainly be safe general rule that this should
not be DONE Indeed may well happen and probably would
happen that the President for the lime being would not be in
Of the information upon which his predecessor
ed and could therefore have the of judging whe
her he had exercised his discretion wisely The law
requires other voucher but the Presidents certificate and
there nothing in its provisions which requires any entries
receipts, letters vouchers nemorandums, other evidence
of such payments to be preserved in the Executive Depart
ment The President who makes the certificate may if
he chooses keep all the information and evidence upon which
he acts in his possession If for the information Of his
successors he shall leave the evidence OH which he acts and
H.. ~Ct Lo Al.
which he has given his certificate, the confidential files
of of the Executive Departments, they do not any
proper sense, become thereby public records They
seen or examined by the accounting officers of the Treay
when they settle the Presidents certificate
The first Ccrgess Of the United States the LIST of July
$780, passed act providing the Of intercourse be-
tween the United States and foreign nations" by which
similar provision 10 that which now exists made for the
settlement of such expenditures ss in the judgment Of the
Presidents ought not be made public This was limited
in its duration. 1t continued for limited term in 1898
and between that time and the date of the act of May
which in force the provision revived and
continued Expenditures made end settled Under Pre-
sdentai certificates, in pursuance OF these laws
II the President may the present CALL he must
similar calls for every such expenditure of confidential
character made under every Administration, in and in
peace from the organization of the Government to the present
period To break the seal OF confidence imposed by the law
and heretofore uniformly preserved would be ubvesve Of the
very purpose for which the law enacted and might be
productive Of the disastrous consequences The expe
before sought be made public; and should greatly appre-
bend the consequences of establishing precedent which would
render such disclosures hereafter inevitable
am fully of the strong and correct public feeling
which exists throughout the country against secrecy OF any
kind in the administration Of the Government and especially
reference to public expenditures yet foreign negoa-
tons wisely and properly confined the knowledge of the
Executive during their tendency Our laws require the
counts Of every particular expenditure to be rendered and pub
lcly settled the Treasury Department The single excep-
ton which exists s that the embraced under Pre-
sdens certificates shall be withheld from the public but
that the items OF which these composed shall not be d
vuged To this extent, and further secrecy observed
The audabe vigilance of the people in regard all the
pendures of the Government well a of duty
the part of the President and desire retain the good opin-
ion Of his eowctixens, will prevent any expended from
being accounted for by the Presidents certificate, unless
Of urgent necessity Such certificates have therefore
been resoed to but seldom throughout pas. history
For my own part have not caused any account whatever
to be settled Presidential certificate. have had
sion rendering il necessary my Judgment make such
certificate and would be which would
induce to exercise this authority; yet if such should
arise it would be my duty to the responsibility devov
ed on me by law
During my administration, all expenditures for contingent
expenses of foreign intercourse In which the have
been closed have been settled upon regular vouchers all
other public accounts settled at the Treasury.
II may be alleged that the power OF impeachment belongs TO
the House Of Representatives and that with view the
exercise Of this power that House has right TO investigate
the conduct of all public officers under the Government This
Is cheeriuly admitted In such case the safety OF the Re
public would be the supreme law and the power of the House
the pursuit Of this object would penetrate into the
cret of the Executive Departments 1t could
mand the attendance Of and every agent Of the Govern
ment and compel them produce all papers, public pi-
vae official unofficial, and testify oath all facts
within their knowledge But of that kind they
would adopt all wise precautions to prevent the exposure
all such matters, the publication of which might njuousy
affect the public interest," except far this might be
say accomplish the great ends Of public justice. If the
House of Representatives the grand inquest Of the nation
should any time have to believe that there has been
maversaon in Office by improper application Of the
public money by public officer, and should think proper
institute inquiry into the NATTER all the archives and pa
pes of the Executive Departments public private, would
be subject the inspection and control OF committee Of their
body and every facility In the power Of the Executive be afford
ed TO enable them to prosecute the investigation.
The experience Of every nation earth has demonstrated
that emergencies may arise in which it becomes absolutely
necessary for the public safety the public good make
pendures the very object of which would be defeated by
publicity Some Governments have very large
their disposal and have made vastly greater expenditures than
the small which have from time been
ed for Presidents certificates. In nation is the appi-
cation Of such made public. In time of or
impending danger the situation Of the country may make it
necessary employ individuals for the purpose of obtaining
information rendering other important services who could
be prevailed upon act if they entertained the least
prehenson that their their agency would any
ngency be divulged So may often become necessary to
incur expenditure for object highly useful to the
try for example, the conclusion Of treaty with barba-
ran Power, whose require such occasion the
Of presents but this object might be altogether defeated by
by the ntgues of other Powers If purposes 10 be
made known by the exhibition OF the original papers and
vouchers to the accounting officers Of the Treasury. II
would he easy specify other which may in the
history Of great nation in its intercourse with oer nations