The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-10-18
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


making appropriations for the support of the
army for the present fiscal year has rendered
necessary a suspension of payments to the
officers and men of the sums due them for
services rendered after the 30th day of June
last. The army exists by Write of statutes,
which prescribe its numbers, regulate its
organization and employment, and which
fiE the pay of its officers and men, and de
clare their right TO receive the same at
stated periods The statutes however, do
not authorize the payment of the trOOp9 in
the absence of specific appropriations there
for. The Constitution has wisely provided
that no money shall be drawn from the Treas
! ury but in cOns5JUence OF appropriations
| made by law; and it has also been declared
by statutes that no department of the Covert
! ment shall expend in any one fiscal year any
sum in excess of the appropriation made by
Congress for that fiscal year. We have, there
fore, an army in service, authorized by law,
and entitled to be paid, but nc funds avail
| able for that purpose. Ii may also be s-ld,
as an additional incentive to prompt action
| by Congress, that since the commencement
| of the fiscal year, the army, though with
| out pay, has been constantly and actually
| employed in arduOus and dangerous service,
| in the performance of which both officers
and men have discharged their duty with
! fidelity and courage, and without complaint.
/ These circumstances, In my judgment, con-
! stitute extraordinary occasion requiring
| Congress to be convened If advance of the
! regular session. The impOI tance of speedy
| action upon this subject on the part of Con-
! gress is so manifest that | venture
! to suggest the prOPriety of making
| the necessary appropriations for the support
| of the army for the current year at its pres
| ent maximum numerical strength Of 5000
men, leaving for future consideration ali
! questions relating to an increase or decrease
of the number of enlisted men. In the event
| of the reduction of the army by subsequent
| legislation during the fiscal year, the excess
of the appropriation cOUild not he expended
and in the event of its enlargement the
additional sum required for the payment
of the extra force could be provided
in due time. 1t would be unjust to the troops
now in service and whose pay is already
| largely in arrears, If payment to them should
be further postponed until after Congress
shall have considered all the questions likely
to- arise in the effort to fix the proper limit
to the strength of the army. The estimates
of the appropriations for the support OF the
military establishment tor the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1878, were transmitted to Con-
gress by the former Secretary of the Treas
Hry at the opening of It's session IN Decem-
Der last. These estimates modified by the pres
ent Secretary SO as to conform to the present
requirements are now renewed, amounting
to $32, ,436, 764, ,9S, and having been transmit
ted to both Houses of Congress, are submit.
ted for your consideration. There is also re-
quired by the Navy Department $2O,O3O,
S6i.27. This sum is made up of 81 ,446, ,SSS.16
due to officers and enlisted men for the last
quarter of the last fiscal year; $311, ,953.5O
due for advances made by the fiscal
agent of the Government for the
support of the foreign service, and
S. 1900 due to the Naval Hospital fund,
S150,OO0 due for arrearages of pay to officers
and $45, ,219.5S for the support of the marine
corps. There will also be needed an apprO-
priatiOn of $262, 1892 20 defray the unset
tied expenses of the United States Courts for
the fiscal year ending June 80 last, now due
to attorneys, clerks, commissioners and mar
shals, and for rent of COurtrOOms, the sup
port of prisoners and other deficiencies A
part of the building of the Interior Depart
ment was destroyed by fire on the 24th of
last month. Some immediate repairs and |
temporary structures have, in consequence, |
become necessary. Estimates for which will |
be transmitted to Congress Immediately, and
an appropriation of the requisite funds is re-
spectfully recommended. The Secretary of |
OF the Treasury will communicate to Congress
in connection with the estimates for the aP-
preparation for the support of the army Tor |
the current fiscal year, an estimate for such !
other deficiencies in the different branches of
the public service require immediate ac- |
ton, and cannot, without inconvenience, be !
postponed until the regular session, and take |
this opportunity to invite your attention to |
the prOpriety of adopting at your present |
session the necessary legislation 20 enable !
the people of the United States to participate |
o
bitiOn of the agricultural industry and the |
fine arts which is to be held at Paris IN 1873, |
and to which this Government has been in |
vited by the government of France to take |
part This invitation was &C mmunlcated to |
this government IN May, 1876, by the minis !
ter of France at this capital, and a copy
thereof was submitted to the proper commit |
tee of Congress at its last session, but no ac- /
ton was taken upon the subject The De- |
partment of State received many letters from !
various parts of the country expressing de-
sire to participate in the Exhibition, and nu-
merOus applications of a similar nature have |
also been made at the United States legation !
at Paris The Department of State has also |
received official adviCes of the stl Ong desire !
on the part of the French Government that !
the United States should participate IN the |
enterprise, and space has hitherto and is |
still reserved in the Exhibition building for |
the use of exhibitors from the United Safes, |
to the exclusion of other parties who /
have been applicants therefor. In /
order that our industries may be prop /
erly represented at the Exhibition, an sapprO- |
priatiOn will be needed for the payment of |
salaries and expenses OF Commissioners, for /
the transportation of goods and for other |
purposes, in connection with the object IN /
view AS MAY next is the time fixed for the /
opening of the Exhibition, If our citizens are
to share the advantages of this International |
competition for the trade of other nations,
the necessity of immediate action Is appa-
IL,
OpeTate, In the International Exhibition,
which was held at Vienna in 1873, Congress
the n passed Joint resolution making an ap-
preparation of 100000, and authorizing the
President to appoint certain number OF prac-
tical artisans and scientific men who should |
attend the exhibition and report proceedings
aud observations to him, A provision was /
also made for the appointment of number |
of honorary Commissioners. l have telt that |
prompt action by Congress IN accepting the
q ont Cfa - ,f
so much intert st to the people of this COUn- 4
trv, and so suitable 10 the cordial relations /
between the Governments of the two cOun- /
tries sthat the subject might properly be /
presented for attention at your present ses-
sion.
The Government of Sweden end Norway |
has addressed an official invitation to this /
Government to take part in the international /
Prison Congress to be held at Stockholm /
next year. The problem which the Congress |
proposes to study, how to diminish crime, is /
one in which all civilized nations have an 1
interest in common, and the Congress of /
Stockholm seems likely to prove the most /
important Convention ever held for the study /
of this grave question. Under authority of /
a Joint resolution of Congress, approved Feb
ruary Is, 1875, a Commission was appointed /
by my predecessor to represent the United
States upon that occasion, and the Prison
Congress having been, at the earnest desire
of the Swedish Government, postponed TO
1873, his Commission was renewed by me-
An appropriation of 5000 was made in the
sundry civil service act of 1875 to meet the
expenses of the Commissioners l recon-
mend the re-appFOpri ton OF that sum Tor
the same purpose, the former appropriation
having been covered into the Treasury; and
being no longer available for the purpose
without further action by Congress, the sub
ieet is brought t. your attention at this time
in view of the circumstances which render 1
il highly desirable that the Commissioner
should proceed to the discharge of his i'm
portant duties Immediately. As the several |
acts of Congress providing for detailed re- /
ports from the different departments Of the /
government require their submission at the i
heginnIng of the regular annual session. | |