Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-15

ndr the very provision designed Is restrict and ouraI
ts EAecuuse pome, ~ much IS possible. The oonse-
4uence is that with this construction Of power in re
ton to the surplus fund.- and this claim Of power In re
ton to transfer we never know what is appropriated
and all attempts TO limit expenses by speci6c appropra
tons have been perfectly vain and futile
Let me come back to that will usrsAs the mis-
chiefs both from the construction Of the surplss fund
clause and from the power Of transfer as it ID now claim
ed There was case from Florida Of the stsssr Mstch
bill was rendered for service u 1885 aId 1896
The Third Auditor reported the n 1850 There
nothing to pay the claim in the event ths was al
lowed, except by using old apppopriatoa ought
to have passed to the surplus fund and II "a by trans
ferring it to different object from that wh{ origin
ally designed There , was an old agssopxsa for the
the of 1920 such transfer could be Jade with
in years from the date Of appropan and accord
ingly this twenty third section OF the 1872 in
yoked for the purpose, The sscrstay Of War drew .
transfer warrant npon this old APPROPRIATION, made IN
1882 transferring it to another bad and paying the
claim Of 24, 750 claim which Ibekve-I viii not speak
positvelywas for the Of steamboat for ftty-fve
was made in 1880 had gone 10 the surplus fund, as
it ought to have gone they could not have used i for the
purpose Of paying that debt examined the case OF the
transfer Of that appropriation and found there two
opinions regard to the power TO make such transfer
one in which the Secretary of War showed think that
the power did not exist and he other in which the At
torney General said it did The Secretary Of War said
however that be felt bound to defer TO the opinion Of the
Attorney General. asi s'
Well what is to be the result Of all this In the first
place. every old appropriation which has not been
to the surplus fund constitutes OF strong tempa-
ton to the clerks to sell he knowledge to persons who
work for such claims and every facility afforded TO easy
and plant to- corrupt public officers, should such
exist to allow these claims, and pay them in mode which
would scarcely attract public obseryaton With such
practices "a SaaSs Row Is IN The power IL Congress
to limit the expenses? Of what specific appro-
priatons? We make specific appropriation that we may
that it is limitation at oil for the Departments go to
old appropriation which has not been passed to the
surplus fund.- and transferring it under the act Of 1872
they thus swell the amount far beyond what We dreamed
Of when the old appropriation was made Allow me to
illustrate this The appropriations actually made for the
year 1851 far ascertain them from the House
amounted to $50, Now, by state
ment obtained from the Registers Office the whole
transfers, find that it amounted to but the
amount actually expended, according to Gen. Jesup's
was S. 142 So that we commenced with
an appropriation Of 9l2 for the year 1861 and ex
pended actually ,286, 124 This amount composed
Of Mexican contributions Of appropriations made for that
year. of balances of old appropriations and Of transfers
to the amount Of $4,000. eiag qgas 4 sft
Let where some Of these transfers came from.
regular troops made the 18th Of March, 184z amounting
to 000 appropriation which ought long since to
have gone to the surplus fund Another case is that of
appropriation made for extra pay in August l848 Of
these old appropriations $780, 000 These transfers
made in April, 1851. M
Sir, how Congress limit expenses by limiting the
appropriations while the Departments thus allowed
TO refer to old appropriations and transfer them
Thus we see that in every way we are mystfed, and
that is impossible to restrict expenditures by specific
appropriations neither know what is wanting
how much is already applicable to the particular service
under old appropriations.
Now, I do not charge this on the Administration as
having been designed say that these abuses have been
accommodating, for eight years past and within
the last four years The present construction Of the act
Of 1872 and the practice Of transfer under it, originated
believe under the present Administration In relation
to the abuses what believe to be abuses, to the
surplus fund.- the Administration is responsible not for
but continuing them Certain it is that these
practices ought either to be abandoned should give
the system Of specific appropriations The two cannot
coexist without manifest contradiction. know that
they excuse by saying when appropriation is made
for an object which is not completed it is useless to pay
into the surplus fund which has not been expended
within two years. because it may be required to satisfy
existing contracts. But how easy would after the
expiration Of that period to pass it to plus fund.-
and then get it reappropriated.
What sir, was the object of the provision The Ator
ney General said that one object to enable the Gov
eminent to have its at its disposal But there
another and important object which to create
periodical rests and balances enable the Govern
ment to know the true state Gifts accounts to know how
far certain objects already provided for by existing
appropriations and how far appropriations would be
necessary In short sir such system Of rests and ball
ances was indispensable to accomplish the objects propos
ed by the mode fspecifc appropriations. -
Now sir word or two in relation to the present esti
mate for deficiencies in the quarermasers department
were to express an opinion in regard to those est
mates and the real defciencyand Go not believe that
any man can speak of the amount Of the deficiency with
any thing like certainty should say that the estimate
Is under what will be wanted. find, when come to
add what is estimated for deficiencies what is already
appropriated for this fiscal year. that the sum is about
S90OOOO less than expended last year. know, too
that there many unsettled accounts that remain to be
adjusted but do not know what they viii disclose.
think it probable, however, that they win disclose still
greater deficiencies; and under these circumstances
think it is not only proper but necessary that should
appropriate the amount which is asked for these objects
wish, sir could believe that the amount estimated
would pay all demands under the present deficiency bill
II that were should be glad TO pass these estimates
and take receipt in full But, however that may be,
there is thing to which think Congress should turn
its attention. and that is to the adoption of such laws
viii enforce strict and prompt accountability Of the
Departments The Executive too should take such steps,
and call upon If necessary to pass the pro-
per for adopting system Of military administration to
the circumstances of the country in which is to be up
Piled think too that strict accountability and ODE
ence to orders ought to be exacted from officers and
agents who are acting at distance from the seat Of Co
yernment. ,.s
Sir this thing Of officers undertaking to pledge the
dit OF the Government and to incur large expenses with
out authority is matter which to me should be
promptly put stop TO. But these affairs which more
properly belong to the Senator from Illinois, the chair
man Of the Committee Military Affairs, and to the
Senator from California, chairman Of the Committee
on Naval Affairs These are matters of reform which
beg to commend to their attentions for believe they are
grave enough to demand their attention. and that OF the
Executive too regret sir, that have had TO trespass
long upon the time Of the Senate IN making these re-
marks but thought that il would facilitate the progress