Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-27
THE BOOKKEEPING OF THE
TREASURY.
Proposed improvements.


HllumO esIu.
Hon. Henry G. Davis. one Of the SEN
ators from West Virginia, who is a busi-
ness man OF considerable experience and
thoroughly converSant with that practi-
cal sort OF bookkeeping whlbh exhibits
actual balances and actual results, has
for some wears induStriou~ly sought 10
promote reforms in the complicated
system under which the books OF the
treasury are kept. This system EN-
bodies much that is excellent, inclUd-
ing many valuable checks and
balances. but no the same
time their i a want of CNactness in re-
lation between the actual cash and funds
in the treasury and the figures upon the
books These discrepancies have been
dwelt upon by Senator Davis at previous
sessions Of Congress, and in a bill intro
duced by him on Tuesday he proposes
10 relieve the treasurer that is % say,
the treasurer books 81 various amounts
charged 70 him and deposited with the
several States. The sums mentioned ln
this bill are the unavailable balances
which. by a book keeping fiction, are
supposed % be due from the States under
the act Oi June %. 1896, by which all
the surplus revenue of the country in
excess 0i five million oi dollars was dis
trihuted pro rata among the StateS,tO be
repaid o. the government IL ever needed
and called for bv IL through the Secre-
tarv of the Treasury. The money has
been needed several times since, Of
course, but il was never called for and
never will be, and the caCCOunt-S2N, lOl,-
G44ql-iS an altogether fictitious credit,
which should simply be wiped oil the
books, a. Senator Davis proposes. An
other. and q much mOve important meas
ure of reform In this direction, which
ought % tend 90 promote ecUnOmOny IN
many Of the departments and IN the
general administration OF the govern
ment is proposed iu bill offered by
Senator Davis on Wednesday. This
bIlI Is TO repeal certain laws relating 10
what are called permanent spprO-
priatiOns' 10 provides that all laws
heretofore made for apprOpiating
money ont of the general treas
ury for the whole line Of permanent,
specitic and indefinite annual objects
shall be- repealed. The appropriations
excepted from the operations OF this bill
are those for the interest on the public
debt, for the sinking iund, Tor Indians
and trust funds, and where provisions
have been made by law 90 meet the cx-
pense OF the construction OF public build
ings. The proposed reform covers a
larger ground than would appear az first
blush. Partisan newspapers claim that
the leading onjrcroi the bill Is tOpreyent
supervi-ors under the Federal election
laws from being paid their salaries
except bv direct and specific enact
ment OF Congress az each session, but
the measure is a Ear more searching one
than that. It, main object is 10 give
hack % Congress the power, which the
Constitution COnfers upon 20 exclusively,
of dispOsing Of the public moneys col
lected under its authority. The idea OF
permanent appropriations Is offensive 10
the principle Of constitutional govern
ment. and the practice Is Of very recent
growth IL has, however, assumed very
large proportions. Thus in the book
% estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1850, submitted by the Secreta-
~ Of the Treasury 20 the House OF Rep
resentatives at its last annual session,
the aggregate OF permanent annual ap-
propriatiOns estimated for was Sl45,934,-
y3S -, out OF total estimates amounting
% S27j. .l37, 80 81, the permanent APP
preparations being thus SO per cent. OF
the whole amount appropriated. OF
this sum sf nearly Sl46,0O0OOO called
permanent, the amount asked for inter /
est on the public debt was sol, l22, 500, /
Tor interest on Pacific railroad bonds T.
S,S77,ilO, and for sinking fund .
SIS, ,SO2,: SIS, leaving Tor miscellaneous .
'Permangnt' about Sl2. .2OO.OOO. IL il /
claimed by many that there il not. as I
vet, anything actually due the sinking /
fund, since the excesses in payment of |
the principal Of the public debt made |
by Secretaries McCulloch, Boutwell, and
BristOw have not vet been exhausted. If
taken as balances against the total
amount due TO the sinking fund to date.
But be this as il may, there does not
seem 20 be any good reason why the
discretion OF Congress should not be
kept as absolute in this matter OF ap-
ProPriations as its power undoubtedly
Is.