The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-26
DeGeleney BiII-ralthfal Rxeeuttsa Of the
Laws.

The House OF Representatives has been en-.
gagged in the last three days in debate on the
Deficiency Bill. The appropriations made At
the last session of Congress for the year end
ing thirtieth June next, amounted to about fifty
millions Of dollars. As this has been year Of
peace, and last Congress was one Of the most
patriotic that ever met, and the Union was saved
by union of the patriots of both parties, after
the most corious profession of principles that
ever occurred, it was not clearly understood how
1t happened that so much money was required.
But, perhaps, matter of ten or twenty millions
more or less, was too trifling to engage tho at
tention of the great statesmen that were saving
the Union. But now, when reunion OF parties
is the order Of the day, and President-making
engrosses the thoughts of anxious patriots, Mr..
President FILLMORE comes, and like OLIVER
TWIST holds out his empty soup bowl and de-
mands of the horror struck, treasury guardians,
nearly three millions more for the current year.
Just as we were discussing the policy of interven-
ing in the affairs of Europe, of defending the from
tiers of Hungary against the Russians, and of
Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and, perhaps, Eng
land, against LOUIS NAPOLEON, we are told that
about three millions more must be voted or we
cannot defend our own frontiers from the Ca
manches, Apaches and Navajoes
This is great and growing country. 1t is
growing in territory, and in population, in phi
lanthropy, in politics, in Presidential candidates,
and in platforms. But it is growing more rapid.
ly in deficiency bills. There is deficiency in
appropriations, in public morals, in common
sense, in lands for the landess, in bread for the
idle, and a deficiency of several hundred mil
lions of acres of lands to make railroads all
over creation, especially where there is def
cheney of population and business to use them
after they are built. There is deficiency of a
hundred thousand federal offices for the friends
ofall the cand dates. There will be serious de-
ficiency in the votes for nearly all of them in
the national conventions, and we would not be
surprised if there were deficiency of votes for
the nominees Of each of the two parties.
There has been no deficiency of professions,
however, by this administration of it's devotion
to the faithful execution of the law-but alas, it
turns out that there has been great deficiency in
its practice. The appropriations of public money
have been made by Congress. And it has been
thought essential, that the control of the public
purse should belong to the representatives of
the States and people. Acting under this notion
the last Congress appropriated some fifty odd
millions of dollars, fer one year, and specified
the purposes to which it was to be applied. But
now comes the President, and says, that in the
exercise of his high discretion or prerogative, he
concluded tospend it all in nine months, and now
demands immediately some three millions more,
or he will abandon the defence of the country.
Now, if such thing as this can be done, what
is the use of laws? What is the use of Con-
gress except for debating club--to discuss the
emancipation of Africans in this country at one
session, and the emancipation of the down.
trodden masses of Europe at the next? We
are beginning to take the affairs of Japan into
onsideration-with view of giving her free
dom of trade, at least, with ourselves, and by
next year we shall take up the cause of human
liberty in Hind o ,tar, and the rights of man in
China, for which we have growing sympathy,
arising from the tide of emigration, which has
briskly begun from that country to California.
And it has come to this, that whilst Congress is
making tour of philanthropy all over the world,
and attending to the business of the rest of
mankind, the President is making free with some
three millions of the public money in contempt
Of law.
Now it is one of the most remarkable features
of the times that such proceedings as the Pres
idents occur when there is hostile political
majority in both Houses of Congress. Indeed
we have observed from the Compromise coa
ton, down to that of the Census Printing that
whenever any stupendous fraud, or abuse is to
be rated-such as would sink any party
assuming the sole responsibility, it is forthwith
undertaken by combination of both parties,
and then such professions of liberality, nation
ality, patriotism, and Unionsm are made as we
would expect from band of brothers, leagued
to defend the capital against midnight assault
of barbarians. As striking illustration of the
way these things are done and suffered, we will
quote the commentaries of the Washington
Union, which aspires to the sole organship of
the opposition party, but which unfortunately
cannot get the Census Printing without the aid
of administration votes. But for that, and bu.
for the general proclivity to a union of both
parties for the sake of the spoils, we would have
expected an opposition organ to sound a perfect
hurricane of an alarum at this executive usurpa-
ton. Why, when General JACKSON merely
took the responsibility of changing the place of
deposit of the public funds from one bank to
othcra, the opposition was almost revolutionary
and volcanic. Now, look at the gentleness of
the roaring Of General JAcKson's ex-private Sec
rotary, when millions are taken by Wing Pres
ident out of the treasury, not only without
authority Of law, but in direct violation oft:
The tendency of such measure makes the
impression that there must have been some very
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