The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-04-25
To The House of Representatives.:

of Representatives on Monday Doth instant
-p %. 80 'F
To the House of Representatives.
] have considered the resolution of the House
of Representatives of the 9th inst. bv which I
am requested :. TO cause to be- furnished 10 that
House account of all payments made on Presi-
dents certificates from the fund appropriated bv
law, through the agency Of the State Depart-
ment. for the contingent expenses of foreign in
tercourse, from the 4th of March, 184l, until the
retirement of Daniel Webster from the DEPART
ment of Stale, with copies of all entries receipts
letters, vouchers, memorandnms, uher evil
dence Of such payments. to whom paid for what.
and particularly all concerning the northeastern
boundary dispute with Great Britain
With an anxious desire TO furnish To the House
any information requested by that body which
may be in the executive departments. i have felt
bound by a sense of public duty to inquire how
far could with propriety. or consistently with
the existing laws, respond 10 their call
The usual annual appropriation '' for the con
tingent expenses Of intercourse between the Uni
ted States and foreign nations" has been dis
bursed since the date of the act of May LIST, 1910,
In pursuance of it's provisions.
By the third section OF that act it is provided
That when any sum sums of unney shall
he drawn from the treasury, under any law max
ing appropriation for the contingent expenses of
intercourse between the United States and foreign
nations, the President shall he, and he is hereby,
authorized TO cause the same 10 be duly settled
annually with the accounting officers of the
treasury, In the manner ioilowng--that is to say.
by causing the same to be accounted for specially
In all instances wherein the expenditure thereof
may, IN his judgment, he made public. and by
making certificate of the amount of such ex
pendituTes as he may think IT advisable to
specify and every such certificate shall he deem
for he mrs
IN expressed 10 have been expended
Two distinct classes of expenditure are author.
Ized by this law; the one Of public. aud the
other ot private and confidential character
The President in Office at the time of the ex-
Penditure Is made by the law The sole indge
whether II shall be pnbc or private. Such sums
are to be accounted for specially in all Instances
wherein the expenditure therenf may, in his
Judgment, be made public" All expenditures
: accounted tor specially" are settled at the
treasury upon vouchers, and not on : Presidents
certificates" and, like all other public accounts.
are SUBJECT to be called for by Congress. and
open 10 public examination Had information
respects this class OF expenditures been called for
by The resolution OF the House, it would have
been promptly communicated.
Congress toreseeing that 1t might become
necessary and proper to apply portions of this
fund for objects, the original accounts and yOuch
OUT injury to the public interest, authorized the
president. instead OF such accounts and vouchers,
10 make a certificate OF the amount < of such ex
Pendl!nres as he may think 1t advisable not to
specify" and have provided that every such
certificate shall be deemed sufficient voucher for
The sum OF sums therein expressed To have been
expended no
The law making these provisions is in full
'orce. III ls binding upon all the departments Of
the government, and especially upon the Execu-
tive, whose duty 1t is g to take care that the laws
De faIthfnHy executed In the exercise of The
discretion lodged by 1t IN the Executive, several
oil my predecessors have made certificates" of
Ine amount OF such expenditures as they have
'noog"' IL ADVISABLE not TO specify and upon
'hese cortIhcates' as the only vouchers, settle
meh's nave oeen made at the treasury
appears that within the period specified in
VIC resolution oil the House. certificates were
gwen by my immediate predecessor, upon which
settlements nave been made al the treasury
amounting 10 nVe thousand Tour hundred and SIX
uoI'ars. lie has soiemnly determined that The
o"Iec's ana uems o. theSe expenditures should not
oe mace puolc' ana mas gwen his certificates to
'na' erect "hIch are paced nPon the records of
'he country. Under the direct authority of an
ekS''hg 'aw,ho mas exercised the power Ut placing