The Evening critic., 1882-04-11

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IN THE issue of yesterday THE CRITIC
said it would, to-day, show how easily
Members of Congress can be deceived into
doing things they do not intend, and it
now proceeds to redeem its promise. In
the act establishing permanent govern
ment for the District of Columbia, approved
June II, 1873, the following language is
used:
The said Commissioners shall submit to the
Secretary of the Treasury, for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1879, and annually there
after, for his examination and approval,
statement showing, in detail, the work pro.
posed to be undertaken By them during ute fiscal
gear neIt ensuing, and the estimated cost
thereof.
This law is mandatory, and prescribes
duty that must be performed upon the
part o. the District Commissioners, and is
"a part of the contract under which the
United States agrees to pay one-half Of the
expenses of the District. The reference to
the Secretary of the Treasury is intended
to prevent reckless and unauthorized
expenditure of money for the one-half of
which the United States would be made
liable.
The act of June 90, 1873 (chap. 359), the
Sundry Civil bill, making appropriations
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1879,
contains the following paragraph:
For the general expenses of the District Of
of Columbia, 10 be disbursed by the CommiS-
missioners of said District for The purposes set
JtrM IL their estimates Of January 81, 1878, as
amended June 4, 1873, one million two hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars.
Here was the limit set by the Commis-
sioners' estimates, the act of Congress
and the law establishing the government,
but the limit was not observed. Instead OF
only using s2,500,000, the sum to which
they were limited by the act, we find the
Commissioners asking for deficiency, and
on the Sd day of March, 1879, in the closing
hours of the session, in the Deficiency bill
(cbap. 1879. is to be found the following:
That the sum Of Si66,533.23 be appropri-
ated TO supply deficiency In the appro
priations for the expenses OF the District oi
Columbia for the fiscal year 1879. The
said amount taken in connection with the
$1,25O,000 appropriated June 20, 1873, fol
the general expenses OF the District OF Colum-
In accordance iCitH Me estimates Of The said Com
miss'oneys Qfsdid District apprOted By the Secye
td,y ofMe Treasury.
Nearly one hundred thousand dollars O
this sum was not expended in "accordanc'
with the estimates approved by th'
Secretary of the Treasury" and the ac-
counting officers of the Treasury very
properly refused TO allow tho amount 81
expended. They could not help but refus
under the law. The Commissioners hat
violated the law in the expenditure anC
had made themselves and their bondsme
liable for the amount thus expended
They are still liable for it, and it is no excus
to say the money was honestly expended
even if it was. 1t was done in violation q
law.
Now comes in clause in the Distric
Appropriation bill, commencing at line p
which reads
And the accounting officers OF the Treasur
are authorized 10 credit the Commissioners
The District with the amounts expended fC
the replacement OF wooden paYements undC
contracts duly reported TO Congress In III
reports Of the Commissioners for the YET
ending June 80, 1870.
That is an exceedingly modest and seen
ingly just direction, but it relieves ii
Commissioners and their bondsmen fro
liability for nearly 100000 incurred
them for misapplication of public fun
in 1879.
Would il not be we'll for some of the Law
makers to examine into this subject befo
they condone the offense committed, al
thus become parties to it. The act W
committed in open defiance of the pla
provisions of the law by men who ka
what they were doing, not by half-craz
fanatics like Guiteau aud Mason, aud tn
should be made responsible to the law al
not be permitted to eyade it by sneakii
into an appropriation bill clause whi
not one man in twenty who is called up
to vote ON it would know the intent Of.
IL the Commissioners are to be reliey
from the liability incurred by them, let
be done by bill openly introduced
that purpose and plainly stating its obje
The CRITIC does not intend that a
Member of Congress shall vote for this
without knowing exactly what he is abo
SO Think They All Of Them.