Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-23
oAIl, poST-InTEluGFncfR


The suggestion that the surplus fevs-
nos OF the General Government be DIS
tributsd among the several States
which, through the late letter OF Mf.
Blaine, has been gieen much prom
hence, il not q Lew one. The pfop~F
ton WAS first recommended by fhs
a.,,t Andrew Jackson. ID IT, niess'a e
TO Congress in 1873. aud AGAIN in i''"
n. referred 10 The difficulty OF - 40
mating ia. tariff ,Lai he ..seaacs
vould but slightly exceed TIE oeiiaho-
for experditure, and sueeestsd tnr' |"
racessar, Congress saouei pr"Pos7 I'd
the States Al Amendments to ihs red
sraI constitution, autho. zia2 legi'ia-
tion for the dist -ibI ioa 81 tlis surplus
AMONG the several States. He consul
ersd the appropriation by Congress Vi
money for internal improvements -
unconstitutional, but suggested tnss
vhen the money Was distribated among
the States such improvements could be
the, made by the States themselves
This was plainly " whipping the devii
around the stump yet the Presidents
suaeest,sns we're acted upon py Ion.
0reas in the passage Of law approved
June q. 1896. This act provided for
tho deposit with tie Treasurers OF the
several States Of s37, 46s $50 in four In
stallments during the year 1887. Three
of the four installrnents were IN pur u
anos OF the PROVISIONS Of that act de-
posted in the Treasures OF Che several
States, the Secretary OF the treasury
taking certificates of deposit therefor
from competent State authorities.
These certificates pledged the faith OF
the State 10 keep safely the deposit.
and nav it back when called upon by
the Government. When the time came
ia make the last or fourth deposit there
vas no surplus in the Treasury for that
purpose. In this emergency President
Van Buren, called An extra session OF
Congress, at which, after a bitter con-
test. u bill was passed providing for
postpouement of the last deposit until
January l, 1889. and containing an
amendment, stating that the depoaits
already made SHOULD remain until call
cd for by Congress. when January l.
1889, came along there WAS no surplus
available for the payment OF the fourth
installment, and there never has since
been a surplus ia the United States
Treasury above the debts and estimated
Expenditures Of the Government. The
amount Of the three installments paid
was 81, lOi. GAS. Recently Virginia and
Arkansas have made application to the
Secretary Of the Treasury for payment
Of their portions Of the fourth install.
unent. Il il not improbable that somt
leQislatiOn will be enacted this winter
70 effect that purpose. Mr.. Knox
Comptroller of the Currency. from
whose recent address before the Wash
ington Philosophical Society the fore
going data are obtained, said that It II
generally believed that the moneys de-
posited by the Government in this man
ner were for the most part wasted o.
employed in unnecessary works Of in
ternni Improvement. In many of tn
States, however, a considerable portion
Of the income derived from this funs
has been appropriated to the support o
public schools, and in some the incom
from the whole fund has been devote,
from the date Of its deposit to the edu
cation Of the people.