l82 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



B. — Debates in Cono-ress on the Interpretation of Constitu- 

 tional Provisions. 



There is hardly a section of the constitution which has not been 

 the subject of very material disagreement as to interpretation, and 

 the budgetary provisions of the constitution are no exception. The 

 discussions over the correct interpretation of these budgetary pro- 

 visions have usuaHy been carried on by the House of Representatives, 

 and have arisen from the determination on the part of the House to 

 guard jealously its privileges in control of money affairs. These 

 discussions and the decisions reached will indicate the way in which 

 the budgetary provisions of the constitution have been regarded in 

 times past and are regarded today, and it is proposed therefore to 

 consider some of the more important of them. 



/. First Co//i;^n-s<:, Tj8g. Dclniit- on the claiisc of the Trrasi/rv hill 

 ivhich made it the ilitty of thr Sciictarv of the Treasury to report n 

 plan for the t/ujnagctnent of the rere/iue. 



June 4, 17S9, a House committee on arrangement of the three 

 e.Kecutive departments reported a bill for the treasury department.* 

 This bill did not come up for discussion until June 25, when it at 

 once received much hostile criticism upon constitutional grounds 

 because of the wording of the second clause which made it the duty 

 of the Secretary of the Treasury "to digest and report plans for the 

 management of the revenue and the support of the public credit." 

 Those who were opposed to the adoption of this clause argued that it 

 violated the spirit of the constitution in that it tended to lessen the 

 control of the House over money bills. Mr. Page moved to strike 

 out the clause and observed "that it might be well enough to enjoin 

 upon him (the Secretary of the Treasury) the duty of making out and 

 preparing estimates, but to go any further would be a dangerous 

 innovation upon the constitutional privileges of this House; it would 

 create an undue influence within these walls because members might 

 be led, by the deference commonly paid to men of abilities who give 

 an opinion in a case they have thoroughly studied, to support the 

 minister's plan even against their own judgment. "f Mr. Tucker 

 followed, stating even more forcibly the constitutional objection as he 

 saw it Referring to the clause mentioned, he said "It will abriclge 

 the peculiar privilege of this House for the constitution expressly 

 declares that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House 

 of Representatives. * * * j^ short, Mr. Chairman, I can never 



*Aunals of Congress, Vol. I, p. 4iO. 

 ♦•Ibid., p. n9n. 



