Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-21

f0rney General, and Ii his decision had
/ been adverse TO it, the payment would
not have been made, even after the pub
il iIshed announcement. We were dis
charging our duty as we understood it,
and there was no Que connected with
the Executive Department of the State
who. had any interest In the question
that Is not common to every citizen of
the State. | know that the action of
the executive officers have been criti-
cizeds because it is insisted that the
Legislature made no appropriation of
4 money to pay interest on the public
debt. 1t is true that no specific appro-
pTiatlon was made, none are ever made
in Tennessee except for legislative ex-
penses. But the construction of our
Constitution By the present Sdpreme
Court. that an Indebtedness of the
State, fixed and recognized by law, was
payable outof the Treasury without a
specific appropriation of money for its
j pay nlent has been the uniform legis-
tive construction. / made an effort
1 TO change this rule of construc-
/ ton. In my message to the Legislature
made this recommendation: Comp
troller Burch in his report to my pre-
decessoT calls attention to the require
ments Of the Constitution that money
shall on be drawn from the Treasury
In consequence of appropriation made
! BY law Constitution article 2, section
81; and also the requirement. In the
Code that the Comptroller shall, at
stated times, report the unexpendea
balances ofthe several appropriations"
Notwithstanding this provision in the
Constitution, it is believed that the
specific appropriations are the excep-
tlons and that for many years the pub
lie moneys have been expended with
out the authority contemplated by the
Constitution. If that instrument is
obeyed. aud estimates required from
the Executive officers, the Legisla-
ture Is enabled to see what amounts
may be necessary. and can place check
upon expenditures By prescribing
limit beyond which they shall not 90.
The mere fact that an appropriation is
t0 be made requires investigation of
the amount necessary to be set apart |
for the purpose, and promotes inquiry
into former as well as present expend- |
Itures while the system now practised /
does nothing to insure a faithful per-
Torrance OF this important duty. I'M I
der the present system the Comptrol- T
Ter complains Of the extent of the dis
erection practically left to him.
But no action was taken, and the
Legislature acquiesced in the rule an
nounced by the Supreme Court, and
left the Comptroller in the exercise of
a discretion that he was anxious to
avoid.
The effect of the payment of this in
terest has been good one; the
creditors of the State now believe that /
tits only question of ability. The
largest holder of our bonds residing in
the State, In a communication address
ed to me, says This payment will GO
to convince the creditors Of the State
of four integrity, and they will the more
readily hear with respectable consid-
Grafton the proposition for settle
ment. La the same Communication
the writer, who is thoroughly informed
of the disposition of our creditors,
says they appreciate the difficulties of
the State, and are ready to make con-
cesslon OF interests or of principal, SO /
as to make their debt satisfactory TO I
the tax payers. 1t has been stated
that there was speculation for some
one IN the late payment Of interest. [ I
have no knowledge or information on
this subject, and [ do not believe it was
possible.
The Memphis and Charleston rail- |
road was bound to the States for.the
payment of our interest account due I
on the 1st day of July, 1875, amount
ing $50, Isl, 80. This was payable in
money or in the coupons of that date;
the road made default, and was requir-
ed to deposit with the Comptroller
United States per cent. bonds as Sc
curity for the default, with the agree
ment that the collaterals should be
Withdrawn as payment was made.
When the agreement was entered into
this company represented by Il. T.
Wilson & Co., of New York, were in
formed that it was the purpose of the
executive officers to pay that install
ment of interest whenever the surplus
was sufficient, and that if the amount
due from their road, was not paid when
the interest payment was resumed,
that the cOllaterals in the hands of the
Comptroller would be sold With the
facilities enjoyed by this house, with
fourteen months in which to buy the
coupons, they paid to the Comptroller
on the 10th of June. 1876, $14, $50, in
coupons of July, 1875. On the 11th
of July, 1876, they paid Sc, ,450 in cou-
pons of July, 1875. On the 7th of
September, 1876, they paid 5000 in
coupons of July, 1876, and the balance
of their interest account amounting to |
$28,087 80, was paid in money. And |
learn from this firm that of the $29, ,070 |
paid in coupons, they bought only $l2,-
OlO, when they had agents in New
York and in Tennessee instructed to .
buy all that were offered of that date
NATIONAL POLITICS.
Referring to national politics, Gov.
Porter said Mr.. Tilden, like Edmund |
Burke, carries the spirit of reform
everywhere. His doble efforts are as
CALLING to Grantism as was the same
disposition of the great English states
man to George the Third, aud the same
spirit Of intolerance, hate and bigotry |
that animated the British King con
trolls the Cabinet of the American
President. A Democratic House Of |
Representatives has just adopted GER
tain measures Of reform in the FEEDER
al Administration; this service receiv
ed no encouragement from the Presi- |
dent and his Cabinet, but has excited |
the bitterest animosity. Mr.. Burke laid /
before the British Parliamenta scheme |
for diminishing the public expendi-
lures, by which means useless places
were abolished. This wounded the
royal feelings and disgraced its author
in the estimation Of his King. Your |
public servants are more fortunate;
their responsibility is to far different |
tribunal-to one that never fails to ac-
cord justice and praise where it is de-
served; and this suggests certain points |
of resemblance between :he Third |
George and our President. Both in
augurated "a golden age of fmediocrity,"
and cherished Addington as a states
man and pensioned Beathe as philos- |
opher; the other makes Cabinet officers
and Chiet Justices of Williams and |
Delano, BOrie and Richardson; both |
crushed every independent aspiration
and awarded promotions to time-ser-
vers and supporters of partizan abuses. |
In period of sixty years, with the |
exception of the younger Pitt, George |
Ill. never admitted to his counsels
single man of great ability; history
will accord to President Grant the !
same notoriety. Instead of calling to
his Cabinet men of ability and inde-
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