Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-03-18

eminent or its officers had been invested He wanted nfor
nation this subject and he believed the country wanted in
formation this subject and he believed the country wanted
information this ssbect and he appehended, when they
were about to adopt the system OF the gentleman from
North Caroline the present the proper time to adopt the
amendment to this bill which would biiog forward this nfor
nation He had no disposition to embarrass this bill but
was one Of whose objects he heartily approved.
Mr.. SFROHM, in few remarks very ndsncily heard,
understood TO suggest Mr. HALL the proprey of
pressing his amendment the Committee Public Expen-
dtures would before the session closed bring forward bill
which would meet the object Of the gentleman by requiring
the information and the statement of these in
such that every body could understand them.
The committee then rose and reported progress.
THunspAr, MARcH l6, ls4s.
The House having again resolved itself into Committee OF
the Whole on the bill prescribing the mode Of paying the
public revenue
Mr. HALL withdrew his amendment for moment at the
request Of
Mr. MCKAY, who, remarking that it not in order 10 go
back to the second section except by general consent asked
such consent to enable him 10 oer amendment that
section which had been agreed upon by the gentleman from
Massachusetts, (M GnrsSELL) and HIMSELF consequence
OF the doubts yesterday expressed to the working Of that
section as it stood in the bill.
No objection being made
Mr. MCKAY offered the following amendment to the second
section
.Proved That the collectors of the customs shall be the
dsbursng agents the aforesaid debenture drawbacks
bounes and allowances, and that 81 debenture certificates
issued according law shall be received in payment Of duties
regulating drawbacks having been complied with"
BY the laws of 7s9 he remarked the collectors made
the discussing agents OF the Government and these drawbacks
paid he had stated yesterday, out of the gross pro-
ducts of the Inasmuch the first section required
that these gross duties should be paid Immediately into
Treasury there might be doubt whether under this law
the collectors would continue be the sbusng agents His
opinion that they would. But to remove all doubt he
offered this amendment
The question being TAKEN the amendment was agreed to-
Mr. HALL renewed the amendment which he had offered
yesterday, with certain notifications make read follows
Sec S. 4nd be 1t further enacted That the Secretary Of
the Treasury be and lie hereby is directed report Con-
gress the OF the next thereof the
of moneys the Treasury of the United States
the Of the fiscal year the LIST day Of july
1SlS stating in such report what portion of such amount be-
longs absolutely the United States and what portion there
of is held in and the and description OF each Of
the under which such money held the
held under each Of said trusts respectively and in the
of trust funds heretofore paid into the Treasury OF
the United States and not expended in discharge Of its duties
trustee shall exceed the balance then the Treasury that
he shall the of suvh funds paid into the
Treasury and expended aforesaid under each of such
trusts respectively and that said Secretary Of the Treasury
SHALL at the same time, report to Cong statement Of all
the outstanding warrants drawn against the Treasury and not
paid at the of the said fiscal year. stating the
amounts OF each OF said warrants and the accounts which
the drawn and whether the not
drawn of trust funds which had been before paid
into the Treasury and also the OF the public debt the
of such fiscal and that the said Secrea
ny OF the Treasury shall annually thereafter make to Con-
gress the OF each regular session thereof
similar report having relation to the of the
then current fiscal year. And the said report shall be
tanned in and made part of the annual report Of the Seere
ny OF the Treasury on the finances OF the country.
Sec 6. lind be further enacted, That the President each
of the heads of Departments and all the officers the United
States who such officers heads OF Departments, SHALL
at the OF said fiscal year. hold control any
moneys securities other valuable thing under any
law treaty Of the United States, be and they hereby
directed report to Congress at its the nature
aud character OF each OF said when the
CREATED and the of moneys and description OF the
securities other valuable thing which have been any time,
controlled and the receipts and payments hereof
and that all such officers and heads Departments who have
during the preceding fiscal year. held controlled any trust
funds property, SHALL annually thereafter the commence
ment of each regular session OF Congress- make report
Congress containing full and and
Of their dongs receipts and expenditures during the prcce
ding fiscal of each of the committed to
or executed by them.
Mr. HALL said he had doubt that the object which the
gentleman from North Carolina proposed accomplish by
this bill and amendments, and the object which he (Mr H.
had in view in the amendment which he offered sub
sanay the Both Of them desired obtain hereafter
and ineligible statements from the Secretary Of
the Treasury in regard the condition Of the finances Of the
country. For that purpose the gentleman from North Caro-
lima had reported this bill requiring that all the moneys be-
longing the United States should Immediately after they
received by the officers whose duty receive
hem be paid into the Treasury of the United States without
any deduction account of salaries expenses Of any other
kind whatsoever Now his amendment proposed that with
the of this system proposed by the gen.
eman from North Carolina, there should system
shown the Of money in the Treasury OF the
United States the amount which belonged absolutely the
United States and the amount held in by the United
for the benefit of Indian tribes for any other purpose
whatsoever He DESIRED furthermore that these reports should
De contained in the annual report Of the Secretary Of the Tea
sury on the condition of our finances.
The gentleman from North Carolina had told the House
yesterday, in reference to the reports which this amendment
sought that if he MR. H. would the report Of the
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs he would find the statement
Of all the information which he asked for But he desired
that this report, which had relation the finances Of the
county, should be embraced in the annual report Of the Sc
cretary Of the Treasury that the whole Of il should be in
cuded in a single document and that document be plain
and ineligible that gentlemen who this House for
the first time could have idea, least upon reading
the annual report Of the Secretary Of the Treasury Of the
true Of the finances Of the country. Gentlemen who,
like the gentleman from North Carolina for twenty years had
occupied upon this floor might he able TO learn
Thing the condition Of the finances from the annual reports
made that subjects but he was ashamed confess
that be had examined these documents with care and
he had been able TO any conclusion satisfactory
himself the subject. For example, when he saw the
statement Of the Secretary Of the Treasury that the
Of moneys remaining in the Treasury the
Of the present fiscal year but 81 000 something
nore and when be knew the fact the Secretary had stated
al the OF tho last session that necessary
that four millions should be kept constantly in the Treasury
in order carry successfully the operations Of the Govern
ment he had felt inclination inquire further into this
matter and whether there might be mistake in
relation the of money actually in the Treasury Of
the United States On looking into the Secrearys account
Of the receipts and expenditures he found that in giving these
receipts the Secretary had excluded So 200 the avas