The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-29
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2s, 1S4s.
In continuation.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

MONDA1, FEBRUARY Is, lS4S
| In continuation.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
DEFICIENCIES APPROPRIATIONS.
On motion of Mr.. VINTON, the House resolved itsel
into Committee of the Whole on the state OF the Union
(Mr HUNT in the chair on the bill further to supply
deficiencies in the appropriations for the service OF Tho
fiscal year ending the 30th of June, lSiS
Mr. " said, in printing the bill, item had been LEI
out He moved TO insert it, to come In before the Item
% for one floating light &c.
This clause, he said had been IN the bll as reported
from the committee but had, through inadvertence, beer
omitted in the printed copy The amendment was agreed
The item approprating $7O6 IS for superintendent
commission of q per cent on $2S,2i6, having beer
Mr.. MULLIN desired information on the necessity fo'
Mr. VINTON stated that the committee had received
letter from the Secretary of the Treasury the sub
ect which he would send to the Clerks table to be read
for the information of the House THE letter was read
Mr. V. briefly explained stating that the commission
here proposed TO be appropriated was at the rate which
the government had usually allowed.
The item was then agreed to-
The em appropriang IS 900 Tor the contingent
expenses of the Treasury Department. having been read
Mr. SCHENCK moved to amend the bill by striking
this item out:
Mr. s said that during the last few years, had been
difficult TO obtain any information by calls on the depart
ecled by those who formerly had the majority here, and
they neglected by the present majority Our table
loaded with important calls for information as to the
expenses of the Treasury Department and the cost OF col
lectng the revenue. How much OF the deficiencies
was produced by employing unnecessary officers, no one
knew We had no full as to the s eos OF
though small majority of this House was opposed to
that scheme.
There was resolution on the table, unnoced, calling
for statement of the number of officers of the army and
navy who on leave of absence and for whom we
have to provide while called on for more troops
and more officers Officers had been Toasted and toasted
here while all the world after them and ne
did not to say that they deserve all the notice
they had received for their acts the plains OF Mexico
But of late the market had been oversOcked The sup
ply of officers from generals down to corporals had so
much increased that the supply exceeded the demand
and the article was below par. Some OF these mlghl
have fairly entitled themselves to leave OF absences but
lit was certainly proper TO inquire into the amount oil
money which must be raised that account. Many
other resolutions calling for important information which
he noticed had been neglected He wished particularly
to know what rule had been adopted as to the payment
of the persons who transferred specie from place to place
Tor the government
Mr. MULLIN proposed to amend by including in the
motion to strike out the preceding clause of the BILL which
authorizes the payment TO the superlntendens OF hight
houses two and half per cent on moneys dlsbused by
hem-suppOrlng his amendment by remarks and Illus
rations
! Mr. MCKAY said, if the gentleman would take the
trouble to look at the legislation this subject he would
find that this clause was not new ltem and he Illus
rated its necessity by reference particularly to its opera
ton in the of the collectors OF the port of New York
the mort of Boston, &c He admitted, in the conclusion
of his remarks, that he did not himself like the practice
of extra pay for extra service He had even been nsru
mental to some extent in putting stop to this practice
but he would say that it far better to pay now tins
two and halt per cent than to create new oIncer
Mr.. C. l. INGERSOLL With respect to the motion
strike out the appropriation for the contingent expenses
under the operation of the Independent treasury he said
that subject could not properly come before the commit
tee and that refusing this appropriation, was precisely
the same as refusing an appropriation tor expenses grow
ing out of any other of the operations OF the government
1t would be withholding of supplies, where the effect
must be the most injurious
he would vote against every appropriation Tor carrying
out the operations of the subtreasury though he was
opposed to the whole scheme. He was against the par.
to pay for the S,d transfer OF ths,
the subreasury would be exceeding cheap plan; but
it had been asceralned that it was not particularly
cheap plan He had commended that before we are called
upon to make this appropriation Tor making these specie
transfers, il would be proper to have the Secretary OF
the Treasury explain the necessity for IT. and the author
ly which he claims to have permitted the expenditure
His appeal to the committee was not to vote down the
supply BILL but TO dispose first OF such resolutions OF in
quiry might throw light on the subject; so that we
might legisate Understandings with the facts before us
and not be compelled TO go it blind. .
i Mr.. INGERSOLL. Still he would submit 10 the hon.
orabe gentleman himself, and to the common sense OF
members generally, whether the motion not alto
geher Observation-Disclosures it was not manfestly a
motion 10 strike out an indispensable item, which might
stop the wheels of government Mr. l. was not here for
treasury law (Which the gentleman chooses to call the
sub. treasury although his opinion was that its char
acer already redeemed and established, not merely
with his own party, but in the estimation of intei-
gent gentlemen of all parties Its good or bad influence
however, not the question But he would beg
leave to ask the gentleman from Ohio to tell distinctly
when and wherein the majority in the last Congress re-
fused to inertogate the Executive he has charge
Mr.. l. did not think that gentleman could indicate sin
gle OF such refusal He said further, that he him
self had suggested to that Congress the provision OF
the of 1859, which requires the Secretary of the
Treasury TO make explanations of the affairs of the
treasury. Repeatedly had he proposed the enforce
nen of that law and particularly well did he recollec
making the suggestion TO the honorable and respectable
gentleman from Kentucky, mr. GARRETT DAvIs,l who
IS not member. lie should really like TO know
in what instance this information has been withheld and
he repeated his belief that the gentleman from Ohio
altogether mistaken 1890
Mr., SCtlENCK had not distinctly heard the gentle
man from Pennsylvania, with reference to resolutions Of
inquiry which were voted down at the last session Did
the gentleman him to say something about Santa
Annals pass and the resolution with reference to The