The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-08-12
ESTIMATES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS
AND HARBORs

lis known to readers that much Of the time and at
non Of the Senate Of late has been given to the discus
sion and passing Of long list Of bills for the improvement
rivers and harbor The result has been the passage
bills by the Senate appropnatng about three millions Of
dollars to these various objects Each bill was the subject
of animated discussion in which tbs friends OF the meas
ues required to adduce evidence their character
and the kind Of estimates and surveys on which their
merits were based We were not little surprised in these
discussions to hear very frequent reference made to est
mates found in the documents accompanying the Pres-
dents message TO the estimates Of the War Department
for the work advocated IL the President and Secretary
War had recommended the appropriations proposed in
the bills Our surprise from the fact that know
the opinions Of the President and the Secretary of War
adverse to appropriations for such objects and there
fore Il seemed to US to be papaby unjust to them to base
the advocacy Of the bills upon such grounds,
For the purpose Of rebutng any impressions
which may have existed may have been made we win
specify instance. In the Globe Of Friday Mr.. Trumbu
reported saying that Eat page 29b of the second part
of the Message and Documents communicated the pres
session Of Congress- the annual estimate for the
ing fiscal year 10 be found and for the improvement of
illinois river the OF $4,000 is recommended" Here
have Mr. Trumbull expressly claiming for the improve
nent of Illinois river the recommendation Of the President
very few acs will expose the injustice done TO the Pres
dent and Secretary of War by such statements fore
going In the volume and at the page which Mr.. Trumbu
cites is to be found tabular statement of expenditures and
unexpended balances together with estimate for the
suing fiscal year for the works under the charge of Lieut.
Col s. H. Long this being part of the report western
river improvements made to the chief of the Typographical
Bureau in accordance with long-esabshed regulation
For the form of this report and The estimates contained in
it. neither the President Secretary Of War can certain
ly be held responsible they made without con-
suaon with either and have been adopted by them
They to the Senate conformaby with the reso
luton Of March 1885, which requested the Secretary
War to communicate just such reports as that to which
the senator REFERRED and which is to be found extending
from page 287 to 3o4, inclusive.
The annual estimates of the War Department are pre-
pared after the reports of the different bureaus are made
to the department. and the Secretary only responsible for
much of those reports he adopts in his estimates and
for these the President is also responsible because the Sec
retays estimate necessarily made under the direction
of the President That estimate is sent to the Treasury
Department. published early for the information of Con-
gre and must have been in the possession of the senator
before the second part of the Presidents message and
companying documents had been printed BY reference
to the volume entitled Estimate of Appropriations 1856
81" pages 81, So, g. GO, will be found the annual est
mates recommended by the War Department and all else
represented to be part of those estimates must be the re-
suit either of ignorance fraud No sach estimate as
that referred to by Mr.. Trumbul Is found therein and
hence contrary to his assertion no such estua was
"recounsndedp