The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-20

yUIII
said at the tms this very thing would happen. They
will tell you that they said then, that Congress did no
make the appropriations then asked for they wodd stll
be needed 10 carry out line plans OF the Executive they
exult IA their slgacily But Congress, ii not in It's
wisdom YET unquestonably, IN the exercise Of its con
sntui uiiona authority, said 10 the Executive: Thus
much shalt thou eXpend, and ne more. We alone are
responsible for the mode and the measure OF giving ou
the public money. The constitution has placed IL
custody in our keeping. We tell you, you shall moi
expend II IN The way you propose; you shall have so
much and more" say that the duty OF the Execu-
tive became then, when il could not carry out lis own
views for the disposition OF the army, with the amount
Congress voted To have stopped these operations instantly
modified them no matter what the consequences might
Mr.. DAWSON All ,ha, want TO know is how
could The President have stopped their operations?
Mr. BORLAND, MIR. President, il is not my dny. or
ny purpose to point oui how the President should act
or what he should DO. do know, however. that the
sanctions OF his oacia oath forbid him 10 do otherwise
thaa the laws which Congress passes. and 10
withhold his hand from doing what Congress had right
10 forbid and did forbid hun TO do Aud assert that he
has not only not executed The law this subject,
passed by the last Congress, but he has usurped au-
thorty in the very face OF a positive congressional
prohib,on. Whether that ac. be right or wrong IN
ITSELF in regard TO the public interests, is another ques
ton altogether, which am not nov discussing But
submit 10 the Senate and 10 the country. that IT. be-
the President, al any me may think Congress has
acted wisely, he may assume to himself the power oil
using the public money al his discretion then the con-
stlulon is dead letter, and we are sitting here in
mockery OF its provisions and 10 no useful or even re.
spectacle purpose In that playing part
here and calling legislation, which is IN itself msera
be fsce and most expensive to he people Inc con
stuton makes as the guardians OF the public treasury,
when it declares that mo money shall be drawn from
the treasury but in consequence OF appropriations made
by law" The Erscutiue has no authority TO use the
public money until after Congress shall have Appropriated
it, To all that be is bound by OATH Yet we told
by him. in the terms OF this very bill, that he has used
about three millions of this money, which Uas not appro
p!iJkd-nay, worse than that, which, although ur-
gently demanded by him, Congress- positively and en-
phaicay refused 10 appropriate Thai is He point
Whether Congress was right or wrong-whelher we
acted wisely unwsely in making that REFUSAL and i'm
posing that prohibition upon the Executive, (Which We
had the unquesonablc constitutional power 10 do)-is
another question:, not now IN controversy. ! expressly
excluded that in the beginning Should ever come up,
may have something to say npon it. "for the present
insist upon the single point nave here presented is
right or be right, Tor the President when no
public exigency makes indispensable, to use the public
money, or incur pecuniary liabilities Tor the government
without appropriation as the constitution prescubes
Above all, any Executive act be more culpabie 10
ITSELF or more dangerous in its tendency than TO expend
the public money, create public debt In the face ol
positive and deliberate and emphatic refusal OF Con-
gress | answer, NO! Aud desire that my answer
shall 90 to the people, that they may decide whether y
be the true and proper answer or not
have assumed that, IN theory and by analogy WIN
other pursuits the business oil life, the necessary erpsn
Sc, OF administering government do not, and that our
expenditures should not keep pace, in their annual IN
crease with that OF territory or population. few iacis
from the record viii show ia practice not only that an in
oil territory does not necessarily cause an increase
OF expenditure but that very large acquisition OF
tory is compatible WITH and has been actually acconpa-
ned by, reduction instead OF an increase OF expenditure
Thus as we have seen from the administrative history OF
the government which have referred, while the av.
erage annual expenditures of Genaal Washington were
only 81 9S6, 1897, John dda7s, his immediate successor
increased them $5337,0S7; aud Mr.. JsDersoa, who
next, reduced them 10 S3,l3759S making rede9n
oil 5000 900 per annum upon Mr. Adans5 expendl.
lures. And yet as have already shown ~ The early
with France OF The 3Oth April, 1893, acquired the vast
territory then known as Louisiana, including Oregon and
containing five hundred and hfy-eght thousand three
hundred and eighly-slx square miles 1hls was done
by purchase for The oil Sll,250000; the prinei-
pal OF which, although not payable Tor fifteen years
yet bearing interest at SIX per cent per annum, pay
able half yearly, and amounting 10 S337oo0 per an
nun. Thus, while acquiring THIS immense territory
than thirds as large all our former posses;
sons, and incurrng, as necessary e1Pen. an actual
increase OF S337500 per annGm-he reduced the actual
eIpeniitUnSs S200O00 These two items together
running through his long administration ol eight years
show that while his administration conferred advantages
upon the country which ncslculable IN value and
unexamped before since in good results II did so at
dimnution, comparatively, OF S537,5o0, and absolutely
OF 500 900 per annum OF peetay expenditure! During
this long period OF eight years. II must be horne IN inlnd
also, population was rapidly Increasing and The beet
capabilities and energies OF whole system oi govern
ment were never more boldly and happily developed
A nd yet the whole Of Je6erson's administration with
territory and population both nearly doubled, not only
averaged $4,000 less per annum than that Of It's prede
cessor Of only loI years en, s lss year eos' aouay
OF this single instance alone, where iacrea oi territory
and population were accompanied by actual dimRuton
Of expenditure what becomes OF the pretext upon which
the advocates and apologss OF our present extravaganza
attempt 10 Justify tl
But this instance though, perhaps, the most striking,
not the only one IN history which suslains, BY It's
recorded facts, the position have assumed
Oar second acquisition OF territory was that oil Florda,
by Mr.. Monroe. in 1919 This, II is true, was compare
lively small addition being only 5s.26s square miles
But in lis fesuts, in this respect substantially the
same as the first For this territory MIR Monroe, under
the treaty with Spain OF February -, 1919, paid 10 the
form OF indennlcaiions 10 our citizens for Spanish
spoliatons, some 50 00o, 600 Yet ind that the ex-
pendures OF his administration, which that year (be-
fore the IS OO00 900 pad) $1,000 273, were
reduced the next wear to Sl3i3l,530 still lower the
next year. iO.723479; aDd lower still the next year,
though required partial military occupation the esab.
shment OF territorial government, and the payment OF
S5 100000 followed by reduthon instead oil an 10
crease of expendures-a reduction averaging nearly
81 100000 per annum
The annexation OF Texas, our third acquisition was
in March, 1885, at the close OF Mr. Tgers admlnisira.
ton BY this added 325 $40 square miles to our terri.
orial possessions. Mr. Polk into office and found
this great acquisition 10 provide for Under his admin
straon, as is well known, this not attended by
any material increase OF expenditures. This Is seen IN
the fact that the expenditures OF the last year ot Mr Iy
er's administration, t1si4O including The public debt,
were S33,6I2,0lO; whereas those oi Mr.. Folks hrst
year were only S19965,2 the annual average OF pub
lie debt incurred by Mr. Tyler being Sl0724317, and the
amount paid by him S70J7,429; and that incurred by
Mr. Polk being Sl1733 974 and that paid by him S7S9,
35-the two administrations being about equal N these
respects and, striking the balance between them upon
these averages showing the administration OF Mr. Polk,
in it's first year, have reduced the total expenditures OF
ON hola a,lth thai Last "a