Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-06-25

emoluments is even larger than | stated. We
have indirectly increased the salary and in
cidental expenses OF the President from S29,-
900 to osomothing like sixty thousand dollars,
and that, too, in plain and direct violation
OF clause OF the constitution which forbids
any increase of the elnoluments Of the Presi-
dent during his term. Another com mparison
will illustrate the increase Of expenditures
lind by reference to speech made in the
Senate by Mr.. Truman Smith, (CongreSson-
al Globe, vol. 25, page l24 J that the entire
expenses of the printing for the Twenty-sixth
Congress was Sl90,865 or S95, ,432 per an
mum. find, from recent report from the
chairman Of the Committee on Printing Mr..
Taylor that the expenses for the printing
Tor the Ihirty-third Congress-famous for
the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise-
amounted to 51,5l2,9l5 per annum or
more than ten thousand dollars to every
member of both Houses of Congress. Such
is the character of the increase in that single
item alone. That was the EXPENSE incurred
for the printing OF the Thirty third Congress,
which think was the most disastrous in the
history of our Government, because it re-
opened strife long before that time settled,
and inaugurated this wild system Of reckless
expenditure, which we will find SO dithcult
to check.
expenditures. In the early reports of the
Secretary of the Treasury, the miscellaneous
items We're few and far between. But, if
gentlemen will turn to the reports for this
session, blouse Document No. l3,) they will
ind from page 25 to page 63 filled ex-
clusively with the details Of the miscellaneous
expenses of the Government, amounting to
Slo,946, ,l89. In this vast mausoleum are
buried your secret contracts, your Jobs, your
custom -houses, your marine hospitals, your
post Office deficiency and post Offices, your
coast survey, your court-houses-a vast
catalogue ofjobs to partisan favorites.
Mr.. SMITH, of va.--You voted for them.
Mr.. SuERMAN.--The gentleman will find, by
looking at the record, he is mistaken.
REWARD FOR GRANTING EXECUTIVE DEMANDS.
But am glad that he has called my at
tention to this point. hope he and his po-
ltlcal friends will press it daily and hourly.
His remark shows how thankiess q task il is
for gentlemen upon this side Of the House to
comply with the urgent demands of the Exec
utive for money. Perhaps it may teach my
friends lesson but if it doe, not, then
hope they will take warning from the exam
pie, and the very marked example, set the
other day in the case of my late colleague,
Mr.. Campbell, who displayed his zeal, think
unwisely, in the last Congress, in urging all
the appropriation bills, and complying to the
fullest extent with the demands Of the Exec
utive and, sir, when any of us yield, and,
under the commendable desire to sustain the
Government, even when unwiselv admins
tered, vote for general appropriation bills,
then these extravagant appropriations are
thrown in our teeth, when we only vote what
they ask l trust gentlemen upon this side
OF the House will take this as warning and
as a lesson. 1t is thankless task for gentle
men to aid an administration like this, or its
predecessor, in carrying on the burdens of the
Government, when they cannot vote for
single appropriation bill without having all
these contingencies and Jobs and other it.ms
thrust upon them, and being told ''you votai
for them" Sir, can say, for one, did not
The gentleman will not find me in that cate
CORY.
l have already referred to the military es-
Enlistment, showing a vast increase in its
expenditures. | might, with documents be-
fore me, show how millions have been sunk
for transportation, subsistence and supplies,
upon contracts made without public notice,
but | am admonshed that my time will not
allow.
Without an opportunity to examine, and
under the plea of pressing necessity, at an
early period Of the session, we were called
upon TO vote extravagant appropriations in
tended to cover large contracts for subsistence
and sportation-many Of which are ille-
! gal-or have it charged upon US that we wero
willing to leave our gallant army in the
Rocky Mountains without food and shelter.
| Unwilling to do that, some on this side voted
for the deficiency bill but who can trace the
expenditure Of this money?
INCREASE OF OFFICES
We were told yesterday, by the chairman
/ of the Committee of Ways and Means, that
all these appropriations are in pursuance of
existing law. Now, l want him to answer,
at his leisure, how it comes at, in 1852,
there were employed in collecting the revenue
two thousand five hundred and thirty persons
and that, in 1854, when the law had not heen
changed, there were employed in the various
custom-houses two thousand nine hundred
and thirteen and in 1857, three thousand
and eighty-eight employees; and this before
the new tariff had gone into operation? How
comes this increase of five hundred officers in
the custom-houses Under what law was
the increase made? BY what authority are
these fresh leeches set upon tho Treasury?
Sir, large portion of the appro priations
annually made depend simply upon your will;
and if you cut off the supply, the expenditure
will cease, without impairing single pro-
vision of law
THE REFORM MUST BE BY THE HOUSE.
Sir, retrenchment and reform are now mat
ters Of imperative necessity. 1t is not the
mere cry OF demagogues, but q problem
demanding the attention and worthy the
highest ability Of the representatives Of the
people. No party is fit to govern this country
which cannot solve it. 1t is in vain TO look
to executive officers for reform. Their power
and influence depend upon executive patron
age and while we grant, they will squander.
The Senate is neither by the theory of our
system, nor by its composition, fitted for the
task This House alone has the constitutional
power to perfect radical reform The
Constitution provides that no money shall be
drawn from the Treasury but in consequence
of appropriations made by law, and that all
bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives. These provisions
were designed to invest in this House the
entire control over the public purse-the
power of supply this is invested in the
House of Commons, and has been jealously
guarded by it. 1t is the pearl beyond price,
without which constitutional liberty in
England would long since have fallen under
the despotism of the Crown.
ABUSES AND QUOTATIONS OF EXECUTIVE.
By the exercise of this power we may hold
the Executive and the Senate in check. But
instead of using it, this House has, by slow
degrees, allowed the other departments OF the
Government to evade and virtually overthrow
its constitutional power. This charge may
be briefly illustrated. The theory of our
Government is, that specific sum shall be
appropriated by a LAW originating in this
House, for specific purpose, and within
given fiscal year. 1t is the duty of the Exc