Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-06-12

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n oil 1927, 900, for st. Louis, where not
n stone has been laid, as hear, and $212,
lp 745, for Cincinnati. From present appear
e ances and from the experience which w
have had it is not even certain now
|, you make the appropriation provided TO
o in this bill, viz, 100000 for St. Louis
I TOM houses will be completed without
further appropriations from the treasury.
t No sort Of regard seems to have been
r paid by the public officers to the !imi,a.
tons put By Congress in their acts restrict
ing the expenditures 10 given sum -
There was Limitation fixed in both Of
these cases, as Mr.. Cofwin admits. 1t was
first departed from in consequence of the
cost of the site. Additional appropriations
were then made, and instead OF conform
ing the buildings in their character and APP
pearance 10 the amount Of the approprlas
lions the law of the land was aisfegarded,
and they went ON making contracts with
out the slightest respect for the law. and
depending on the liberality of Congress to
supply whatever sum might be found there
after to be necessary. Now, sir hold
that IT is the duty of all officers of this gov
eminent to execute the law as it is tsritter.
Whenever Congress makes an appropria-
ton OF $40 900, or Of any other sum, for
specific purpose, ii that purpose cannot be
accomplished for the sum designated, il is
their duty to let the matter rest until they
can get the advice of Congress, and have
the law changed. All officers of the gov
eminent should be taught the useful lesson
| should be made to understand that the
expenditure must not, in any case, exceed
the amount which has been appropriated.
Now, there has already been appropriated
tor this custom-house at st. Louis $227, 600,
and $4,000 more provided for in this bill,
makes 1927 600; and all this alter Congress
had limite9 the appropriation to $75, 900
at the start.
! The next case is the custom house at
Mobile. There has been appropriated for
that 5000 900, and SCI, 900 more is proyi-
ded for in this bill. The whole amount of
revenue collected at that port, in 1853, was
S102,981 AZ, at cost of SIS, 595 43.
See the difference here in the amount of
revenue collected and III the cost Of collec-
ton, as compared with st. Louis. The
expense at St. Louis for collecting 1884,
oo0 Is 81. 439 the expense at Mobile for
collection S102, 9S1 is $28, $685. !!
Now, let US see what Mr.. Corwin said
in reieqence to Mobile at that time:
4MonILE-The limit fixed by Congress
for this building and site is 500, 900, be-
sides the sale Of the old CUSTOM house,
The department., however. has selected
the site oil the former custom-house and
bought additional ground adioinidg, at
cost of S 500. On account Of the high
prices OF labor and materials, in that quar-
ter, however, the department will not be
able to erect suitable building for the
balance OF the appropriation, and therefore
10 plan has vet been adopted, or progress
made i'll the structure. The departing mt
would respectfully recommend an addi.
tionat appropriation Of 500, 900, so that
a SUITABLE BUILDING could be erected 10 &C.
eoamoaaie the ustom-hoase, post Office, and
other public Offices Of The United Siates.'
Two hundred thousand dollars is all Mr..
Corwin asked to erect a suitable building
Or custom-house, post Office, &C., at Mo-
bile. cannot understand how it is that a
contract was not made for the soc. 900
appropriated by Congress long ago, instead
oil allowing the matter 10 remain OPEN
But so it IS. and hence the application to
Congress for further appropriation Of
| S63, 600. How much was realized from
the sale OF the old custom house does not
appear in any Of the documents that have
SEEN If this appropriation shall be made,
they will have received S265 900 directly
from the treasury, besides the sum the old
custom-house may have sold for.
MIR. Phillips. (inteuupting) The adj
ditional amount, If you choose to call i, SO,
asked for at Mobile. Is to provide not on
~ tor a custom-house, but Tor the accom-
mediation OF the circuit and district courts
OF the United States and the post Office, Of
fees for which the government has been
paying heretofore rent to the amount of
four or five thousand dollars per anaum.
In reference to the additional amount
now ask ed for, il stands ia this position
and does not justify the gentleman in charg-
ing the officers of the government with ex-
ceeding the law which ought to regulate
their conduct Contracts have been made
for the amount of the appropriation, and
tae Secretary Of the Treasury, look ing to
the fact that to construct builing such as
would make the government achieves add
the government property entirely secure,
could not be accomplished for the amount
already appropriated, has said to Congress
that with an additional appropriation of
$50, 900 building can be made firesproof
and perfectly secure. But if Congress does
not choose to grant thai, no contract has
been made for it, and the contracts would
be completed unaer the appropriations made
heretofore. Now. would ask the gentle
man from Virginia--in whose judgement
have great onfdence-w neither looking
to the vast number of employees of the
government required at this point, which
is the third exporting city of the Union,
the whole amount asked for, $265, 900 is
an unreasonable or inappropriate amount
FOL such purposes
| Mr.. Letcher. In the first place the
clause which read from MIR. Corwin'sre-
port, states that this appropriation of $780,
900 was to erect "a suitable building" ITO
accommodate the eustom.house, post office,
and other public offices of the United
States"
But my friend from Ala bama, fMr Phil
lips says that this sum is not sufficient to
put up the castom-heuse in such a style as
it ought to be built in the third city Of the
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