Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-01-13
Gke freeman.
MONTPELIER, VT:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY Is, 1868,
a New Departure"


ury department to vote. at this session,
twenty-one millions of dollars deficiencies"
Fourteen millions of this has been occasioned,
he says, by the extraordinary expenses of
the Indian War. He adds
The next current amount is the estimated
deficiency for the Post Office Department of
over four and a half million dollars, incurred
by e~xtravagant contracts for unlustihably
extended mail service. Then there is the
scandalous estimate of nearly 5000, 900 for
Deficiencies for public buildings where we
were promised that the large amounts we
appropriated last year should finish the build
ings. Add this amount of 1865 900 de-
manded as a deficiency for this fiscal year
to the amount demanded for the same pur-
pose for the next fiscal year of S2,434 900
makes 49, 99 900 which we are asked to
vote for public buildings at this session Of
Congress. And in the present state Of the
Treasury, or indeed, in any state Of the
Treasury. | feel bound to denounce it as
one of the most e~xtravagant, unjustifiable,
and pro6igate expenditures Of the public
money ever asked of Congress. There are
other deficiencies which have been made, and
which we are called upon to make up. that
are without justification if it be considered
that Congress has any power over the Public
Treasury. In view of the state Of our finances
and deeming it indispensably necessary to re-
duce our expenditures for the present year
in every way possible, and in full light of all
the facts, Congress appropriated a given
which was $3.50, 000-for the
Coast Survey for this year. In contempt of
the action of Congress a deficiency in that ap-
preparation of $780, 900 is now demanded,
not one dollar of which. l trust, will be
voted. The Columbian Institute for the
Deaf and Dumb, a private institution in this
District, which has obtained nearly half a
million of dollars out of the Government was
given Sl2,500 for the fiscal year for instruc-
ton, &c, which was deemed ample and even
generous but with a familiarity with the
whole action of Congress on this subject, the
President of this private corporation, with
unparalleled effrontery. arraigns Congress for
its action, and demands of US ST. 800 more
as a deficiency for this year.
Mr.. W%ashburne was not in the least too
severe in his Characterization of this con-
temptuous disregard of the limitations fixed,
and lawfully fixed, by Congress upon these
particular expenditures. But the instances
cited by him are only specimens of a class,
and but a few of the many evidences given
every year of a growing disposition on the
part of all the executive departments to dis
regard the lawful limitations placed by Con-
gress upon their expenditures. Officers
clothed with a little brief authority are very
! much given to creating Deficiencies and then
: clamoring to have them filed, and they will
never be broken of the habit until their little
bills are left unsettled.
We already hear the beginning of what is
10 come from one of Mr.. Stewards operations
of this description. The constitution pro-
vides that the President and Senate may
make treaties. Secretary Seward, without
consulting the Senate, has, it is said, bar
gained with Denmark for the island of St.
Thomas, agreeing to pay therefor seven mil
lions in gold, or whereabouts. The matter
has gone SO far that the inhabitants of St.
Thomas have voted that they will consent to
the ale. Now, when it is apprehendcd that
the Senate may decline to ratify the treaty,
we hear rom Washington that the Denmark
government regards our national honor as
pledged, ana = correspondent says, ga re-
gard for the Iational honor NAV induce
Congress to ratiig the treaty and pay the
money" If the Daaish minister isn't a
fool, he knew from the coR9sncement of this
negotiation that the treaty was of no validity
whatever until ratified by two-thirds of the
Senate and yet it il not at all impossible
that a few gold dollars may persuade many
men at Washington that Seward can pledge
the irrational honor" to any amount, and
Congress has nothing to do but vote the
money.
The tendency of every department of the
government is to overstep the limits of its
power, and then, when the act is done, ask
to have it authorized. Men can be got to
approve an act after it is done, that they
would never have advised in advance and
this disposition is used by designing men to
accomplish what they know they can never
get authority for doing. This is one of the
most mischievous practices of the executive
! departments of Washington and no moro
at Washington than elsewhere. The appar-
ent necessities of the war led the people tc
rust greatly, many times far too much, tc
he discretion of executive officers. But we
nve got by the war, and if VIC would stoI
Profigacy in every department of the govern.
|Inent, we must rigidly insist that every officer
shall keep within his authority. If he goes
! beyond it, even to do an act not in itself Of
! public injury, still he should be condemned
Just as we would condemn a thief, although
lhe put the stolen money into a new church
T Bibles to send to those destitute of the
criptures.
Mr.. Washburne was right in saying in hi
speech, a part of which we copy elsewhere
the time has come for the Republican part,
to take a new departure )" and he would
have been still right if he had said the tim
had come for the country to take a new de
parture. We need now to get back to TIL
constitution and the laws. strictly construed
All parties have disregarded them quite to-
much. Our money has not only been IRE
deemable in character, but our officials hav,
acted as though they regarded themselves a
irresponsible. They do what they please
and snap their fingers in the faces of thei
masters, and tell them " the national homo
is pledged" and the people must take car
of it. They spend millions foolisbly Of
profigately, and without authority, and Con
gress is bought or bullied into voting tn
money, and the people usually put thei
backs under the load, and pay the taxes
The Republican party can now put an en-
to this it has promised to; and we be
seech the people to watch it, and the mel
whom it elects to Office, and hold them to
rigid responsibility.
But Mr.. Washburne is wrong when he in
Inmates that the way to do this is TO Civ
n Grant irresponsible power, or as Wash
n says, not put letters on his limbs. Th
rs as they now are do not fetter the Presi
nj fhnu nnlu declare what was hefnre de