The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-06-22
Message of the President.
he followino ia the messaoe seut

line f0ll0Wlng is the message sent by
the President to Congress, June II:
To the Senate and Huse Of Representatives.:
TIL near approach of anew fiscal year and
the failure of Congress up to this time to
provide necessary means to continue all
functions of the government, makes it my
duty to call your attention to embarrass-
nents that must ensue if the fiscal year is
allowed to close without remedial action on
your part.
The President here quotes the provisions
of tie laws and Constitution, saying their
effect is to prohibit any outlay of public
money toward defraying even current
and necessary expenditures of the govern
ment after the expiration of the year for
which appropriated, excepting when those
expenses are provided for by some perma-
nent appropriation, and, excepting in the
War and Navy Departments, the number of
permanent appropriations are very limited,
and cover but few Of the necessary expendi-
lures Of the government. They are nearly
all, il not quite all, embraced in sections
1857, 1854, and 1859 of the revised
statutes, while section 3,679 provides that
no department shall in any one fiscal year
involve the government in any contract for
the future payment of money in excess Of
the appropriation for that year. Section
1872 ~confers, by clear implication, upon the
heads of the War and Navy Departments
full authority, even in the absence of any
appropriation, to purchase or contract for
clothing, subsistence, forage, fuel, quarters,
or transportation, not exceeding the necessi-
ties of the current year. The latter proYi-
sion is special and exceptional in its eharac-
ter, and is to be regarded as to be excluded
from the operations Of the former more gen.
eral one. But if any of the appropriation
bills enumerated should fail to be matured
before the expiration of the current fiscal
year, the government woul be greatly en-
barrassed for want of necessary funds to
carry on the service. Precluded from ex'
pendingsmoney not appropriated, the de-
partments would have to suspend service So
far as the appropriation for it should have
failed to be made. A careful examina
ton of this subject will demonstrate the
embarrassed condition all branches of gov
eminent will be in, and especially the
Executive, il there should be a failure tC
pass the necessary appropriation bills be
fore the LIST of July, or otherwise provide
1 commend this subject most earnestly tt
your consideration, aud urge that some
measure be speedily adopted to aver
the evils which would result from
non-action by Congress. I will venture {
suggestion by way of remedy that a join
resolution, properly guarded, might b
passed through two Houses of Congress, ex
tending the provisions Of all appropriation
for the present fiscal year to. next in al
cases where there is failure on the LIST O
July to supply such appropriation, each ap
preparation SO extended to hold good un
til Congress shall have passed the cor
responding appropriation applicable to thu
new fiscal year, when all moneys expended
under the laws enacted for this fiscal yea
shall be deducted from the corresponding
appropriations for the next To make N.
ideas on this subject more clear, l have causes
to be drawn up a joint resolution embodyini
them more fully. q. s. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, June II, 1876.