ADAMS: THE CONTROL OF THE PURSE. 185 



//. 1792 — 1800. Demand of the House of Representatives for regu- 

 lar reports from the Secretary of the Treasury. 



The next question which arose in Congress over the financial 

 provisions of the constitution referred to that clause which provides 

 for "a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures." 

 This debate indicated a determination on the part of the House to 

 resist the encroachment of other departments of government. The 

 definite steps taken in a succession of years opposing the control of 

 financial matters assumed by the Secretary of the Treasury, were 

 sometimes taken in connectioa with legislation of an entirely different 

 nature. Tdus the extension of the duties of the committee of Ways 

 and Means*, in 1802, Avas the final step in that direction. There 

 were, however, a series of definite attempts made to compel the 

 Secretary of the Treasury to reaier regular statements, as provided 

 by the constitution, and this series of demands by the House is now 

 therefore reported. 



Art. VII. , 8ec. 9 of the constitution provides that "a regular 

 statement and account of the receipts and expenditures shall be made 

 from time to timef, " but the chaotic condition of financial affairs in 

 the new government was such as to prevent Hamilton from making 

 any regular report, whether he wished to do so or not. Moreover 

 Hamilton was firm in the belief that the power of the executive should 

 be strengthened, so that he was likely to resent any decided interfer- 

 ence by the House of Representatives with the financial policy of the 

 Treasury department. As early as 1790, however, the Secretary of 

 the Treasury had been ordered by various resolutions of the House 

 to make reports for specific times, and finally in 1792, a resolution 

 was passed calling for an annual report of the condition of the Treas- 

 ury. Hamilton professed his inability to make any such report, and 

 attempted to put the question aside by a partial report made on Feb. 

 4th, 1793. This led to the adoption of the resolution of June 5th, 

 1794, " that the Secretary of the Treasury lay before the House of Rep- 

 resentatives at each annual session within ten days of the commence- 

 ment of the same a distinct account of the revenues arising under the 

 several duties and taxes, and of the expense attendin," the collec- 

 tion of each particular duty or tax, as far as such exf •:;.«; can be 

 discriminated; and also of the number of officers emyl-^ i in col- 

 lecting public revenue, and the allowance made to i ; i:. respec- 

 tively. J" This resolution called for a report on the rt. . , lue only, 

 but the Secretary of the Treasury was either unwilling or unable to 



♦See Pnrt C. of this paper, on developmeut of finiincial committees In House of Rep 

 resentatives. 



t House Journa!, 1793-07. Vol. II.. p. 203. 



