Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-06-25

public purse-the power of supply; this is
invested in the House of Commons, and has
been iealeusly guardedby it. Itis the pearl
beyond price, without which constitutional
liberty in England would long since have
fallen under the despotism of the Crown.
By the exercise Of this power we may hold
the Executive and the Senate in check
But instead of using il, this House has, by
slow degrees a1loWeJ the other departments
OF the Government TO evade and virtually
overthrow its constitutional! power This
change nfay be briefly illustrated. The
theory of our Government is that a specific
sum shall be appropriated by law origina-
ting in tbs House, fer specific purpose,
and within given 6sca. year. 1t is the du-
ty Of the executive to- use that sum, and no
more, expressly for that purpose ana within
the time fixed. Such is the theory; but
what is the practice! Under a section Of a
law passed in August, 1912, which was do
signed only for tina, bill and for that year,
the departments assume the power to trans
fer appropriations made for one purpose, to
any other purpose in the same Department.
thus defeating all checks. Without law
they use money appropriated specifically for
the service Of one fiscal year, to pay for the
seFFte CT another fscui year. A marked
example Of this occurred recently. The
present Secretary of the Treasury took mo-
ney appropriated in March, 1855. for the ex-
penses ofthe Territorial Legislature OF Kan.
sas for the year ending June 80, 1856, and
in the face Of refusal by Congress to aP-
propriate money to support the bogus usur-
ping Legislative Assembly for the year end
ing June 80, 1857, took the balance OF the
old appropriation and applied it to that pur-
pose.
Another abuse BY the Executive Depart
ments Is in their habit Of making contracts
in advance of appropriations. They make
contracts without law, and compel Us either
to sanction them or violate the pnblic faith
| will give a common instance. An aP-
preparation of one hundred thousand dollars
is made to construct a Custom House; the
Department, instead Of contracting for
Custom House of that cost, makes contracts
for the construction of one costing two or
three millions. In this way The power Of
the House has been absolutely overruled. -
And when they come here and ask for mon-
ey to carry on the work, you vote the money.
to save from entire loss the sum already ex-
pended, and because the contracts have been
made. Now, Sir, say that every contract
which looks to the expenditure OF one dollar
more than has been appropriated is utterly
null and void. Take, for instance, the Gus
tom House at New Orleans. In 1848 Con-
gress appropriated one hundred thouse1d dol
lars for the construction Of Custom-House
in that city, cpon the express condition that
the city should donate to the Government .
T Ioi of ground for that purpose, and make
clear and valid title. Well, Sir, the one
hundred thousand dollars appropriated was
I ali expended in the sinking of the foundation
q building of untold magnfcence, never
contemplated by those who made the apPro-
st;aiion. The Department again came To
Congress for another appropriationspand Con-
gress has gone or making appropriations un-
t;f TWO million six hundred and seyenty-6ya
thousand two hundred and fifty-eight dollara
has been expended; and the Representative
from New Orleans is now demanding more
,7soaey to complete her Custom House.
For the city of Charleston, South Caro-
lima, in l843, an appropriation Of thirty thou
sand dbllar6 was nude as q sort of rider to an
I appropriation for Custom House at Sayan-
nah. Well, Sir, upon the basis Of that thur.
ty thousand dollars the Government has gone
or W 7rh- its plans, anu has already expended
one million seven hundred and three thoa-
sand dollars ] do not know how much more
will be needed to complete the building; but
the RepreseR alive from Charleston District
told US the other day thatvalHable ornaments
of stone were lying about, and further apPro-
proations were teeded to either complete the
building oFprotecf thematerials from destruo-
ton. In this way the Executive is gradually
sappng the foundations of the Government
and destroying the constitutional power OF
J the House. Instead of representative Re-
public, we are degeneratiDg into bureao-
cracy governed by red tape and subaltern
clerks. While the powers Of the House arr
t invaded, the Execvtive takes care to extend
by construction, his jus! powers. OF this wa
: have an example in the Utah war. Whai
I power has the President, without the con-
sent of Congress, to order the army to Utat
I and thus involve the Government in an ex
J, penditure of millions upon millions? 1t ID
e said that he is Commander-in-C Chiee Of the
n Army under the Constitution of the Unifes
e ss4ates. But the Constitution declares tha
Congress shall declare war. He is Com
: mander-in- Chief, but only to carry on wal
: when war has been declared by the Congress
i Eof the United States. He is our instrument
e she is our servant, and not our MASTER
Il And yet he has involved the Government Ii
; this Utah war. II is a usurpation whict
+ 6tghr to be resisted by she whole Legislative
n power of the Government.
i We have the undoubted power over sup
e plies; end yet the President SO acts as u
e leave US no discretion. He created the ne
5 cessty for expenditures; and when we wer
d asked to appropriate money TO pay them, al
t. the reply we Have to our inquiries is that tn
II Army was ordered there by the President, .
1.-The ,CorsnaRder-in- Chief Of the forces
j. While [ would moi allow these gallant mel
IS to suffer where they ore, yet would call tn
Is President to account for having violated III
n principle and policy of our Government.
ID The Sesate, also, has been guilty OF a
,. invasion Of our privileges. When we sen
IL bills there they are returned to US loade
down with amendments for the very sum
III which we refused to give. They sendtkes
N amendments here, and we are impiedly to'
ID that unless we agree to them the entire Az
l. preparation bill will tall, and Congress be cal
,e led back in extra session. Il will be recol
i Iected that the appropriation bill Tor Wash
'e ington Aquedesss apd many other extrasa
IN CANT items of expendnsre. were carrie
I'd through in that way. The Constitution
is the United States gives 10 the Senate powe
10 to propose amendments to revenue bills, bu
expressly witbolds from it power TO origis
n ale such bills. But by the abuse Of the
at limited power to amend, they defeat the ex
of cfusive power OF the House. But not onl
er that, the Senate at this session, by direC