ADA^rS: THK CONTROL OF THE PURSE. l8l 



The only other provision of the constitution which may be called 

 budgetary is Art. I, Sec. 9: "No money shall be drawn from the 

 Treasury but in consequence of appropriation made by law; and a 

 regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all 

 public moneys shall be published from time to time." This pro- 

 vision was first submitted, in part, in Franklin's report of July 5, and 

 formed a part of his plan of compromise. The wording of the report 

 was, "and that no money shall be drawn from the public treasury but 

 in pursuance of appropriations to be originated in the first branch."* 

 With the change in the wording of the main clause it became neces- 

 sary to alter the latter clause also, and this having been done it was 

 adopted on September 17, with the addition of the words requiring 

 regular reports. f There was very little discussion upon this provision 

 apart from the debate upon the main question, and the delay in 

 adopting it was due merely to the necessity of first deciding whether 

 or not the House of Representatives was to be given the right of 

 originating money bills. 



It was however of very little importance that the majority of the 

 framers of the constitution did not regard the restriction of the 

 origination of money bills to the House of Representatives as a great 

 constitutional principle, for the people did regard it as such, and 

 Gerry was right when he said that the presence or absence of such a 

 provision would have much to do with the acceptance or rejection of 

 the constitution by the people. That this provision has come to be 

 regarded as a constitutional principle is clearly shown by the fact that 

 many of the state constitutions which have been either altered or 

 adopted since T787, contain sections almost and in many cases 

 exactly similar to Art. I, Sec. 7, of the constitution of the United 

 States. J It cannot be said that the principle of the English consti- 

 tution in this matter was accepted by the constitutional convention 

 and therefore placed in our form of government. But once placed 

 there it was accepted by the people as what they were pleased to call 

 "a self-evident truth," and it has been believed by the American 

 people ever since the adoption of the constitution that the people, 

 through their representatives, should control the extent and purpose 

 of taxation. 



*Elliott's Debates. Vol. V, p. 274. 



+iyia'Uson Papers. Vol. II. p. 1613. 



iAn examiuation of Poore".s Charters ant Constitutions of the Uuitel .States, shows 

 that eisrhtesn state constitutions contain a provision restricting the right of originating 

 revenue bills to the lower branch of the legislature. 



