Congress
rnftlip. siims annroDriated for
the contingent expences of For-
Exnp.nrli lures in the Statz Dvurl
ment. The Committee on so much of
the public accounts and expenditures as
relates to the State Department, made a
Tteport on the 5th u!t. which shows the
tronriety of President Adams's recom
mendation to Congress to have "an eye
to the strictest economy, " in the dis
bursement of the nublic monevs. Our
iimits will permit the insertion of a few
items only, specified in this interesting
document:
The Committee have seen with
surorise that, whilst the appropri-
4 7 A ,
ations have increased for the three
last years, the disbursements of
the Department have, for the same
time, greatly exceeded the annu
al appropriations, which will be
seen from comparing the state
ment furnished the Committee by
the Register of the Treasury with
the amount of appropriations, (ex
clusive of those for printing and
distributing the laws of Congress)
and which statement or summary
the Committee annex to this Re.
port, and, for its better identifica
tion, they designate it by the let
ter D.
The Committee upon contrast
ing the expenditures of the State
Department for the three last
years, with those years which pre
ceded them, cannot (consistently
with that economy which should
be exercised in the disbursement
of public money) account for the
increased expenditure. From the
statement annexed to the report
onungent ,,u. . ; - J" r-f L and, aftcr thc Prcsi-
H EST', , rnZ Z-& had been notified by Mr.
ill a i 1 1 , v..
i.11Utvi7 7
bnr. 1827. there was expended:!
In the year, 1825, $25,572 68
1820, 18,633 00
1827, 36,258 63
They have ascertained that, for
the vears 1825. '6, 7. there was
paid' out of that fund, for extra
clerk lure, the sum oi o,
which, with thesumofS!3,7li 24
expended for that purpose, of the
contingent fund of thc State De
uartment within the same period,
amounts, in the whole, to the sum
of $15,683 02: a sum nearly equa
to one-third of the amount annu
ally appropriated for the whole
clerks of the Department and Pa
tent Office.
From the statement B, it will
sident, with the advice of the Se
nate, proceeded witlitne minister
to thnt Court, and, after thc Presi-
King of his intention to return,
and aftcr his successor had been
appointed, and was on his way to
relieve him, the Minister retired
from thn Court. leaving thc said
John A. King in charge of the Le
gation, for the period of sixty-two
days, for which the before men
tioned compensation was allowed.
The payment of this claim, (in
the opinion of the Committee,)
was not authorized by law, nor
was it of that description of claims
which were designated to be paid
out of the contingent fund.
The Committee discard prece
dents made in violation of law, be
cause usurpation to-day, may (and
frequently does) become prece-
X IVJIU lllVy OilUVUHUV - f J . II 111 -j j J I
be seen, that $16,304 92, of the dent to-morrow. They can re
appropriations for the contingent commend no rule which promises
expences of foreign intercourse, (more safety than frequently to in
has been expended upon the cer-jquirc into delegated power; cotti
tificate of the Secretary of State; 'pare the act done with the autho
the greater part whereof has been! rity for doing it; and, in that way,
paid to the bearers of despatches, circumscribe the agents of the
They find, in the same state- Government (without respect to
ment, the sum . of $1,940 paid to grade) to the limits of their au
John II. Pleasants, for bearing authority,
despatches to Buenos Avres and!
Rio Janeiro, and his expenses.! Economy. In the remarks of
That Mr. Pleasants was employ-; Mr. J. S. Barbour, in Congress,
euby the Secretary of State to on the subject of a resolution of
nerform that service, and did sot fered b,f himself, he stated that
out on his journey, the Committee during the whole eight years of
believe to be true; but that he Mr.Monroe's administration, there
performed the journey particular!- was paia on vouchers indicating
nn Ins rirrnnnt nnfi fnr wliiMi "pfMft. sprvirn " nnlr &:"iffU)
ot the former Committee, made! he was paid, they believe to be whereas, during two years and
to the House in the session ofjuntrue. Whether prevented by nine months of Mr. Adams' ad-1824-5,
the expenditures of the .indisposition or otherwise, from ministration, there has been ex
Department for those years am- performing the service, the Com- pended for the same "service"
ounted to the sum of $35,311 18, mittce are of opinion thc facts $10,624 G3. Albany Argus.
should have been stated, and the
i
records of the country been made ! Gen. Jackson and thc Tariff.
to prove the services for which It will be recollected that last win
the public money was disbursed, ter the Senate of Indiana called
As the case now stands, they are upon Gen. Jackson, through their
furnished with no means of deter- Governor, to express his senti
mining upon the ademmcv of the ments on the subject of internal
compensation paid. All they can improvements, and the protection
say, irom tne evidence furnished. ot the domestic industry ot the
from the statement B, is, that the ,'countrv. The General has dei un
said John II. Pleasants was not led to answer this call. We sub-
entitled to compensation for bear-ljoin his reply.
averaging something more than
$17,000 per annum; when the ex
penditures for each of the years
embraced in the inquiries of thc
Committee, will average more
than $32,000.
As to the sunt necessary to
meet the exigencies of the De
partment for extra clerk hire,
which they find has uniformly
been $1000 that sum for the
three years would amount to
$3000; when, in fact, there was
expended, during that period more
than four times that amount.
