The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-10-17
WARRINGTON.
Deficiencies aor which Appro.
pFiaIiOnS Will be Asked,


WASHINGTON, October l0.-The follow.
ing Is a statement Of the deficiencies for
which appropriations are asked by the
Secretary OF the Navy: Pay OF navy,
amount due Seltgnian Bros. Of London,
miscellaneous claims arising upon ar.
rears Of pay, ETC., naval hospital fund
and pay Of marine corps. Other defcisn.
cies exist for SUMS due for construction
anil repairs arising out Of contracts with
individuals and for clothing, steam ma.
chinery, timber, etc. These will be com.
municated at the approaching regular
session.
The Secretary states that the difficulties
attending the Standardization Of finan.
ces Of his office, have grown out OF the
diversion Of appropriations from special
objects, to which they have been applied
by law and their expenditure for other
and different objects for which appropri.
atoms have been insufficient. This has
been oCcasiOned by the fact that Congress
has frequently appropriated less than the
wants otthe service demanded. This was
specially the case last year. The Secre-
tary continues that II has been supposed
necessary, sometimes, to borrow temper.
arily from one fund to aid another, but
II does not seem that any such
justification can exist in cases where
borrowing as designated ia to make
up the deficient appropriation for Aspe.
cial purpose. Such a course, he thinks,
would enable the Secretary to substitute
his own official discretion for the require.
ments Of the law, and there would be no
legal limit to this discretion il de6ciin-
cies would exist or not according to
his pleasure. He is unwilling to assume
the responsibility, utprefers to admins.
ter the affairs Of the department in strict
obedience 10 thewill OF Congress. He states
that he has not allowed any part Of the
appropriation for the present fiscal year
to be expended before the year com.
menced. His object primarily was to
secure system Of administration by
means Of which the annual approprla.
tions Of the department can be more easily
and accurately ascertained and the causes
OF deficiency be more certainly and
satisfactorily known. He does not think
it right that the department shall seek to
accomplish results not contemplated or
directed by Congress. The Department
is creature Of law, and exists only at
the will and pleasure Of the law, is respon.
sible for not doing what the law directs to
be done, but is not responsible for failing
TO accomplish what the law does not di-
rect. The Secretary states that, acting
on this principle, he found it necessary
to omit the pay Of the officers and men Of
the Navy for the last quarter Of the last
fiscal year, as the appropriations made
by Congress were insufficient and it was
not possible to make the payment without
drawing upon the appropriations for the
present fiscal year in advance. So he has
regarded it as better course to treat the
deficiency as belonging to the last fiscal
year to avoid any deficiency for the pres
ent year, unless it shall arise necessarily
out OF an omission TO make the necessary
appropriation. This result cannot be fully
accomplished without aid and direction
OF Congress 10 be so rendered as to enable
the business properly chargeable to the
last fiscal year to be closed up Us far as
possible by the payment Of the existing
indebtedness to the officers and men OF the
navy, so that the department may be ena.
bled to confne all appropriations for the
present fiscal year 10 the objects and
within the amounts fixed by law. III
thereby some Of the branches OF the ser
vice suffer temporarily and some OF the
objects remain unaccomplished, it is bet
ter that they should remain so until ad.
ditional appropriations are made than
that the department should exercise the
discretionary power Of creating de6cien-
cies. The present deficiency in the fund
for the pay OF the navy has continued
from year to year back to the late war.
1t is not, therefore, charseable to any one
year, but has been occasioned both by
insufficient estimates and insufficient
appropriations, the latter having been for
eight OF the last nine years considerable
less than the estimates. This state OF
facts suggests the inquiry; How has the
Department been enabled TO pay for a
series OF years, a sum larger than the
appropriations for the same years, that Is
witha continuing deficiency? The solu.
tion can only be reached by ascertaining
how and from what appropriations money
has been placed in the hands Of paymas-
ters on foreign stations.
After entering into lengthy discus.
sion Of the manner in which money for
the pay OF officers and men had been bor.
rowed from one fund and another, the
Secretary states that the amounts annu.
ally due officers and enlisted men Of the
navy is settled by statute, and the Depart.
ment has no control over it, and has no
such discretion as will enable it to econo-
mise in the annual expenditures, even il
desirable TO do 40. Considering all the
Of the situation, and to
place this fund in the position desired, so
that the annual appropriation therefor
could be advisedly made by Congress,
the Withholding Of the payments for
April, May and June last was absolute
ly unavoidable, unless a portion OF the
appropriation for the present fiscal year
had been applied to that purpose. II
this had not been done the deficiency
would have been chargeable TO the pres
ent year, where it does not belong, in
stead Of to last year, whereit does belong.
There is now due on this account ST..
4466Ss, for which it Is necessary to ask
an appropriation by Congress. There is
also due Tor the same quarter the sum OF
S3ll, ,95S advanced for foreign service by
the financial agent in London, exclusive |
OF the sum shown on the pay rolls. These
sums added make Sl,75s,64l. There is
also due to officers on account Of arrearage
and difference in pay Sl5O,O0O, which |
added to the foregoing makes Sl,9Os,94l |
due for the pay Of the navy and necessary
to be appropriated for that purpose.
There is now due to the hospital fund |
$50 900, which in consequence Of the rela.
ton between this and the pay fund should
be added to the foregoing, giving total
defciecy Of $l,95S,63l. The pay OF the
officers and enlisted men in the marine
corps was deficient at the close OF the
last fiscal year by the sum Of S45,2l9.
AcHANCE FOR INVENTORS.
The India government offers u prize Of
. 900 pounds for the beat and 1000 for
the second best machine or process for the |
Of ramie fibre.
The nominations will be sent to the
a.. -