The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-03
WASHINGTON CITY, THURsDAY, JUNE s, 1858

that day IA this Now SIR those gentlemen on tho other
side Of the House who have associated with him ~ poll
don and who now complaining Of tho action of the
and present Secretaries OF the Treasury may rest sat
ised that those officers have acted strictly up to the let
ter Of the law. drawn BY late whig President Of the
Mr.. STANTON, Did that law suthorlxs the sppropria
ton in 1857 for the expenses Of the Kansas legislature of
another item designed for another purpose
Mr.. LETCHER Well, sir do not know that 1t does
exactly wsh to deal fairly with the gentleman about
it. Now good turn deserves another docs It not
justify every other tansfer made by Howell Cobb or
James Guthref ~
Mr.. STANTON. Indeed do not know. a. I have not
Mr.. LETCHER. It seems to me that my friend ought
10 be examining into the facts and ought net to conne
his sight to th little isolsted expenditure for the ess
laturs of Kansas That IL but mote floating upon the
surface There other large cxpsnditursss Loan sc-
mind him Of which to now, lend ~ n this
only that doesD where appropriation made for one
purpose transferred for the purpose of keeping mp
the amoes Of United States theappropration for which
omitted by mistake In enrolling the bill. Let me
say to my friend from Ohio Mr.. SHxaMAs that hs hud
chance TO raise this question when the b to restore
the appropriation for the armores introduced during
this session by my colleague Of the Harpers Ferry dis
trict [Mr. FAuLKsxn believe that bill passed with
general concurrence with such general concurrence
that the yeas and nays not called on 1t. {
Mr. STANTON They were called.
Mr. LETCHER. What the vote
Mr. STANTON. ! know that made speech against
it, and know that voted against 1t 81
Mr. LETCHER. know that my friend WIS in y lean
minority Of the Committee on Military Affairs that
bill do not think that he then carried his party with
him and certainly, If there Is any man in this House
who carry his party followers by the orcc Of his In
tellect he IL the No deservedly wiclds more
power with his party in this House than he does he
could save his household that occasion, If
they endorsed this policy of the administration in defiance
of his wishes and advice how is 1t that he undertakes
here months afterwards to aragn the administration
for policy which his friends endorsed?
But my friend from Ohio r. SHranASl undertakes to
arraign the Committee of Ways and Means on the same
ground that has been taken since this session open
ed He says that in the habit Of reporting bills
in conformity with the estimates which down to us
from the other end Of the avenue that we do not look
into these estimates that do not inquire about them
that willing to take their sayso and conform our
action to II, and report accordingly To this House.
| Mr.. SHERMAN, of Ohio. do not want my friend
from Virginia to misinterprct what said said, from
the burden of bsines thrown upon them by the House
that they could not properly attend to It, think that
the Committee Ct Ways and Means are always willing to
perform their duty.
Mr.. LETCHER Then the result Is exactly this we
have not done duty 1t comes down to that point
that we have not done duty because he says have
not had time take 1t that my friend from Ohio can lay
his finger upon some one recommendation from the
Committee of Ways and Means which not warranted by
| the law. What one does he namef
| Mr.. SHERMAN of Ohio. My remark was not that
they reported what is not warranted by law that not
It, but that they did not cut down tho appropriations
|
they may be cut down any tlme We may reduce, by
single stroke of the pen the expenses Of this govern
mcnt $40 600 000 If choose The appropriations can
be cut down in various ways could suggest to the gen
teman many places where there might be reduction
If it is the pleasure of the committee, have doubt
that by looping off number of contingencies and mis-
ceIaneous items might reduce the appropriations for
the government nearly ten million dollars. had pre-
pared table Of contingencies which can furnish the
| gentleman with.
Mr. LETCHER Let us see what we have done when
| we have undertaken to make recommendations My
friend will admit that, where the law fixes the amount
We are bound to conform to TINT amount in the bill
That, take it, he will assent to- refer to salaries
and such matters where definite amount is fixed by
law. M 81B
Mr. SHERMAN, Of Ohio. The committee has reported
bill appropriatng 1000 900 for collecting the revenue
have shown that hers It has increased the number of
officers over five hundred. tho committee has the
power to increase it has the power to decrease One in
plies the other. Why them did IL not appropriate
49, 000 900 g. 900, 900, instead Of $4O0OO0O And
why were not specific items given to 10 that we
might be able to tell which Of those amounts ought TO be
appropriated Why, in this of want, when loan
bills the order Of the day. ask the House TO appropr
ate more than before appropriated for this OBJ
ect is it because the committee has not time to t
the matter it should be sfted and Ms 1t would have
been if it had been sent to other committee having
charge Of this distinct matterf believe for instance
that If this army appropriation bill had been referred t.
the Committee Military Affairs, which is composed
of gentlemen familiar with the details of the army,
/
Ways and Means who are civilians, and not soldiers,
would know whether the appropriations were abso-
/ lutely necessary not.
| MI IErCHER If the bill improperly referred,
whose fault was that
Mr.. SHERMAN, of Ohio / do not blame the COM
mittee. as&a ~ #ta 1s9s 80 7.seet M
/ Mr.. LETCHER DO not the rules Of the House re-
quire that should 60 there and did 1t not go there in
obedience to those rules f
| Mr.. SHERMAN ol Ohio do not blame the Com :
mittee of Ways and Means. I make that disclaimer
again said that II Of the neglects Of this
House In failing to make the rules that the business
would be divided properly amongst the appropriate COM
mittces.
Mr. LETCHER. That Is another question altogether
My friend has been arrsignng not the House. but the
President for executive dctAton for controlling his
in this body and bringing them up to the scratch in
behalf of appropriation bills
| Mr. SHERMAN, of Ohio must he allowed to say in
this connection that did not mention the Committee of
WAYS and Means except in 80 far the remark went
that the House has neglected its duty in not referring its
business TO the several appropriate committees.
| Mr.. LETCHER Very we'll if the thing devolves
upon the House of Representatives let the evil be
rected by the House but do not make 1t the subject Of
| complaint against the administration.
But my friend has good deal to say about executive
dictation do not know who IL under the influence Of
that dctation here do not know what the Executive
has undertaken to do to control tho party But
give him an incident in the history OF party in this
country in regard executive dctation that is without
parallel, far know in the history Of another
party In this land There was time, some sixteen or
seventeen years ago, when the party with which
have been connected In power and had control of
both branches Of Congress Mr. Tyler was President Of