, 1877-10-17
TIE NAVY.

TIE NAVY.
SECRETARY TnoMrsoN's nEroRT.
WARRINGTON, D. C., Oct. tG.~-FolfowtnE Is
the abatement Of the deficiencies for which np- |
prupriations arc asked by the SecretaEy Of the
Navy: PAY Of the navy; amount due eetfgmAn
Bros, Loudon; miscellaneous claims arising |
upon arrears Of pny. etc; nayal hospital fund: /
cav Of Marine Corps. Other deficiencies exist /
for sun,s for construction and fcpairs n.istnR |
out Of contracts With iniyIduals, for c1utll'nc,
steam, machinery, timber, etc. These will be
communicated ut the approaching regular session.
The Secretary states that the difficulties attend
Ing the administration of thu finances OF his
ot1ltc have grown out Of diversion uf apprUpria-
tons fron, the special objects to wh!chthey have
been applied by law, and their expenditure for
other and different objects for which the aprro-
p,iations hayc becn insufficient. This has been
occastonctl by tho fart that Congress has ffc-
oucpt]y appropriated 1eas tlAn the wnnts OF
tho teryice demanded. This was specially the
case Inst year.
The Secretary continues TINT It has tecn sup.
posed necessary sometimes 10 borrow temporal
rtiy fsom one fund to nEi another, but It DOES
not seem that auy tuch Qualification cat exist
In cases whcse the borrowing ia designed to
MAKE rp DEFICIENT APPROPRIATIONS
for special purposes. Such q course, be thinks,
wosla be tnanifcssly attended with coisc.
ouence that it would enable the Secretary to
substitute Ills own official discretion for the re-
oufsemcnts Of the law. md there would be no
legal ltmtt to tlls discretion DEFICIENCIES wouid
exist or not according u his pleasurv. 1ie Is
unwilling to assume this responsibility, Dae
prefers to administer the nlulfs VI the Depart
ment In ststct obedience to the will o9 Gun
4rtss. Thus Ieetnin,, at ts!c commencement OF
Ills service. 10 states he has not allowed Any
q lima fur
| ascal ycas to DC expended tetotc the ye1r cutn"
Mrncsi. Ills object primarily Was to secure q
! srssem OF naturalization " 1neans Of which
| tie annual appropriations of the Department
eau bc more easily aud accuFstc!y ascest.lued,
and tllu eauses Ut deficiency certnihly ami sat
| isfac,orily known.
The Secretary docs not think It right that tiic
not contemplated or directed by Cum
xrops. The Department Ia tug crehtufs
Vi the Law. anil exists ont. nt tue VIII afso gleas
urc of the Law; Is re*pons9his Tor nut .soinf:
what the 1aw DIRECTS to BE- donse, but II hot
Iaw toes rot direct. :.
Tie Sccretar, states that, actluR on tA!s prln,
dplc, he found It necessary - "thls tt'e psY o.
tic Officers uni men U! the navy foF Tue last
quarter Of thu fiscal year. as tie appropriations
a,aie by Congress- wcrs Insufficient, at'd It was
| not possible to mike payments Without usnNtnG
upu,l the appropriations tut the present nstsat
year in rlyaocr, So he i,ns regarded Il ~ the
better course to treat thu deficiency 'sa belonging
to tho last fsrai ycar, and not IL atY deficiency
for the present year, un1css It shall aFtse he'1a-
| earilY out Ut omission to nlnkc tue necrBsHry
representations.
Fhis rcsult cannot bc fully accomplished With
out
TIE AID AND DIRECTION Or cosohsss
clsrgrsblr to the list Acul yeur u bc closed up
| a. IN u possible BY thu paylneut uG extstlng
Indebtedness to tde onisvts and mcn "f the
uoiIne @ I'll IN APPROPRIATIONS for tue ptrscnt ilIsui
sea Ssat y Ia. e sae,eSy, .ous OF IT, IT, o'ses
Of tho service suficr temporarily, and soue ob-
:shoa!d rens 70 until .aditouai apufopr!..lun,
elu nude, than tha. thu Department should
t cxcrgIao tau discretionary power Of CREATING de-
acicn.ic..
Of lie navy has continued fro,a year to ycs,
back 10 tie late War. II u not, therefore,
cha1gcable - any one year, but has l'esn us..
stoned 10th BY Insufficient estimates snd lnsut,
Tor eight OF the last niue years considerably
less than tho estimates. This ttatc Of faets
suggests the inquiry, How laa the Department
larger than tho appropriations for the sAsne
yesrs, that IT, ..
WITHOUT CONTINUING TIE pkFtc'ENc1a
The solution eau ou!y be sratlt~& by ascertain
; ing how and tr,,tu wIa4t appropriations Tile
money has Lcep nistrd III The hands of lhs Fay
masters on foreign statipn..
After entering Into lrH.lhy d!acussto" q
tic .uanne1 Ia which tauncy for The pay of ooi
crfs and men has been harruwrtl from ono iu,lt
!. and apothcs tho Secretary relatcs tAat th'
amount annually .lus thu utfccrs as1l Gull stct
Hen OF the navy Is settled " statute, at1l tn
| Urk,artmrnt has uu u,utrnl over It, and has u
zach discretion as will enable II Il, ccuhutnlxe
| the annual expenditure cTen It desirable u d.
20, Considering al tho embarrsssmeuts OF IT.
situatiur and to place tllis fund In the pos1tio
| dcsirei 70 tAaL tue annual appropriation there
i tor could be s.lylsr,lly uado by Cur
Rrcss. tho withholding Ut tho payment
: for April, May, md June last ~2s Il
vrIAuh1x. ,,nfnnA NJ III