The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-19

making Of contracts They challenge the production of
single instance IN which any contract has been made by
them In violation Of law.
Something said by one of the senators from Cafor-
MIA about the act of 1890 which gives authority to the Sec
rotary of War TO make certain contracts without appropr
atoms, and without special authority, for the Quarcras
ter's department Now understand that the Secretary Of
that he has used when Congress session.
The Navy Department has the authority that OF
the War; and say without fear OF contradiction, that
an instance be given where the Secretary his
predecessor has made contracts expenditures In advance
Of appropriations.
Mr. HUNTER | made such charge against the
Secretary of War On the contrary produced the law 10
show that he had authority make these
Mr.. PEARCE. am aware of that. But there was
something sold by the senator from California nregard
to this recoIect that there difference Of opinion
between the senator from Virginia and the senator from
California that subject believe that the senator from
Virginia did rather defend the administration from the
charge which the from California seemed disposed
to make affirm that there has been violation Of law
in the making of contracts by the heads Of either of these de-
refusing exercise the authority which he under
the act Of 1920 because while deficiency bill is pending
before Congress, he thinks that might be ndecate not
improper, in him to exercise that power There troops
in Philadelphia, route TO Oregon that want horses
to carry them on their journey, and the Secretary of War
refuses to make contracts in advance Of the appropriations
which he is now soliciting from Congress.
am not eager 10 carry the war into Africa; but cannot
avoid at this time mentioning the very last instance that
have heard Of an improper contract in the Navy Depart
ment under the authority of that department under
stand that in the year 54o, during the presidential
paign, the Navy Department supplied with large
quantity Of cheese for the Navyenough for the consump
ton Of three years Yeti gentleman we'll known in the POI
tica world conrved, somehow other effect contract
during the of l848 for four years supply Of cheese
for the navy, eighty thousand pounds per The
consequence that deal Of cheese thus accumu
ted in the hands of the Navy Department did exactly
take wings itself and fly away but great deal Of ttook
much damaged that the department obliged to
sell it great sacrifice That the last contract Of an
improper made by the department that have heard Of
IN bou Oinorp haf
that contract made with the knowledge of the then Sec
rotary of the Navy, J. Y. Mason.
TO be thought great evil that the the
Third Auditors office should be much behind, and
certainly is But let the Of these
In October, 1886, several months after the commence
men of the with Mexico, the business Of this Office
had necessarily accumulated much that the then Third
Auditor Mr.. Hagner warned the Secretary of the Treas
uy Of the danger of large of unsettled accounts In
about year November 1919 the accounts of dis
bursing officers had swecd from hundred and
thousand hundred and nine and relief was
again asked, but not given Nor was il ill April ls4s
nearly two years after The war; that ten additional clerks
were given Afterwards, two more clerks allowed
but in i849 six Of the twelve dropped by Congress
Experienced accountants very necessary this Office
but Si5 and 1886 six of the practced clerks
removed In February, 1850, clerks added by
law But then the mischief done and the had
become formidable to be speedily reduced because of
the immense mass Of accounts with which the office
incumbered The Senate will remember that during
the we had ten more regiments Of regulars and more
than seventy thousand volunteers added to the army and
that the disbursements and therefore largely
and perhaps proporonatey increased Besides which, the
ncxperence OF many volunteer officers not acquainted pre-
viously with army accounts, made these accounts diff
cult of settlement Besides all this, oponement Of the
settlement Of the Of the regular dsbursng officers
was rendered inevitable y the necessity Of hs' settling
this experience similar to that which The of 1912
taught and considering all the difficulties under which
he has abored think the Third Auditor deserves credit for
reducing the mass of accounts he has DONE He is
the senator from Virginia said working and indus
,rous man, and think good officer.
c.. ..~I L~.. .,,ck
with my budget but there few words more that
wish say. The senator from Virginia, tolerant he
Of the administration in his speech, still seemed TO
think that there much in the conduct of the members Of
the administration that deserved animadverson and he
rather limited that these abuses coad be remeded
but b. reached by the people, He made intima-
that the thing which he has much hear-economy
in the administration Of public aairs-coud be only arrived
at by change of administration. Well, really Mr. Presi-
dent think, reasoning Of the future from the pasand
do not know how else reason--it is extremely
doubtful, whether il the senator's wish should be grated
there would be any such reform he fondy anticipates
think have shown the Senate that what the senator
from Virginia has charged abuses the present admin
sraton, had their origin in times past that many Of them,
Of being abuses had been sanctioned by the wisdom
Of every administration that has preceded this tina,
those things which cndeavorng remedy had
their origin under different administration. Why who
that posted the troops in towns Texas and in New
Mexicoi That was not done by this administration. |,
done in Mr.. Folks time Who it that gave the
construction to which the senator objects in regard
ers under the Of 1885, Who first practically adopted
that construction which the thinks is palpabe
violation Of law in regard to the act Of 1892 Who APP
pointed those quartermasers who have held back their
counts long, Who appointed Mr.. Reynolds quarter
master in New Mexicoi Who but Mr.. Poki Under
whose administration it that Of the
kept beck for thirteen quarters the
said in his sptechi The administration Of Mr.. Polk.
will net multiply these instances, because do not sh
to to be ilcmpercd but what wish TO say is this
that IL these things be abuses they aceabe to some
body else than to this administration. do not any
calling the people to correct abuses which do
not exist We do call upon Hercules until the wagon is
mired The fact is that IL this administration goes of
power will leave things in exceedingly good condition
for its X will leave them in very different
condition from that in which il found them. How was
when General Taylors administration into power in
1892 Whowas that struck down the estimates from the
department for that yeari 1t very well
known that the reduction Of those estimates required
by the late President Polk himse-hat he required the
general to reduce his estimates and the in
coming administration left with deficient appropriations
for that Who il that, Just the time when
Mr. Folks administration expiring, and General Tay
or's was coming into power suddenly without any cuff
cien data without any detailed information without any of
the inquiries the subject which ought to have been de-
manded in such changed entirely the system OF pay
ing the officers concerned in the collection Of tho
Who that then forbade the system which had existed
entirely ne and unred and brought down the scale Of
expenditures entirely Insufficient One mil
lion five hundred and sixty thousand dollars appropra
ted for that purpose and the Secretary Of the Treasury
was told that he collect the with that
What the consequence lie had to reduce important
public rervices bring them down below their proper
and Congress the very session. had TO
give the Secretary 600 in order to enable
him to collect the revenue and had to give him very large