Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-12-19
Robbing Peter TO nav Paul.

The Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Gazette nus shows up the
unconstitutional fnanciering of this Ad-
ministration
The LIST session of the Democratic
Congress ander Mr.. Polk thought thai
81, 500, 0O0 was sufficient for the expen-
ses of collecting the public revenue under
the incoming Wing administration of
General Taylor, and accordingly appro-
priated only that amount, though Mr..
Walker had upwards Of two millions al
lowed to him for the same purpose, and
General Taylor's administration was to
have all the additional expenses to pro
vide for on the Pacific Coast. The re-
duced amount was, of course, entirely
inadequate, as was well known at the
time, and The only object was to embar-
rass the new administration but at the
first session under General Taylor the
amount was increased TO 50, $50, O0O.-
With this sum Mr.. Meredith under Gen
eral Taylor, and Mr.. Corwin, under Mr..
Fillmore, managed to rub along, always
keeping within the appropriation, not.
w~ithstanding the great addition for tie
expenses of the different Custom Houses
on the Pacific, where all the salaries
are at least two-fold what were paid on
the Atlantic, and other expenses three
or four-fold. But the present economical
Democratic administration have been
unable to make both ends meet, and it
appears have been running ahead of
the constitution" ever since they came
intN Office, in the item of expenses, and
have actually been expanding for the
expenses of a current fiscal year, the
amounts appropriated for the mex fol-
lowing year ; SO that when a new fiscal
year commenced, 1.-THE present one for
~inslance) a large sum belonging to said
year had already been expended for the
preceding year, and now it is understood
thsy are unwilling any longer to contin-
ue this system, or probably unable 10 do
SO, from The constantly increasing def
cheney f.; and the Secretary therefore in
tends to lay the state OF the affair before
Congress, and TO ask for an additional
appropriation in the deficiency BILL
What the present Congress will say to
this excess of expenditure without their
previous sanction, over the sum appro-
priated. it is hard to predict, and still
more, what they may think as to the il
legality of the proceeding, in taking the
money intended for a future year to meet
expenses incurred in a previous one. 1t
is in diect violation of the Constitution,
which declares that no money shall be
drawn from the Treasury except with
the sanction of Congress, and they GER
tainly never intended that the ~appropria-
tons for 1855 should be used for expen-
ses in 1854, and then force them to
make a new appropriation for 1866
The appropriation fol- the above ,urpos-
es for the present year, ending 3Oth
June, 1856, will be exhausted before
this latter period arrives. Unless the
deficiency is included in a deficiency bill
be passed pretty promptly, there will be
no money on hand for custom house
salaries and expenses. When there was
a short session and the appropriation for
the ensuing fiscal year must be passed
by 81 March, four months before the
fiscal year commenced, it was all smooth
sailing on the plan they adopted, but it is
otherwise in a long session, when the ap-
preparation bills will probably not pass
until the new fiscal year commences,
and when the fund may be entirely ex-
hausted probably three or four months
previous 10 the 30ih June next. What
an cutlery and clamor this would occa
sion if done under a Wing administra-
ton. What extravaganza as well as
illegality would be charged against
them!