The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-10-25
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fsllo,s eiise,.s Of the Senate and House Of Repre-

Fefloar- citizens Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
Seatdfires :.
The adjournment of the last Congress with
out making appropriations for the support OF
the army for the present fiscal year has rem
dered necessary a suspension OF payments to
the officers and men of the sums due them for
services rendered after the 30th day of June
last. The army exists by virtue of statutes
which prescribe its numbers, regulate its or
ganization and employment, and which fix
the pay of its officers and men and declare
their right to receive the same at stated
periods. The statutes, however, do not
authorize the payment of the troops
in the absence of specific appropriation
therefor. The Constitution has wisely pro-
vided that no money shall be drawn from
priations made by law, and it has also been
declared by statute that no department OF
the Government shall expend in any one rs
cal year any sum in excess of the appropria-
ton made by Congress for that fiscal year.
We have, therefore, an army in service au-
thoriZed by law and entitled to be paid, but
no funds available for that purpose 1t may
also be said, as an additional incentive
to prompt action by Congress, that
since the commencement of the fiscal year,
the army, though without pay, has been been
in .arduous and dangerous service,
in the performance of which both officers
and men have discharged their duty. with
fidelity and courage and without complalnt.
These circumstances, in my Judgment,
constitute an extraordinary OCCASION, re-
quiring that Congress be convened in advance
importance of speedy action upon
this subject on the part of Congress Is so
manifest that / venture to suggest the pro-
nriety of making the necessary appropria-
lions for the support of the army for the cur
rent year at its present maximum numerical
strength of 3, coo men, leaving for future con-
sideratiOn ali questions relating to an in
crease or decrease in the number of enlisted
men. In the event of q reduction of the army
by subsequent legislation during the fiscal
year, the excess of appropriation could
not be expended, and in the event OF
its enlargement the additional sum re-
quired for the payment of the extra force
could be provided in due time. Itwould be
unjust to the troops now in service, and
whose pay is already largely i'll arrears, II
payment to them should be further post
poned until after Congress shall have con-
sidered all the questions likely to arise in the
effort to fix the proper limit to the strength OF
the army. The estimates of the appropriation
required forthe support OF the military es-
tablishment for the fiscal year ending June
80 1873 were transmitted to Congress by the
former Secretary of the Treasury at the open
ing of its session in December last. TheSe es-
Inmates, modified by the secretary so as 10
conform to present requirements, are now
renewed, amounting to S32, 436, 164 80, and, hay-
ing been transmitted to both houses OF Con-
gress, are submitted for your conslderatIon-
There is also required by the Navy Depart
ment 81, 003, S61.27. This sum IS made up OF
81 ,446 SSS Is due to officers and enlisted men
for the last quarter of the last fiscal year /;
S3ll ,9l3 80 due for advances made by the fiscal
agent of the Government in London Tor the
support of the foreign service; $50, 900 due to
the Naval Hospital fund; Sl5O,OOO due Tor ar
rearages of pay to officers, and Si52l9 5S Tor
the support of the Marine Corps.
There will also be needed an appropriation
of S262, 535 % to defray the unsettled expenses
of the United states courts tor the nscal year
ending June 30 last, now due to attorneys,
clerks, commissioners and marshals, ana Tor
rent of court rooms, the support OF prisoners
and other deficiencies.
\ part of the building of the Interior De.
partment was destroyed by fire on the 2ith OF
last month. Some immediate repairs ana
temporary structures have in consequence
become necessary, estimates for which Will
be transmitted to Congress Immediately, and
an appropriation of the requisite FUNDS Is
respectfully recommended.
The Secretary of the Treasury Will commu-
nicate to Congress, in connection with the
estimates for the appropriations for the sup
port of the army for the current fiscal year,
estimates for such other deficiencies IN the
different branches OF the public service as re
quire immediate action and can not without
Inconvenience be poisoned until the regular
session.
/ fake this opportunity to invite your at
tention to the propriety of adopting at your
present session the necessary legislation to
enable the people of the United States to par
ticipate in the advantages OF the information,
al exhibition of the agriculture, industry ana
the fine arts, which is TO be held at Pafls IN
1878. and in which this Government has
been invited to by the Government OF
France to take part. This invitation was
communicated to this Government in 1879, by
the Minister of France at this capital, and n
copy thereof was submitted to the proper
committee of Congress ut its last session,
but no action was taken upon the subject.
The Department of State has received many
letters from various parts of the country eX-
pressing a desire to participate IN the
Exhibition. and numerous Applications
of a similar nature have also been made mt
the United States Legation at Paris. The
Department of state has also received ofnclal
advices of the strong desire on the part OF
the French Government that the United
States should participate in the enterprise,
and space has hitherto been and Is still re-
served in the Exhibition building Tor the use
of exhibitors from the United States. to the
exclusion of other parties who have been ap-
plicants therefor. In order that our indus
tries may be properly represented at the EX-
hibitiOn, an appropriation Will be needed Tor
the payment of salaries OF COM
missioners for the transportation of
goods and for other purposes in connection
with the object in view. As May next
is the time fixed for the opening of the Ex-
hibition, if our citizens are to share the advan-
tagcs of this international competition Tor
the trade of other nations, the necessity OF
immediate action is apparent to enable the
United States to cooperate. In the lnterna-
tiOnal Exhibition which was held at Vienna
in 1873 Congress then passed joint resOlu-
ton, making an appropriation OF 4zOO,
co., and authorizing the President TO
appoint certain number of practical ar
tisans and scientific men, who should attend
the Exhibition and report their proceedings
and observations TO him. Provision was al
so made for the appointment OF number OF
honorary commissioners. / have felt that
prompt action by Congress in accepting the
invitation of the Government of France is OF
so much interest to the people of this conn
try and so suitable to the cordial relations
between the Governments OF the two coun-
tries, that the subject might properly be pre-
scented attention II.
The Government of Sweden and Norway
has addressed an official invitation TO
this Government to take part in the lnterna-
tional Prison Congress to be held at stock
holm next year. The problem which the Con
gress proposes to study" How to diminish
crime:'-is one in which all civilized nations
have an interest in common, and the Con-
gliess of Stockholm seems likely to prove
the most important convention ever
held for the study of this grave question.
Under Joint resolution of Congress, ap-
proved February It, 1873, Il commissioner was
appointed by my predecessor to represent the
United States upon that occasion, and the
present Congress, having been, at the earnest
request of the Swedish Government, post
poned to 1873 his commission was renewed by
me. An appropriation OF $4,000 was made IN
the sundry civil service act of 1873 to meet the
expenses of the commissioner. recommend
the reapprOpriatiOH OF that sum Tor the same
purpose, the former appropriation having
been covered into the Treasury and being no
longer available for the purpose without FUR
Their action by Congress. The subject Is
brought to your attention at this time, IN
view of circumstances which render 1t highly
desirable that the commissioner should pro
coed to the discharge OF his important uutleS
Immediately. -
As the several acts of Congress providing
for detailed reports from the different de
partments of the Government require their
Submission at the beginning OF the regular
annual session, defer until that time any fur
ther reference to subjects of public interest.