Year: 1876

The following is the message sent by
the President to Congress, June II:


To the Senate and House Of Representatives:


The near approach of new fiscal year
and the failure of Congress up to this time
to provide necessary means to continue all
functions of the government, makes it my
duty to call your attention to embarrass-
ments that must ensue if the fiscal year is
allowed to close without remedial action on
your part.


The President here quotes the provisions
eff the laws and Constitution, saying their
effect is to prohibit any outlay of public
money toward defraying even current
and necessary expenditures of the govern
ment after the expiration of the year for
which appropriated, except when those ex-
penses are provided for by some permanent
appropriation, and, excepting in the War
and Navy Departments, the number OF per-
manent appropriations are very limited,
and cover but few of the necessary expendi-
lures of the government. They are nearly
all, il not quite all, embraced in sections
1857, 1854, and 1869 of the revised
statutes, while section 3,679 provides that
no department shall in any one fiscal year
involve the government in any contract Tor
the future payment of money in excess OF
the appropriation for that year. Section
O,0(Z COnlcTS, Dy ClcdI IuDllCdtlOu, upOu tuC
heads of the War and Navy Departments full
authority, even in the absence of any ap-
preparation, to purchase or contract for
clothing, subsistence, forage, fuel, quarters,
or transportation, not exceeding the necessi.
ties of the current year. The latter provi-
sion is special and exceptional in its charac-
ter, and is to be regarded as to be excluded
from the operations of the former more gen.
eral one. But if any of the appropriation
bills enumerated should fail to be matured
before the expiration of the current fiscal
year, the government would be greatly EN-
barrassed for want of necessary funds
to carry on the service. Precluded from
expending money not appropriated, the
department would have to suspend service
so far as the appropriation for it should have
failed to be made. A careful examination of
this subject will demonstrate the embar-
rassed condition all branches Of govern.
ment will be in, and especially the Executive,
if there should be failure to pass the
necessary appropriation bills before the 1st
of July, or otherwise provide. l com.
mend this subject most earnestly to
your consideration, and urge that some
measure be speedily adopted to avert
the evils which would result from
non-action by Congress. will venture a
suggestion by way of remedy that joint
resolution, properly guarded, might be
passed through two Houses Of Congress, ex'
tending the provisions of all appropriations
for the present fiscal year to next in all
cases where there is failure on the 1st oi
July to supply such appropriation, each ap
preparation SO extended to hold good un
til Congress shall have passed the cor
responding appropriation applicable to the
new fiscal year, when all moneys expended
under the laws enacted for this fiscal year
shall be deducted from the corresponding
appropriation for the next. To make my
ideas on this subject more clear, l have
caused to be drawn up a joint resolution
embodying them more fully.


u. s. GRANT.


ExECIrTJyE MANsION lima II 1874