The Committee have hereinbe
fore stated, that the amount ap
propriated for the printing and
distribution of the laws of Con
gress, for thc years before stated,
amounted to the sum of $47,500,
which, with $5,558, the unexpend
ed balance of former vears, am
ounted to the sum of $53,058. Of
that sum was expended for these
objects, in thc year 1825, $11,500
In 1826, 16,500
In 1827, 17,500
$45,500
The Committee beg leave to
add, that, from the document A, it
appears that thc sum of $197 was
paid to Peter Force out of the
contingent fund of the Depart
ment, for publishing proclama
tions ot Indian
Congress of May, 1820, it will ap
pear that the publication of such
treaties is expressly confined to
one paper, and that to be within
the limits of the State or Territo
ry to which the subject matter oi
such treaty shall belong.
V
ing despatches to Buenos Ayrcs
and Rio Janeiro.
In the same statement thev dis
cover an item of $200, paid upon
the certificate ot the Secretary of
state, to,Y. rrentiss, lor his ex
pences in delivering a box of
books to the Governor of Maine.
The vouchers are no evidence of
the description of books or of
their quality, so as to enable the
Committee to judge of the just
ness of the compensation, or of
thc fund out ot which it should
have been paid. They were in
formed, at the Register's office of
thc Treasury, that thev were the
Acts, Journals, or documents of
Congress. If so, such claim was
not chargeable upon thc contin
gent fund for foreign intercourse:
but upon the current expences of
thc Uepartment, and should have
been suported by proper vouchers.
Lin reierence to the sum of
treaties, when.
from a reference to the act of $5,258 15, paid to John A. Kins
On nrrrrc rr Tnf 1 P.Ci it will I fUm. a rr x
Charge des Affaires at London,
for sixty-two days' service, the
Committee remark:
John A. King had been ap
pointed Secretary of Lection tn
Rufus King, Minister to the Court
His Excellency, James B. Ray,
Uovcrnor oj Indiana.
Hermitage, Feb. 21, 1S2S.
Sir I have had the honor to
receive your excellency's letter, of
the 30th ultimo, enclosing a set of
resolutions of the Senate of Indi
ana, adopted, as it appears, with
a view of ascertaining my opinions
on certain political topics. The
respect which I entertain for the
Executive and Senate of your
state, excludes from my mind the
idea that an unfriendly disposition
dictated the interrogatories which
are proposed. But I will confess
my regret at being forced, by this
sentiment, to depart in the small
est degree, from that determina
tion on which I have always acted.
Not, sir, that t would wish to con
ceal my opinions from the people,
upon any political or national
subjects; but as they were in va
rious ways promulgated in 1825,
I am apprehensive that my ap
pearance before the public, at
this time, may be attributed, as
has already been the case, to im-pioperxmotivcs.
With these remarks,! pray you,
ixuu xving,ii,n,stcr to thc Court sir, respectfully to state to the
of St. James, in 1826, by the Pre-1 Senate of Indiana that mv onini-
ons, at present, are precisely v
they were in 1823 and '4, vvl
they were communicatedbvi
ter, to Dr. Coleman, of No ?"
Carolina, and when I votedf
thc present tariff and approJr
lions' for internal improve!'
As that letter was writton '
time when the divisions of
ment, on its subject, were -strongly
marked as they are J
and constitutionality of the ?
tern, it is enclosed herein; anfi
beg the favor of your excelled
to consider it a part of this com'
munication. The occasion, w
of which it arose, was embrace
with a hope of preventinJ
doubt, misconstruction, or neces
sity for further enquiry, respect!
ing my opinion on the subject ti
which you refer particularly it
those States, which you have de
signated as cherishing a policy as
variance with your own. Toprl
serve our invaluable, Constitutk
and be prepared to repel the h.
sion of a foreign foe, by theprac-
nce or economy, and the cultiva
tion, within ourselves of die meani
of national defence and indepen
dence, should be, it seems to me,
the leading object of any system
l. !- . .1
Wiiicii aspires 10 tne name of
"American," and of every prudent
administration of our government,
I trust, sir, that these genera!
views, taken in connexion with
the letter enclosed, and the votes
referred to, will be received as a
sufficient answer to the inquiries
suggested by the resolutions o;
the Senate. I will further ob
serve, to your excellency, that mv
views of constitutional power, anil
American policy, were imbibed
in no small degree, in the times,
and from the sages of the revolu
tion, and that my experience ha
not disposed me to forget their
lessons: and, in conclusion, 1 will
repeat that my opinions remain
as they existed in 1825 and '21
uninfluenced by the hopes of per
sonal aggrandizement; and that!
am sure they will never deprive
me of the proud satisfaction ct
having always been a sincere and
consistent republican.
Your most sincere servant,
ANDREW JACKSON
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1S2S.
0 We would freely insert the ace
tic of "S," provided we had the
of the author, or a reference"'6
that we will not publish anon)
communications, in which direct a'-11'1
is made to private individuals, un'e:S
responsible reference is given.
Town Officers. On Mondav
Dr.Ephraim Dicken was elected
trate of Police, and Gen. Louis n- ''
son, Mr. Solomon Pender, J5CPj
L,ioyci, J!sq. lienrv Austin, -r o
Mr. Geo. McWilliams, Commit0"'"
of Tarborough, for the ensuing )'e3r'
ftP We have heard it frequency ' 5;f
spelling the name of this cow
have the following varieties:
combe, Edgecomb, Edgcombc.an '';
'-Wv