The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-21
A LOUISIANA COMMISSIONER PRO-
POSES TO PAY HIS SHARE OF THE
EXPENSE BILL.
CORES spOndence Between Hon. John c
brown and Secretary sherman.


Brown and Secretary sherman.
WASHINGTON, June 2O.-The following cor
re5pOndence explains itself:
512 THIRTEENTH STREET, NORTHWEST,
Washington, ID. c., June 49, 1873. !
Hon. John Sherman, Secretary United States
Treasury, Washington:
Sjr-At late hour to-day my attention
was called to the discussion yesterday In the
Senate of proposition to pay the expenses Of
the commission sent to Louisiana by the
President in the spring of 1877. When | ac-
Cepted q place on that commission I believed,
as / now do that the President had un-
dOubtedly authority to constitute it, as we'll
as to order the payment Of it's expenses,
which was done by an officer detailed from
your department charged with that duty.
Since, however, the Senate by a majority
vote tabling the proposition referred to, has
questioned the legality of these diSburse-
ments, 1 cnnnot consent that either yourself
or the banker who furnished the fund should
be chargeable with such portion Of the
amount as was expended on my account, and
therefore inClOse sight draft on New York
for 1927 63 which embraces the two items Of
travelling expenses for myself and one-fifth Of
the general account. If you will have the in
terest account made up will most cheerfully
remit that also, as well as any additional
amount that may appear proper for me to
account for.
| am, sir, very respectfully, your Obedient
servant JOHN G. Brown
WASHINGTON, June 20, 1873.
To Hon John C Brown. Washington, D. G.:
Your letter of the eighteenth instant, in
closing a check payable to my order tor
1927 63 being One-tifth part Of the money ex-
pended for the expenses Of the commission
sent to Louisiana by the President In the
spring Of 1877, is received. am directed by
the President to return this draft to you un-
collected, as he is Of the opinion that Con-
gress will yet make provision for this eexpen-
al iftrrn lat ,fc $hnf
to pay any part of it.
| As you know, the President was called upon
In April, 1877, in the exercise OF nigh cOnstl-
tuti,nal duty, and In an emergency when two
| rival State governments were arrayed against
| each other in open armed hostility, threaten
| ing at any moment the public peace, to send
| to Louisiana q com mission OF five distln-
| guished citizens, of whom you were one, under
written instructions not only to aid him by
reliable information, but to prevent by their
presence and influence actual collision and
civilRwar.
This duty you and the other members OF
| the com mission voluntarily assumed and
faithfully performed. In the absence OF an
appropriation of public money available fof
| the expenses of the commission, the then AS
sistant Secretary of the Treasury invited
from the First National Bank of New York a
loan OF the sum needed, and it was Cheertully
| granted and the money was expended under
| your direction. 1t was not doubted but tnal
Congress would, as in innumerable similar
cases of the exercise Of a legal power by al
executive officer, reimburse the money ther
expended for an object unforeseen when Con
gress was in session.
In this case | have assurances from Sena
tors that the money would probably have
been appropriated but that the amendment
proposed was at so late a period OF the ses
sion as to delay and endanger the passage o
one OF the leading appropriation blils. cal
| not doubt but Congress at its next session, ,wheI
this subiectwill be again presented, will maxi
the necessary appropriation; but If it doe
not, the President will feel it his duty to con
| tribute from his own means this impOFtan
permitting you to reimburse any portion Of il
Very respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN, Secretary.