The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-10-25
Report Of the Secretary Of the Navy.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.
Following is the statement of the defcien-
cies for which appropriations are asked by
Sec'y Thompson: Pay of the navy; amount
due seligman Bros, London; miscellaneous
claims arising upon arrears of pay, ETC.; Naval
Hospital lund; pay of Marine Corps. Other
deficiencies exist for sums for construction
and repairs arising out of contracts with indi-
viduals, for clothing, steam machinery, tim
ber, etc. These will be communicated at the
approaching regular session. The Secretary
states that the difficulties attending the ad-
minstration of the finances of his office have
grown out of a diversion Of appropriations
from the special objects to which they have
been applied by law, and their expenditure ear
other and different objects for which the ap-
preparations have been insufficient. This has
been occasioned by the fact that Congress has
frequently appropriated less than the wants of
the service demanded. This was specially the
case last year.
The Secretary continues that it has been sup
posed necessary sometimes to borrow tempera-
rily from one fund to another, but it does not
seem that any such justification can exist in
cases where the borrowing is designed to make
up deficient appropriations for special pur-
poses. He states that he found it necessary to
omit the pay of officers and men of the navy
for the last quarter of the fiscal year, as the
appropriations made by Congress were INSULT
cient, and it was not possible to make pay
ments without drawing upon the appropria-
tions for the present fiscal year in advance, so
he has regarded it as the better course to treat
the deficiency as belonging to the last fiscal
year, and not to any deficiency for the present
year, unless it shall arise necessarily out OF
omission to make the necessary appropriations.
This result cannot be fully accomplished
without the aid and direction of Congress to
be so rendered as to enable business properly
chargeable to the last fiscal year to be closed
up as far as possible by the payment of exist
ing Indebtedness to the officers and men of the
navy, so the Department will be enabled to
conine all appropriations for the present fiscal
year to the objects and within the amounts
fixed by law.
After entering into lengthy discussion of
the manner in which money for the pay OF Off
GERS and men has been borrowed from one fund
and another the Secretary relates that the
men of the navy is settled by statute, and the
Department has no control over it, and has no
such discretion as will enable it to economiZe in
the annual expenditure even If desirable to do
SO. Considering all the embarrassments of
the situation, and to place this fund IN the po-
sition desired SO that the animal appropriation
therefor could be advisedly made by Congress,
the withholding of the payments for April,
May and June last was absolutely unayoid-
able, unless portion of the appropriation for
the present fiscal year had been applied for
that purpose. If this had not been done the
ucucicnCy WOulu nhSc Dccu W tiC
present year, where it does not properly be-
long. There is now due on this ac-
count the sum of $1,446,6SS, for which
it is necessary to ask an appropriation
by Congress. There is also due for the same
quarter the sum of $311 1853, advanced for the
foreign service by financial agents of the Gov
ernment in London, exclusive Of the sum
shown on the pay-rolls. These sums added
make 81. .75S,64l. There is also due to officers
on account of arrcarage and difference Of pay,
3150, 900, which, added to the foregoing, makes
81 ,90S, GAL due for pay of the Navy, and ncccs-
sary to be appropriated for that purpose.
There is now due to the Hospital Fund
1900, which in consequence of the relation
between this and the Pay Fund should be added
to the foregoing, making total deficiency OF
u, ,95S,64
The pay Of the officers and enlisted men ir,
the Marine Corps was deficient at the close Of
the last fiscal year by the sum of $45,219, for
which an appropriation is necessary. This,
added to the amount above stated, makes the
total deficiency asked for by tine Secretary, OF
81, OU3, ,S61. This appropriation, it is believed,
will enable the Department to avail itself more
satisfactorily OF the advantages arising from
the more prompt settlements of accounts OF
payfnastcrs In making up its annual estimates
OF expenditures, and thereby enable Congress
to ascertain with greater accuracy the sums
annually necessary for the support Of the
navy. It Is also believed it will secure greater
economy IN expenditures.