Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-10

idefclencleS, and Ter tne service IN l. tan
taking tie Nlt,iA as il is, and limiting the
expenditures to operations already deter
) mined on, rs they have been communicated
Ito tie. Should operations carried on from
the Pacific, or should i large force be sont
from this side, en- increase i'll the appropri-
, atidn Ii PROPORTION to tic increased force
} will be required. 4 =
Tile gentleman will find, BY reference e
: the bill, the items which make up this &c.
100000, commence on the second page 81
the bill, and terminate on the sixth page.
: And the items which are embraced arc pre-
dicstcd en- this recommendation of the War
\ Department, as presented in tue report q
the Quartermaster ,.onora and the other
oi,,oers ii caisISe Of TIC ssSioas branches Of
the public service.
i refer gentlemen also to Executive Doc
ument No 80, and Miscellaneous Document
No. Al, for information upon the subject to
which, have Just been referring
i; The next item is under the head of mis-
celIaneous expenses, on tie sixth page Of
the bill. 1t is:
i "t'or contingent expenses q the rorth.
east executive building, viz for fuel, light,
and repairs, 81 ,O0o7
by reference to Miscellaneous Document.
No: %, the reason for this appropriation
will be seen. General Cass, the Secretary
Of State, in asking this sum to supply the
deficiency, says:
- have the honor to state that. in conse-
fnencc Of the increased price Of fuel, and
the expense of lighting with gas, together
with the extensive repairs necessarily made,
the annual appropriations for the contin-
gent expenses Of the northeast executive
building will be insufficient These arpro-
priatlons, originally $3.50 per. annun,
were, lor the fiscal year ending Both June,
18Th, reduced to $500, at which sum
they have continued x
/ Il therefore have the honor to request
that the appropriation for the fiscal year
ending Beth June, 1859, may be increased
to $4,000 and that an appropriation Of
$1,000 may be made for the deficiency in
the appropriation for contingent expenses of
the northeast executive building for tie ifs
cal year ending 3Oth June, 1853
Ine next item is:
For the erection Of stables and conser-
vatory at the Presidents House, to replace
those about to be taken down to make room
for the extension Of the Treasury building
$3,atj5 I
II will be recollected that at t.lc last ses-
sion of Congress an appropriation of $40. n
600 was made for this purpose. After the
work was commenced, and had been in pro
gress, it was ascertained that the old stables
could not be taken down and tie new sta
blcs built for the sum Of so GOO; and the
Secretary Of the Interior, IA the report of
the Commissioner, (Dr. Rske sends in an
estimate, asking So, sos to pay the amount
of bills due to two or three parties. Execu
tive Document No. 81 furnishes full infor-
s'mation in regard to the item
! Now, in regard to this matter, take &C.
casion to say, as | have said heretofore in
this House, that do not very well see how
we can get over the paying Of balances con-
tracted to be paid to these parties for work
which they have faithfully executed. But
it d,'es seem to me that the officers Of this
Government, when money is appropriated
fora specific purpose, if they ascertained that
purpose cannot be accomplished for the sum
appropriated, should not undertake to apply
any portion Of it till they come to Congress.
report the sum deficient, and ask the House
to provide the full amount Of means neccs-
sary for the purpose. But, ii this case.
these parties, who are mechanics about the
city, nave faithfully executed their contract.
These bills are outstanding and due to them
and it is not their f;,rlt. they have been
contracted with and their labor has been
performed.
\ MEMBER. Who made tie contracts with
them?
1 Mr.. LErCIIER. they we're contracted
with by the Commissioner ofPuflic Build
lug, DR.. Blake. 1t is proper they SHOULD be
paid
/ The next is pretty large Gre It is:
For surveying the public lands and
private land claims iii California including
Office expenses incident to the survef Of
claims, and to be disbursed at the rates pre-
scrlbcd by law for the different kinds Of work,
being the amount of surveying liabilities in
CURED BY the surveyor general during the
fiscal year ending Both June. 1857. over
and above that authorized ualer the appro-
priations Of $50, 900 for that period 1872,
COO
At TIE last Congress, believe, $50, 900
was appropriated for this purpose; but the
surveyor general, then III Office, not confn-
ing himself to the amount IF money appro-
;priated for tie purpose, continued his sur
veys on q large scale, and contracted debts
With surveying parties and others to the ex-
tent Of 500, O00, #hich IS now asked for
to discharge the obligations which he thus
incurred. The Government disapproved Of
his course, and he was not reappointed to
office, or perhaps be was dismissed before
the close Of bis term. am not sure about
that: but know that if be was not dis
missed, the President declined to reanpoint
him, and that be has gone out Of office in
consequence. as ! understand, Of his hay
ing incurred these liabilities exceeding the
appropriation n!a7'e by Congress for the SER
vice committed to his charge. The Secre-
tary Of the Interior recommends this appro-
prlation in Executive Document No. IL.
, He says:
''In the estimates of this ncrart,nent,
} submitted to you With ny letter OF tic I'll.
of November last, was at item 1920 ,OO0)
, for surveying the public lands and private
land claims in California. includino Office