WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1837-184,1
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that rule No. 12, of the Regulations says: "No contract can be made by any Head of Department for more than $1000, until they are approved by the Executive; nor for any amount unless authorized by law." It is, then, clear, that if the Head of a Depart- ment had not power to make a contract contrary to the advice of the President and the existing laws, that the power could not be delegated to any subaltern officer, yet in defiance of this order, Captain Wheelwright has proceeded to make contracts and to receive actual purchases, amounting to about $30,000; upward of $19,000 have already been filed in the Second Auditor's Office, and the residue is daily expected. This is contrary to the naval regulations of Government, and it is contrary also to law, that the commander of a fleet, or post should be concerned in the purchasing of supplies, b1.,1t is bound to make out his requisitions and send them to the Department to be approved, (in the absence of the Navy Agent,) and he was re- quired to make requisitions for all supplies two months in advance of the time at which they were required. By pursuing this course under direction from the Department, it will not only keep the Department acquainted with all matters under the direction of its Head, but it will enable the Government to become acquainted with all the demands against its Treasury. It will, furthermore, prevent impositions upon persons who bring produce to our country, and contract supplies not needed by the Government to irresponsible persons who bring the Govern- ment under obligations which were never contemplated by law, but which were created by persons wearing the badge of office, and thereby imposing the conscientious obligation of paying the demands, or permitting individuals to suffer ruin on account of its officers. The articles purchased by Captain Wheelwright were fo un- necessary quantities, at exorbitant prices, and many of them such as are not authorized as constituent parts of ration, either in Texas or the United States, by the regulations. No muster-roll showing the number of men, the number of rations to be issued, nor the abstracts to be made from those facts, have been received. Owing to the want of obedience to the laws and the Government, and a general habit of officers aban- doning their posts without permission or leave of absence, either from the Head of a Department or a superior officer; as the law required this pre-requisite to absence. No. 34 in the Regulations in substance extracted from the laws, was published by the Execu- tive and sent to the several posts- "If any officer shall leave his
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