The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-15
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
REsARKs OF HON L. OBS. BRANCH,
y NoNrn eANoLsA, -. II r. FL n

Deaai ~ 0s House NJ Rprsserasre. 4pa o. 1858 ,sie
The SPEAK IsR stated the business first in order 10
be TIM, motion 10, reconsider the yot, ,y ,ybjcf House
bin No $685. to supply deficiencies In the appropriations
ff the service Of TIC fiscal wear ending June 80 1855
was rejected ,ftf feli ls .ts sSsl lif ~ siod ~
The motion was agreed to- si ~ re-,t ta.siBd p
The question rccur,cd s,n the passage of the bill
Mr. BRANCH h is debate IL, order ftI ssps siif 3
The SPEAKER. Debate Il IN order - ns}ts 81 8w
Mr. BRANCH n drsirs Mr. Speaker. Ia ,nakea few
remarks before this ill shall be put upon it's passage
shall dctln the House but for few minutes If al
lowed TO proceed without interrupt m and before vi,let-
ing the floos-.as propose 10 call the previous question:
shall give AN opportunity gentlemen who may desire
10 ask me questions But in the mean time beg gen
tlcnen moi 10 interrpt INC but let me proceed in nav
own way aud according to nv own order In this way
time will be saved and will be able present my views
more satisfactorily to the House. b. ss'iH
Mr. Speaker In the remarks that shall make ia,
relation to this BILL desire DC understood that the
administration now in power and through friendship
to which VIC ve been appcled to TO paSs this bill Is TIE
administration of my choice Not only its head but the
cabinet by which TINT head is surroundcd met at the
time of their appoinnlcnt my appreciation and have
seen nothing since to diminish the confidence which
have either in the head ia members of the cabinet
But while say that desire TO be undestood distinctly
that stand this foor to carry out without qnes
ton or consideration the recommendation of any depart
mcnt of the government nor receive the edcs that
may be down to us by others law which dare
not question or inquire into except on pain of being
siered as wanting in confidence ia the administration
am as much a friend of the administration as any
gentleman on this floor but here is measure pending
which the duty Of the representatives the people
to look into and consider carefully before they adopt IT,
And sir In the remarks which i shall make il i find
fault with practices which imagine prevail in the goy
erpment and which ought not to prevail do not wish
to be understood as censlrnr this administration for
know that in many instances they arc practices which
have come down from administrations which have peec-
dcd it. s - t5ss.5I sf-'-. tsY
Mr. Speaker much has been said in the course of the
debate ipon this b; against deficiency bills believe
that no gentleman has rs vet announced the opiuon
which entertain and now tearessly express SO
far from deficiency bills Of proper character and under
proper guards being open to cense they are on the con-
tay one Of the most powerful means in the hands of Con-
rcss 10 ,nsorc os cxpen,lit,re n the
iepartments 7 do not object to deficiency bills wnen de-
fciency bills are proper that is when in the Judgment
Of Congress there has not been an Of ex
pcndtre on the m,rt Of the executive dctartmcnts
disregard of the reauircnents of law sa - * D t
Suppse Won allow il to be understood in the executive
deparments that the estimates made at the commence.
ment of fiscal vearor rather as tx the practice a
wear in advances of tho time when the money Il h be x
penJed-are to he final and conclusive on the depart
ments then is It not obvious that The cxtutiyc cart
mcnts under that pressure will take cav, 10 estimate
Iaryely ,nm,rb to nrov a,,a;nst all bar f tho ex,er-
,it,ires cxceediny the amoy,t apnrooiaed The cstj
mates submitted under such an understanding will be
larcr even than the exec,ve tbcms,ves
might thint n,casaa, far tha ruhJ;, scryce I'm the
other lanJ If vou aliow h m M understood that f tbny
win curtnil their estmnh, submit them A. tbe lowest
Yo,sble point and honestly attcmpt 20 carry ON the
uplcr those t,c, IL thsv sln,,ld
need more moncv Copyress will vote ~ to them therc
| will he a better opnortunitv Of securing economical
estimates from the treasury Department Hence do
not object in tho terms used by ,cntl,ne, in tbis do
bate against deiciency bills Whenever bill Il present
ed that aupears and when II acas also that the
executive departments have made honest efforts to keep
within the appropriations made by Congress- and have
4 been unable to do so am willing TO grant III / am
not willing to see Congress establish n precedent that
the departments must stand by their original estimates
and that under no circumstances shall they have an nd
| dtonnI approximation because If YOU do the effect
will be inevitable that the executive officers will make
most extravaganza estimates in order that they may not
i bo crippled
/ So much for deficiency bills in general Now Mr.
Speaker in regard to this deficiency bill which is pend
of tho public service differing not only in tho n,agnit,c
of the amounts bit IN the pressure Of the necessity which
calls for them Much the largest part of this bill appro
pirates money to supply deficiencies in the appropriations
for the army admit that the expenditures on account
OF the army have reached sue point that have no hesit
ton in saving on my responsibility as representative of
the psop,c that they arc onsro,,s and entirely ,,nis
tilted | cast no cens,rc on any particular admins
traon or apy artjcu!ar bureau of the Government
for have not the requisite information to state cer-
] tainly where ccnsure belongs do saw however with
out hesitation that in my Judgment the expenditures
for the army of the United States have almost reach,
! ed a point at which the country will risc up and
demand rctrenchment and reform in that particular
for all tho items in this bin which look SO large Many
of them are under the control of Congress Some arise
out of the former action of Congress Let us look at
the expenditures large part grows out of the ne
ccssty of sending nm army to Utah That necessity
u,s mt for,.see, when the