The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-29

THE CONSTITUTIONAL TREASURY BILL

/ NNN- DILL
measure which 10 perfectly correct in principle,
may iaii through defects IN details; and am not
without my apprehsnsieas that such viii be the fate
Of the constitutional treasury bill.
AS The OH was reported by the Committee of
Finance IL contained provisions for the appointment
81 I'VE assistant treasurers--0ne at Boston, one at
" York, one at Charleston, at ST. Louis and one
at Detroit; but the provision for the appointment OF
an assistant treasurer al Detroit has been struck out
The lake country Is very important one, and daily
increasing In wealth and Importance There is a
long string Of land Offices m northern Ohio, In
diana, Illinois,. Michigan, and Wisconsin; and all
these must under the provisions ofthe bill as il now
stands make their deposites ofsurpuses in ST. Louis
or New York. Great expense viii attend this,
even greater than would be caused by establishing
a regular treasury Office at Detroit
ny another amendment, the number Of clerks in
The treasury Offices 10 reduced from sixteen 10 ten,
and the compensation Of no one of them is to ex-
ceed one thousand dollars, II It Is even to amount
TO much.
The treasurer Of the United States, the treasurer
OF the minis at Philadelphia and New orleans four
assistant treasurers, and ten clerks, with paltry
compensation, are thus required by the bill To per-
form for the United States government those fane-
TONS IN the performance OF which, for many years
past, never less than forty, and sometimes as many
as eighty or a hundred banks have been employed.
ask II this is adequate provision for the i'm
Porant objects the bill has in view especially when
u Is considered that the OF the United States
and the treasurers Of the minis have many and ar
duous dutes-to perform.
As tho bill was reported by the Committee on
Finance II provided that every disbursing officer,
when furnished with dras sckich esnaot BE- s6,rsed
at par, shall thoss drafts To be presented at
their place Of payment"
The words in italics have been struck out To
see the effect Of this amendment, will take sin
gle case by way Of example.
disbursing officer at Matamoras is furnished
with drafts on the treasury Office at New York.
He cannot exchange those drafts at Matamoras for
gold and silver according to the other provisions Of
the bill; but the officers and soldiers are willing to
receive them, for they have families in New York,
or elsewhere, to whom treasury drafts on New
York will be as valuable gold and silver. But
the law forbids the disbursing officer TO pay them
out to them. He must send them to New York to
be cashed, and tho officers, the soldiers and their
families must in the meantime, wait in patience.
As these drafts would, in all cases, be the repre-
sentatives of hard money, actually in deposite, the
same objection would not apply to them that applies
to bank notes, which are mere Representatives Of
credit. In country extensive az ours, with the
revenue collected chiefly at few points, and dis
bursed at many, some convenience like this is very
desirable; and If il be not granted it will be very
difficult, in some instances, to meet the wants of the
public service. A. b. G.