The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-29

news Dsy.-Hoaseaesd Wsrds.s III
THIRTY-FlFTH CONGRESS,
FIRST SESSION.
Tuesday, april 20, 1858.
SENATE.
After the usual morning business, Mr.. Hous.
ton called up his resolution inquiring into the
expediency of establishing protectorate over
the Republic of Mexico, and proposing that Q
select committee of seven be raised to consider
the question. In support of this proposition,
he adverted to the chronic anarchy which had
so long distracted the councils of Mexico, and
which now threatened to disturb the conditions
of good neighborhood between ourselves and
that country. This protectorste he advocated
in no spirit of aggression on the rights or sove.
reignty of a sister Republic. As a member of
the Congress of 1923, he had aided in recog.
nising the independence of Mexico, and it was
in the same spirit that he now sought to insure
for her the blessing of that liberty and order
which she had shown herself unable to main.
tain. The Senator then reviewed with great
particularly the history of the Monroe Doc
trine," which he desired to see asserted by the
Government of the United States.
The deficiency bill, being then taken up, was
discussed upon the amendment of Mr.. Hale,
proposing the repeal of so much of the existing
law of 1920 as authorizes the Secretary of
War to make contracts not specifically provided
for by Congress.
Mr.. Hunter replied to the arguments ad
vanced by Mr.. Hale on the previous day. De-
foiency bills were not novelty in the history
of the Government. Formerly it had been
usual to bring in at the same session two bills,
-
and another called the bill of additional appro
priations. IF the expenditures of the Govern.
ment seemed to be gradually eluding the con.
troll of Congress, he thought some remedy
might be found on a return to the old fiscal
year, which began on the first of January. At
present, with the fiscal year commencing on
the first of July, the Departments were requir-
ed to make their estimates eighteen months in
advance, and Congress was often called to make
appropriations twelve or sixteen months in ad-
vance. AS it was, it seemed necessary to leave
to the War Department the discretionary power
of making such contracts as might be demand
ed by the unforeseen exigencies of the public
service.
Mr., Pearce expressed his concurrence with
the views of Mr.. Hunter as to the inexpediency
of Mr.. Hsle's amendment. The law of 1920
had been adopted as the result of experience,
and the whole subject of its repeal, after being
debated in the Senate so late as six years ago,
had been abandoned as undesirable.
Mr.. Simmons doubted whether anything
would be gained by changing the date of the
fiscal year, and argued against RENTING the
expenditures of the Government into the hands
of the Executive department.
Mr.. Hale defended his amendment, and call
ed upon its opponents to suggest some better
remedy for the evils and abuses which they ad-
mitted were incident to the law as it now
stood.
Mr.. Green hoped the law of 1920 would be
retained. The necessity of some such discre.
tionsry power as it conferred was too patent to
need demonstration. #
A vote being then taken on the amendment
of Mr.. Hale, it was rejected-yeas 81, nays 30.
Mr.. Fessenden ne t offered an amendment
declaring that no appropriation for the service
of one fiscal year should be applied to the SER
vice of another, and that.the Secretary of War
should not enter into any contract except after
notice given in pursuance of law, and that no
contract should be made during the session of
Congress, except in conformity with authority
such amendment was apparent (said Mr.. F.)
from the items contained in the bill nov before
the Senate, which showed that the Secretary Of
War, in spite of the law of 1909, commanding
that no contracts shall be made without pre-
vious notice." had entered into contracts to the
amount of millions Of dollars for the supply Of
the army in Utah, without having given the re-
quired notice for the benefit of competing
bidders. Such a procedure was without color
OF law, and was the more inexcusable as having
been ventured while Congress was in session.
Why had the Secretary chosen to make these
contracts without advertisement and without
consulting Congress? He was willing to put
the most charitable construction on this con.
duct, but it none the less remained an enor-
nous abuse, and involved an enormous assump-
ton of power.
Mr.. Hunter, in defence of the Secretary Of
War, argued that the law of 1920 had been
construed by the Department to repeal the law
of 1909 in 80 far as the latter made it obligato.
ry to give public notice prior to the formation
of contracts. he thought the other features OF
Mr.. Fessenden's amendment were urwise in
theory, and would be found practically incon-
venient and injurious to the public service.
Mr.. Fessenden briefly defended his PROPOSE
ton; after which, the Senate proceeded to held
an Executive session.
The morning hour was devoted to the con
sideration of the bill providing for grants oil
lands to States and Territories for Agricultural
Colleges. Mr.. Morrill,, of Vermont, advocated
the bill, and offered an amendment to strike
out so much as relates to Territories. A motion
to lay the bill on the table was lost-yess 3d.
nays ia; and pending call for the previous
question,
The House proceeded to vote upon the
Washington police bill. Mr.. Letter, of Ohio
moved to lay the bill on the table, which wa
disagreed to-yeas SO, nays 81. The substitute
providing for the election of police commits
sioners was then rejected-yeas 80, nays 1ol
and the question then recurring on the bill a.
it came from the Senate, it was laid on thu
table-yeas Ill, nays 78.
The House then went into Committee on tht
Military Academy bin, when Mr.. Shaw, O
North Carolina, availed himself of the latitude
allowed to debate in Committee, to renew tn
discussion of the Kansas question, replying t.
the speech of his colleague.
Wednesday, april FL, 1853.
| SENATE.
Mr.. Mason introduced Joint resolution fo
the adjustment of differences with the Rspubli,
of Paraguay:
aBe It resolued, de-, That for the purpose o
adjusting differences between the United Statea
and the Republic of Paraguay, in connectior
With the attack on the United States steamed
Water WITCH and with other matters refsrrsi
to in the annual message Of the President, h
| he and herebv is authorized to adopt such meas