The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-09
The Financial Agent Economy
To the Editor of ,hs Freeman


To the Editor Of ahe Freeman:
SIR Il said yesterday that the Legislature
ought distinctly to disaffirm the Ex-Governor
assumption of Legislative power. Events trans
pired quite recently makes the necessity mani
fest The " Financial Agent" with quite Al
much of assurance as Legitimate official coult
have, has thrust upon the present Executive
" Report of his "labors and observations.
This the Governor, considering the unauthor
lied character of the agent, might have
properly refused any notice Of, and treated 1t
coming from no official source, as mere petit
ton for an office. But probably moved by a
spirit of courtesy to his predecessor, the Gov
ernor transmitted the " Report to the legs-
lature, and by so doing has cast on that BODY
the responsibility of action and inaction in the
premises. And here let me say that cannot
believe the Ex-Governor would have SO widely
stepped from his legitimate sphere as was done
in this instance, but on the most urgent impor-
tunities Of an " Agent for an Office. But be-
clusc he has thus acted, and the Legislature is
apprized thereof, that body by a joint resolu-
ton should avow their disapproyal Of the act as
recorded and standing rcbukc for time to
come Virtually they are called on by the
present Executive to disown it as a precedent.
Another reason why they should do so, is
that the Senate having ordered the 80 called
"Rcport' to be printed, it might with some
reason be said, in the absence of any rcpcllant
resolution, to have given quasi sanction to the
Ex-Governor's act Even the silence, the in
action of the Legislature would be claimed to be
a tacit approval Of the act.
Besides the grave POLITICAL consequences Of
any expressed or tacit approval, important pc
cunia,y considerations are involved The Exc
cutve having no authority for making such ar
pointment, none such in law was made. The
State then has no " Financial Agent with
such functions as are assumed in this case, and
having none such the " bond for so 600 has
no legal or obligatory power. So far as any
legal indemnity to the State is concerned the
" bond might as we'll have been for twenty
cents, and extended to any individual TIE
State, or the Fecice Islands The Leg laturc
having notice of the Executive -, the
" Agents assumption, suppose that body
silently to pass the matter by. and suppose
farther that large sums should be placed in the
so-callcd Agents hands by soldiers for remit
tancc, and should from any cause fail to reach
their destination. Under such circumstances
would not the State be bound 30 make good the
loss? Never won d the Legislature have rcet
until it should do 30. Is it then cxpcdicnt for
the State to incur the hazard Of such financial
agency as proposed and the certainty of being
beslcsed for large pecuniary compensation to
a - Financial Agent for service which can
be better and much more chcaply performed by
other means?
The so-callcd " Agent " says in bis report
that when he reached the troops he found j." they
had ytnrahy awaited themselves of" other
means than he offered to send their money
home, yet :" nearly two thousand dollars >
onc-tcnth of the sum of his :. bond y war
committed to his hands to transmit to Vermont
Now suppose the bond to be good, the appoint
mcnt valir, and that fifty thousand dollars were
thus to 60 me to the " Agents = Lands what
security does the bond furnish for the faithful
ipplica ton of the excess of $50 600 above the
UNI OF the bond? If it be probable, a. the
agent intimates, that most of the remit
'ancss would be made through him, and if he
we're to b'tray no more financial skill and care
n the business than he has eyinced in securing
ne State by his bond, his ability as Fiscal
\ gent may well be questioned.