The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-08
THE EXTRA SESSION.


that the action of the cabinet recommend
ing a postponement of the time for the
meeting Of congress in extra session will
be reconsidered at the cabinet meeting to-
day. We suggested, yesterday, that it was
hardly dignified for this great nation to de-
prive its soldiers of their pay for four
months and endeavor 10 "shin" along as
best it could, out of regard to the supposed
effect meeting of congress would have on
business, the convenience OF congressman,
or the desire to have an expression of the
opinion of the country, so far as 1t could be
obtained, upon the presidential policy
and we surely trust that such considera-
tions will not be allowed to stand in the
way ofsan early assembling of congress.
In considering this matter of an extra ses-
sion as early as the first of April, we called
attention to the claim that contracts for
subsistence and transportation for the army
could be continued without violation of
law, quoting the clause of the Revised
Statutes upon which the claim was based,
as follows: mo contract or purchase on
behalf of the United States shall be made
unless the same is authorized by law or
Is under an appropriation adequate to its
fulfllmeni, except in the war and navy
departments, for clothing, subsistence,
forage, fuel, quarters, or transportation,
(which, however, shall not exceed the ne
cessities of the current year" We argued
then, and still insist, that this clause is not
an authorization to the proper officers of the
war or navy department to contract for and
purchase clothing, forage, subsistence, etc. I,
when congress has refused to make any ap-
preparation whatever but only in CAGES
where, from some unexpected emergency,
the appropriation already made proved TO
be insdequate-and the very use of the
words "current year." would seem to show
this.
In the anxiety to avoid an early session
OF congress, such considerations as these
seem not to have been given their due
weight but since the decision of Friday,
they are being urged with great force, and
it now seems that they would prevail as
they certainly should. 1t further appears
that, by another clause OF the Revised
Statutes, it is provided that ''no department
'of the government shall expend in any
''one fiscal year any sum in excess of ap-
preparations made by congress for that
Fiscal year, or involve the government in
"any contract for the future payment OF
"money in excess of such appropriation.
And clearly, as it seems to us, this clause,
taken in connection with the one before
quoted, would prohibit any expenditure
whatever for the army, or the making OF
any contract for the future payment Of
money for its support in the absence of any
appropriation. The alternative, then, would
seem to be presented to the president, If he
complies strictly with the terms Of the
law, of convening congress before the ex.
piration of the prefeut fiscal year-that is
prior TO July first--or Of disbanding the
army. And it should be remembered thai
If the endesvor is made to get along with
out an extra session OF congress, he will be
at the mercy of a hostile house of repre-
sentatives.
Aside from these difficulties, and conced
ing all the power in the departments claim
ed, there are other difficulties in the way Of
this proposed postponement. According
to the estimate Of the secretary OF war, pre-
sented to the last congress, the amount re-
quired for the pay of the officers aud mer
of the army is $l2,625, 075. MOI
one dollar of this is available without ar
appropriation. Three months pay of tn,
navy is now behind; and the appropriation
for the pay Of jurors and witnesses in tn,
United States courts is exhausted. 1t hard
ly seems possible that the president will
allow the army and navy, and jurors anC
witnesses, to go without pay for the mer
purpose of avoiding the inconvenience O
an extra session in summer. So far as tn
effect Of session of congress on bushes
is concerned, it would seem that If 1t is t
have any disturbing effect, that a triflln
addition to the present unsettled condition
: Of business would not be nearly as bad now
as to have it thrown in in October or Nc
, vember after business has actually revive
D and was becoming settled. We trust ths
, the decision of Friday may be reversed an
r congress convened, as at first PROPOSED
0 early in June.