The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-26
COST or TEXAS AND OUR MEXICAN AC.
QUESTIONS - THE ARMY EXPENSES :
HOW THE TARIFF OF 1876 WAS MADE
TO YIELD REVENUE.

OF NEW YORK,
In the House of RepresentatiUes March co. 1852, in
The Committee Qf the Whole the state ef the Union
on The Deficiency BA-Mr. VENABLE, Of North
Carolina, in the chair.
Mr. BROOKS said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: ! had hoped that when this De-
fcency bill came up. there would be a free, open.
and legitimate discussion upon it's merits had
hoped that tho honorable chairman Of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means would have availed
himself Of his right. under the rules, to address
the committee for one hour. and that ne would
have given his exposition OF the BILL 80 that some
cue or clue could have been given to the discussion
and 80 that might seem to be addressing myself
in reply TO something which might have been said
said here are said elsewhere. But he was not able
to avail himself Of that privilege, and, therefore,
am placed in the aOmewhat embarrassing position
of vindicating bill which has not az yet been at
tackled upon the hoor of this House, except by tho
incidental remarks Of the honorable gentleman
from Missouri, (Mr. HALL,) some like Incl
dental remarks, the other day, from an honorable
gentleman from Tennessee.
nxscurIvs ESTIMATES AND CONGRESSIONAL RE-
sPoNsIBILIrY.
Ipropose in the fret place, to ask the attention
of the House to the estimates of this Adminstra-
ton, and the necessities Of the country that de
manded them. 1t has been remarked, and truly,
too, that the Administration is bound to make it's
estimates and is responsible for them; but the
House OF Representatives is not less bound to vote
those estimates, if they are founded upon cor
rect judgment OF the necessities OF the country, and
that in voting them it endorses them, and is equal
ly responsible, with the Administration, for them.
This say, frankly and freely, and would have
Misunderstanding about it. it will not do to
say, "We must take and vote the estimates, and
hold the Administration alone responsible Tor them
We can know nothing about them" II will not
do, under form Of government, thus to make
the legislative the register Of tie edicts OF the
Executive branch Of the Government. II IL our
business our duty. to study, to understand, to COM
prehend, the necessities OF the country, set forth
in the estimates; tovote for them II they are right.
and to refuse them il they are wrong. We are
men, and we can well understand them as the
men who send them here. This is the constitu-
tional theory OF the appropriating power OF this
Government. To the Executive belongs the ex :
ecution of the laws, but to Congress belongs the
public purse. II Congress declines to make ap-
preparations necessary to carry on the Govern
incnt economically. and in good faith, it fails in
Of its highest dutes; and the Executive, II it
has made its statements and its recommendations
is acquitted Of all responsibility. II is well that
we who are in a large minority here, with the re
spopsibility Of an Executive elsewhere, should
have understanding about this with the ma jor-
ity and at the start. Let there bo disguise about
thsse things, then.
The purse, then, being ip the hands of Congress.
not dollar can be taken from the treasury by the
President except by the appropriation OF the two
Houses Of Congress; and whatever appropriations
are voted by Congrcss, Congress thus becomes re-
sponsible for and sanctions them. Congress has
peculiar advantages over tho Administration In
voting upon its estimates, Tor under our peculiar
financial system the fscal year commences with
the lst Of July, and Congress acts upon estimates
often some months after the Executive submits
them. For example, the estimates upon which we
shall be called to act when the Civil and Diplomatic
Appropriation bill comes up for confederation arc
for the fiscal year beginning July l, 1852, and
ending with June 80, 1858, and were made, in
part, by the War Department, In September or
October lsst, and sent 20 the Executive in NoveIn.
Der Last, being one year and seven. eight, or nine
months ahead Of their final expenditure, June 30,
1863. The Executive must have his estimates
printed, and our tablcs the very day we meet In
observation-disclosures upon which we shall not pro-
baby act before July or August next. II 10 the
duty Of Congress- and it 10 its peculiar privilege,
months after they are submitted, TO scan these CO.
Inmates, and to judge Of them by the experience of
a later period but when Congress has adopted
them Congress becomes responsible for them, a.
well A. the Executive. Frankness and fair dealing
demanded OF me to say thus much here before we
70 further into the vote; and what have said
hold 10 DO true and legitimate doctrine.
WHAT Aas EsTINArEs
Nov, what arc cstimates' They are nothing
but gucsses at bcst They are the judgment Of
men, founded upon the past history OF this Gov
ernment, and upon its past expenditure; OF what u
to happen hereafter, and what 10 to be the coat OF
will be n the past has been, they make their esti.
matcs OF the future expenditure Of the Government
aycar and seven or eight months before all those
expenditures are to occur. Now, we stand on van
in this matter We know what the expenses OF
the Government have bcen since the time the esti-
mates were made, or, at least, we can know II we
desire. II 10 impossible for any Executive, unless
foresight divine, TO know year and seven months
ahead what to be all the actual expenses OF the
Government. II an Indian war arises, II trouble
happens upon some distant ocean, IL frontier dim
cultes are created, IL there be any extraordinary
increase of the OF collecting revenue If there
be any domestic troubles, tits impossible for the Ex
ecutve to know what should be the exact estimates
for tho expenses OF the Government yeaF and
seven months ahead, or even for Congress to know,
when, at later period II s making its appropria-
fions. SO that, under our peculiar financial sys-
tenn, there must always be deficiencies in some
branches Of expenditure, and surpiuses in others,
there always have been Deficiencies and sur
pluses, since this fscal year has been substituted
Tor the year OF the calendar.
DEFICIENCY sLu NO sovEIrIss.
] have heard gentlemen speak Of this Deficiency
bill, which has appcared in this House, a. OF some
thing ncw-unknown in Congress before. and as II
beion gnR peculiarly 10 this Administration. II this
idca has taken possession Of the miDds OF any new
member. be must bc a new member indeed. From
the time when the present financial system was
established down 10 the present, these deficiency
bills have appeared on the stage every year, and
they will continue 10 appear hereafter, as long ~
the Government cxiss, or the fiscal year exists
il 10 now. bold in my hand tabular statement
from tho year lS4+. exhibiting large deficiencies
every year, under the administration of Mr.. Polk,
and shall read IL In part:
additional ssfs~atss ysnd<vsd by The Sscrsfoyy Of the
7rsoswy, IN e0nnezfon ,c,h hs regular ssfsmafss
at TIE commencement of the ssssions Of Cong,sss.
For the 6scal year ending 3oth June, 1874. (Mr.
Spencer, Secretsry)
Civil. miscellaneous, and foreign
intercourse....... 813s,b7l 40
Military department l5044l ~
- $500 o6
Congress appropriated. ............ al 40 80
For the fiscal year ending 3oth June, ls45, (Mr.
Bbb, Secrctary)
Civil, miscellaneous, and foreign
intercourse........ 8l76. 200 So
Military department 3l6,765 Is
s4s2,9Ss Is
Congress appropriated. ......... 4a3, ,s64 05
For the fiscal year ending 3Oth June, 1876, MIR.
Walker, Secretsry)
Civil, miscellaneous, md foreign
intercourse. | ,09. .764 Al
Military department 2s0,762 "a
1920 .526 81
Congress appropriated. ........... l,7O0.9l4 9s
For the fiscal year ending 30tb June, lss7, (Mr
Walker, Sccrctsry)
Civil, misceilaneoos, and foreign
intercourse. S6661OO u
Military department. 4, ,7g2, 600 90