Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-05-11
SPEECH OF Mr.. HUNTER,
.". OF VIRGINIA,
On the Bill TO establish Board Of accounts

IS SENATE, MONDAY, MAY 6, 1850.
The Senate having under consideration the bill to establish
Board Of Accounts
Mr. HUNTER said: Mr. President, before act upon the
bill which is taken up for consideration, may DC wen
for to explain in few words possible It's oect ana
intention. This bill is designed to remedy great and
growing evil delay and sometimes the denial OF
justice individuals who have claims against the Govern
ment by establishing tribunal which will give prompt,
fair and intelligent decision in all such The bill pro-
poses to establish b,ard he called Board Of Accounts
and Of three commissioners, who shall hold ONCE
for the of twelve years. These terms are SO arranged
hem shall expire in each period oil TOUR years. ana
thus give each Administration the appointment oi one COM
missioner upon its power II il also provided that
no commissioner shall after he sxyhve years
age but objections this feature have already been urged
to me private and am very willing to see the RESTRICTION
removed The bill proposes that this beard shall try all ca
ses of claim which arise ou OF law or positive
guslon and which may be carried before II BY appeal from
the Compolers Commissioners OF Customs, Lancs' IN
dian Affairs Pensions, Patents In such cases the na
decision gven not by the heads OF the Departments
in which they originated bat by this board The board Is
also required to make quarterly examinations into the accounts
of the different departments and to report the result oi their
CATION 10 the President ard Congress- noticing not
only the faithulness and efficiency with which existing me
thods pursued but also any changes IN the system
accounts which they may think proper to be made. ouch
are the duties Immediately connected with The departments
which this bill proposes to assign them There yet ano-
her class which has immediate reference 10 ourselves
to the Congress Of the United States Its proposed that
cases founded upon equitable considerations anu OF sucn
character as are usually presented to Congress by petitions
shall undergo preliminary investigation by this poid
which is to recommend such of them 1t deems good 10
Congress- satisfied by appropriations to be made by rs
two houses The petitioner allowed to 'e Dill IN tne /
nre of hin ofeouy before this board United States
to be regularly defended by cours and, after an
Of the facts and the principles OF the case these are 70 %
stated with opinion of the boaId and reported TO Con
gress whenever the demand deemed TO be good Here,
too il has been ed that reports ought to be made to
Congress- not those only which are deemed gooo'
but in all which they examine acquesce IN the pro-
pety the suggesio and shall be ready to act according
ly when the amendment proposed oucn, si are he ge
neral provisions of the BILL
And word to each OF the two classes OF duties
with which this board be entrusted and as to the prop
BILE benefits to be derived from its discharge OF them First
as to those which connected with the departments
seems 10 me such claims and accounts are now settled
in the Departments will be adjusted much more speedily and
satsac ory by such board it is proposed 10 establish
than accord ns the method This board Will have
il to be presumed many the qua cations and the qua
lilies of justice 1t will not only be composed ~
all probability Of peoss of such quaic atoms as would sun
the BENCH but it will become more and more sKileu In e
matters submitted them from daily and constant practice
This board too, will be independent as 1t possible
10 make hem with the notions which many entertain as 10
the alb olut right removal which they think vested by
the constitution in the President The term is long one
and is SCARCELY probable that President would
from an Office nearly assmated to the judicial character n
its nature without good and sufficient reasons II IS Pfooa
ble her FORE that this tribunal would be removed from mos
political influences which ought never to be tet In matters OF
or pecunary claim and which it is to be feared are
daily growing and potent with the accounting
officers Government One OF the best oicers we nave
ever had (Mr HAGSER) was in danger Of losing ms ounce
more than once we'll remember, on account OF he
stenne with which he defended the rights OF the United
States what he conceived to be improper demands
Il is wrong to expose sach officers wrong to expose ever
the heads of Departments to these influences and
in matters Of account claim. Such boad as this woult
shield them one and ALL from such temptations, and a.
would submit readily and with vi suspicion to DECISIONS gSef
by board thus constituted and surrounded by all the ccum
stances which are considered to judicial farnes
This board will probably diminish the number of contested
by giving uniformity and harmony to the decisions
the Departments upon matters Of law and par on regulate
Instead of having many appellate tribunals as mere are
heads of Departments should have but one giving har
monous and consistent body of decisions Sitting constantly
and devoted they would be to objects Of this one character
they would be enabled speedily upon contested cases
and should no, hear OF marshas or collectors wain
weeks and perhaps months for settlement OF their accounts
And last but not least the establishment OF such boar
would relieve the heads of Departments from labors often OF
dssg and very character, and Tor whcn he
may have peculiar qualifications, although hey may
good executive officers in all that relates duties strictly ad
ministrave. This ree have doubt, would be yer
sensby and advanageously felt by the Secretary OF tn
Treasury who has enough 10 tax all his energies IN he ex
duties OF his department. without being troubled Will
matters Of contested judicial OF PR
vate claims which often sent 10 him by Congress with
out due consideration
Dat there an0thSr duty 10 De W
the Departments which important advantages may
expected They required to exaBe quarterly into Ia
Of the Departments and not only orePor their con
don but also recommend such changes IN the exlst
methods they may think proper Some such investigator
this be made by competent PERSONS and often enoug
of abuses before they OF long stand
ing would have saluary effect upon the ofhces q
those Departments and also upon the system OF accounts
self II would be of great serycco the clerks and the head
Of bureaus know that searching and intelligent eye
upon The COED would labor with more spirit and to
ahess and inefficient would either mend their ways or pre-
pare 10 leave Go what bureau you may snd you vii
probably find tvo classes Of oecrshe good and the faith
EfrI and the worthless and inefcen-he latter sometime
getting the larger saaes aud the former doing all the work
happens that the former class have TO labor nigh
ant day. calls Of Congress- to do hewo
properly belonging Others who incapable Of discbagn
their duties ana they get extra pay get with dit
they do perform. The evil remediess, because thes
inefficient persons often their places political influence
and will continue to hold thenthrough the means, unit
body is established skif enough to detect and indie
pendent enough declare, these abuses where they exist
know have committees Of Congress appointed for the
press purpose Of docking into these matters might
web appoint john Doe and Richard Roe to discharge thes
uics all the good that is done by them To conduc
these Investigations would require time, expert
and more knowledge of complicated system Of public
accounts than any committee of Congress bring the
task The appointment Of such committees is brutum
funeS-a sort Of well meaning fiction, which might have
answered useful purpose before its utter neoiency
discovered But the investigation Of such board is
posed heEs would have very saluary effect upon all
cerned in the Departments Had such board existed
should have been warned of the accumulation of
the Third Audtos0ce before hundreds and perhaps thou
sands Of had been pesentad, and waiting fer