Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

1781, from the very great d6. rangiiinent of public affairs, congrefs were induced to place the treafury deparcuient under the fuperintendence of an Individual. It is true, aker the conclufion of the war, in the latter end of 1783, or begining of 1784, congrels again changed their fyiteni, and placed the department in the hands of their coinmiflioners, to be taken as the gen- tleman lias faid, one from theeafiern, one from the mid- dle, and one from the fouchern diitrift, which regulation! think induced above twenty applications. Some gentle- men oi^ this floor will doubtlefs recollect an obfervatloa that was made at that time, that if this trull had been to be rcpofed in one refponfible individual, not perhajis more than three of the candidates would have had confidence to' come forward as applicants for the office. For iiis part he conceived, that it required the fama abilities in every individual of the coaimilhoners, as was n-'cclfary if a fnigle perfon was placed at the head of the department. If men competent to the undertaking are fo dilKcult to be found, you will encreafe the eu^bariairmenc of the prefident threefold by making the arrangment the gentleman contends for. The principle upon which the gentleman advocates the appointment of a board of trea- fury, 'vould aprdy in favor of a change in the conftitucion, and we ought to have three prefidents of the United States inttead of one, becaufe their bufmels might be done with more regulariiy and facility but he did not think the ; argument to be well founded. li it was the duty ofthehoafe, to ufe oeconomy in their eftabliihments, one officer would certainly require lefs fa- lary than three ; however, he believed, the arguments of the' ocntleman were premature. He fhould not find fault with the duties of the officer, before they were propofed to the coniideration of the committee. Hie motion under coniideration propofed nothing moi^e, than a fecretary Ihould be placed at the head of the depart- ment it faid Jiothing of the duties which he was to perforn'. When the bill cauie forward, no doubt, proper checks would be provided to prevent this officer from abuhng his trulL Mr. Baldwin Thoufrhtthat there were very few gentlemen, who had much Lolio with public bufmefs, but had turned their at- tention to thi!CiadtK)n. He had employed his refiedion A. 1789. Of C O N G n E S S. 377 upon the fubje(5l for fome time, and his fentiments were ati-ainll the ertabhlhnient of a board of treallrry. lie was perfuaded there was not lb much refponfibihty in boards as there were in individuals, nor is there fuch good ground for the exercife of the' talents of a financier in that v/ay. Boards were generally more dettitote of energy, than were an indiviilii.il placed at the head of a deparcment. The obfcrvations of the gentleman from Manachufeirs were of great weight, fo far as they inferred the ntceiruy of proper checks in ihe departiuent having care of the pnhlic money ; if they had fyltein, energy, and relponiibillty he fhoLild be in favor of them, but his experience had con« vinced him of the contrary. He w<is not an advocate for an unlimited aurhority in this officer, he hoped to fee pro- per checks provided ; comj^troUer, auditors, regilter, and treafury ; he would not futier the fecretary to touch a farthing of the public money beyond his falary. The fettling of the accounts ihould be in the auditors and co:nptrolIer, the regiilering them to be in another officer, and ilie calh in the hands of one unconneiied with either He was fa- : tisfied that in this way the treafury might be fafe^ and grcac improvemeats made in the buGnefs of revenue. Mr. Madison Had intended to have friven his lentiments on this fub* jed: ; but he was anticipated' in fome things by the gentle- man lail up. He wilh'ed, in all cafesof an executive nature, that the committee Ihould conhder the powers that were to be exercifed, and where that power was too great to be trulted to an individual, 'proper care ihoukl be taken fo to i-e<Tulate and check the exercife, as would give indubitable fecurity fur the perfect prefervation of the public interelb, and 1:0 prevent that fui'picion which men of integrity wfre ever deiiroiis of avoiding. This was his intention in the pre fent cafe. If the committee agreed to his propohiion, he intended to introduce principles of caution, which he luppofed would give fatisfaffion on that point. So far ai was pracT:icable he would have the various bufinefs of this important branch of the government divided and modititd, as to lull at leait the jeaUndy exprefl'td by the gentkuiaii from Mafiachufetts; hideed he fuppofcd, with 'he aiiiitancd of the cuinmiciee, it might be formed fo as to give fatil- faftion. He had no doubt but the offices might be fo con- jttituted as to reiWain and check each other ; arid unlcfs an unbounded conjbiiiarion took place, %\ hich he could by no »)eans' fuppufe was likely to be the cafe, thai, the publk B b b  37^ D E B A T E S A. 1789. w ,iilJ be uife and fc^tui c under the admiriiflration. He would favor ihe 3rrano;ei:':eiit inemioDed by the worthy gentleaian from Sourh-Carolina ( Vlr. Bald<vin). and after that was leparjied from the I'ecrefary's duties, he beheved would fi/id (ufficient bufinefs to emp'oy his time the; officer and talents in rendering effencial fi^rvices to his country. Tl)is arrangement he conddered would anfwer moll of the objeftions which had been nrged. If a board iseilabliflied