The New York herald., 1877-10-17


mcntly protesting against the outrage OF doprivng
Lousana Of Just rights the door or tho Senate
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.
WASHINGTON, oct. 16, 1877.
THE NAVY ArPRoPRIATIoNs--REp OF THE
SECRETARY ON EXISTING DEFICIENCIES
HOW THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN MIsMANAGED
IN THE PAST.
Tho following s . Abatement Of deficiencies for
which appropriations are asked by the Secretary Of
the Navy
Pay OF Navy-Amount due Sogman Brothers. Lon
pay, &c Naval Hosntol Fund; pay OF Marine Corps
Other dedcicncies exist Tor due for. construction
and repairs arising out Of contracts WITH individuals
for clothing, steam machinery, timber, &c. These
will DO oommunicnted ~ the approaching regular scs-
The Secretary states that tho dicultiss attending
tho administration OF tho finances OF his Office have
grown out OF she diversion OF appropriatons from tho
special objects 10 which they had been applied by law
ana their expenditure for other different objects
for which appropriations have been Insufficient This
has been occasonco by the tact that has fire.
quently appropriated less than the wants OF
vice demanded This specially the cusc last year.
Tho Secretary continues thst has boen supposed
from one fund 10 aid another but 1t does
not seem that any such Justification can
exist In cases whore the borrowing Is designed to
make up deficient appropriations SPECIAL purposes
Such course, he thinks would be manifessy attended
with tho consequences IL would enable the Secrc-
tary to substitute his own Official discretion for ,he
requirements of law: there would DO legal limit TO
this discretion, and deficiencies would exist not
cOrdng TO his pleasure. lie s unwilling to assume
this responsibility, and prefers 10 administer tho
affairs OF tho departments in strict obedience to the
will Of Congress- Thus decming at the commence
ment Of his service. ho states that ne has not
allowed any portion OF the appropriations for the
commenced. ais object primarily was 70 secure a
system Of admin by means OF which tho
annual appropriations Of the departn DO
easily and accurately ascertained and tho Of
deficiency bo moro certainly ana satisfactorily known
II is the right and duty OF Congress direct
suits 10 be accomplished as III its opinion Tho public
necessities and interests may require. He does not
think u right that tho department shall seek 10
accomplish rcsulis contemplated or directed By
Congress Tho department. Is Lhe creature OF the law
and exists only at the will and pleasure OF the law s
responsible or not doing what the law directs 10 be
done, but is not responsible for failing to accomplish
what the law doos not direct. Tho Secretary statos
that acting on this princple he found necessary to
the quarter Of tho last nsca year appropra
tions madc by Congress were insufficient, and II
not possible 10 make tho payments without drawing
upon tho appropriations Tor tho present fiscal yoar
advance. SO he has regarded II as tho better
TO treat the deacisncy as belonging TO tho last fiscal
year TO avoid any aehccncy for the present year un
cst Il sha arise neoessariiy out OF tho omission 10
make the necessary appropriations
the aid ana dirsoon oi Concrsss to 10 40 rendered.
10 sasbls Ihs bssaasss propesiy ohassssbe 20 she
last fiscal year to bc closed up as tar as possible BY
the payment Of tho existing Indebtedness 10 the OFF,
and mon OF the navy SO that the department will
be enabled TO conAne all the appropriations for the
amounts nxed by law. II thereby somo OF the
branches OF the service suffer temporarily and some
objects remain unacc0mplishcd IL IS Dottcr they
should remain so until additional appropriations
made than that tho department should exercise tho
discretionary power Of ''creating dedcicncios."
The present deficiency IN the tund Tor the pay OF
the navy has continued from year to year back tho
Into war II Is not, therefore, chargeabe to any
year. but has been occasioned both by insufficient os-
having been for eight OF the last nino years consider
ably less than tho estimates This state OF facts sug
gcsts the inquiry, How tho department been
oled TO pay Tor scries Of years sum larger than tho
appropriations Tor tho same vears-that is, with
continuing deficiency The solution can only DO
reached by ascsr,anipg how and from what appro-
pria0ns money has been placed in the hands CT pay.
masters on foreign stations.
Alter entering into lengthy discussion Of the
ner IN which money for the pay of officers and men
has been borrowed from ono fund and another, tho
Secretary states that tho amount annually due officers
ana enlisted men Of tho navyfs settled by statute,
and the department has control II, and has
such discqetion Will enablo II 10 cconomize IN tho
Considering all OF tho embarrassments OF the situa
tion, and to place TINS fund in the position
desired, SO that the annual appropriations
therefor could be advsedly made by Congress, with
holding the payments for April, May and June last
preparation for tho present fiscal year had been ap-
pcd TO that purpose Ii this had not been done tho
deficiency would have been chargeable to the present
year, whore II does not properly belong instead Of to
the last year, whore II does belong.
There is now duo tins account tho sum OF
81, 6S8 10, for which It is necessary TO ask an
Appropriation BY Congress-
here is also due Tor the samo quarter the sum OF
sali g53 90 advanced for tho ioresn service by the
fnaIcial agents Of tho government In London, ex-
elusive oi the sum shown on the pay rolls.
These sums added make 81, 64I 90.
There is also due 10 officers account OF arrcarago
and difference of pay $l5O,000 which, added tho
foregoing, makes ST. 0os GAL 90 due pay Of the navy
There is now aur 10 tns Hospital Iund $40 900,
which, in consequence OF tue relation between tins
and tho pay fund.-, should DO added to tho foregoing,
making u total denciency OF 81, Dos, GAL 60
ihc pay Of officers und enlisted mon IN
the Marine corps was deficient at the
close OF the last fiscal year by The ot St02l9 S.
or which an appropriation Is necessary. This, addod
to tho amount above stated, makes the total deficiency
asked or ny tho secretary $1,000, SCI y. This APP
TO avail itself more satisfactorily Of the advantages
arising from the moro prompt settlements OF the ac-
mates Of expenditures and thereby enable Congress
TO ASCERTAIN with greater accuracy sums an nually
necessary for The support OF the navy. IL Is also be-
cvod II will secure greater economy in expenditures.
ANTICIPATED NOMINATIONS BY THE PRESIDENT.
II probable that the President will tomorrow nom
inalc the Senate General Harlan Kentucky bc
Associate Justice Of the Supreme Court; Theodore
Roosevelt to be Collector OF the Port OF New York; E.
A. MorritI Naval ofcor, and Mr. Bcued,ct Surveyor
OF he same port AZ the Cabinet to-day definitely so
tied upon those appointments
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FELLOW CITIZENS or THE SENATE AND House. or REP
REsEyTATfvEs:-
The adjournment OF tho last Congress without max.
ing appropriations Tor tho support tho army for the
present nsca year has rendered necessary suspen-
sion OF payments to tho officers and Of the sums
due them for services rendered after tho Soth day OF
June last. Tho army exists by virtue OF statutes
which prescribe It's numbers, regulate organization
and employment and which nx the pay OF It's officers
and mon and declare their rights TO receive thc same
at stated periods. Tho statutes, however do no,
authorize the payment OF the troops In the absence Of
specific appropriations therefor.
The constitution has wisely provided that .no
money shall drawn from the treasury but IN conse
qucnco OF appropriations madc by law;r and IL has
also declared by statute that no department OF
the government shall expend in any fiscal y oar
any sum In excess OF appropriations made by Con-
grcss for that nsca year" We have therefore, an
army in service authorized by law and entitled 10 DO
M IA hut M funds availabc that purDosc NAV