the independent officers of comp- troller and auditor are unknown, you then give the aggre- gare of thefe powers to the board, the members of which iircequal therefore vou give more pjuer to each indi- ; vidjal. thaii is propofed to be truiled in the fecretary, and irapprehenfionsare to be entertained of a combination^ they apply as forcibly in the cafe of two or three commitfioners combining, as they do in the cafe of the fecretary, comp- troller, and other officers. Jf gentlemen permitted thefc ientmients to have their full weight, and confidered the advantages urifing from energy, fyflem, and refpotibility, which were all in favor of his motion, he had 1^0 doubt uf their accordingwith him on the queltion. Mr. Gerky. it an individual has a controul over the trcafury depart- mtnt-;-' if no money can be received or expended but by ]i;m, or on his warrant, lie did not fee any check \\hich could be provided to prevent a mifappbcation of fuch |;Kr.ver3, nor any means by which a nun could demondrate he had prLJcrved his integrity ; he thought thefe things ^vi?re bett;;r guarded under a board, and therefore prefer- ed one. Gentlemen^ to be fure, h.:id aderted there was no rejponlibility in a board ; he denied the faift. A board of . tiiree commiiiioners are furely as refponilble for their niea- tures asati individual for his ; eaci) perfon of them is re- iponfible fur the ad-of the board, 01' if one of them fhould deny his acquiefcence to the matter in quellioii, the charge n»ay- be determined by having reconrfe to the journal of . rheir tratilactions, becaufe vvhei ever an order or refolutioa • takes pjace, they enter their nam.s for or againit the mea- iare in their books. Thefe circumltances iliew they are rri'ponlible ; and undoubtedly there is more fecnrity in iidving three perlbns confulted, th;ui confiding all to the unconii olied caprice of ^ (ing^le.iridividual. Ke did not fee the neceiiuy. ot an ..offfcrer to ii}U)rov,e the revenue, that he took to be, the pecviliar bufmeis of the federal legillaturc. He couid anfwer the gentleman (Mr. Bcnfon) who applied A. 1789, Of congress. 379 plied the principles he urged in favor*bf a board agalnfl the conltitucion. It might with equal jurtice be laid, that getiilemen, who contended for a fecretary of the treafury, delired to have a fuigle legiflator ; one man to make ali lu-AS, the revenue laws particularly, becaufe among many there is lefs rcfpofibiluy, lyti-em, ai-d energy ; conrequcntly a nu;nerous reprefentation in this houfe is an odious inltj. tuuun. Mr. Boudtn-qt Confidered tlie quellion to be, whether the department ihould be under the diredion of one or more officers. He was againft boards ; becaufe he was convinced by expe- rience, that they were liable to all the cbjedions which gentlemen had ibued. He wifhed the committee had it in their power to turn to the tranfaclions qt this department fince the revolution, to examine t.he expenditures under former boards of treafury^ and under the fuperintendau: of finance, it wn'iiid To confound them, tliat he was fure no gentleman would offer ajiotber argument in favor of boards. He was not acquainttd v/ith the manacrement under the prefent board, he had not been in the habit of doing buii- nefs with them ; but between the adrainiftration of the former and the iuperintendant of finance, there \\as an intolerable comparifon. He was far from being aftoniilied a.c the jealoufy and fufpicion entertained of that valuable offi- cer ; he rather wor.dtred that the clamour ^vas not more , loud and trenienduous ; he cuuld not res eat all the caules there were for accufations rgaind him, hut furely rhcy were not ihccniiderable He remeuibercd one hui drcd : and forty fix fupcrnuiiierary cfEcfers wtre bruflitd off in one deiy, w ho had long been fucking t!ie viial blocd and fpirit of the nation : Was it to be v/ordercd at if this fwarm Oiould raife a buzz about him. 1 lie reform which daily took place n.ade him no inconfidcralile nunrbcr of enemies. ^I'he exp^isditures under the board oi trralury bad been (Enormous ; they were curtailed in tli? quarter- mafters, commifiarics of provifion and military ftores, in the hofpital, and every great departn:ent eilabliihed by congrefs ; fo that bedde ihofe v.'ho were offended by a removal, every one who was aftedtcd by this ciccnomy, cr parlimony, if they v. ill call it fo, were incenfcd againft him, Ir was impclRhle to gain friends among ihofe people by a pr;K'ticc of this kind. He would flate a circumUance v.iiicU might give the committee fome fmall idea of what the fa- vings under the Iuperintendant were. The expenditure 35a DEBATES of hay at a certain poll was 140 tons, fuch was the eRiiuate A. lySQ^ laid before him ; yet twelve tons carried the pod through the yeai", and the lupply was abundant, and the port wa* 33 fully and ulefuUy occupied as it had ever been before. He wilhed geutlemen to examine, whether the other arguiiients did not preponderate m favor of a fingle admi- niltration he thought, for his part, that there was cer- : tainly more refponliDility and fyliein likely to be acquired in this way than in the other. He favv no weight in the objedions (tated by the gentleman refpeding the colluliou between the fecrecary ar,d the cd'edors but if there was ; any weight in them, he imagined they applied with equal force 'againfl boards ; the commiffioners were men equally- fallible and expofed as the lecretary, comptroller, and auditors. . The gendeman had aOced, where a proper