Nathan Clifford

“ Authority is there given to the Secretary of the Treasury to make such further allowances to such collectors, from time to time, as may be reasonable; but the power to be exercised in that behalf is one vested in his discretion, both as to time and amount. He may make an allowance one year, and refuse it the next, or he may never make it at all, as to him may seem just and reasonable. No appeal lies from his decision in that regard, either to the accounting officers of the treasury or to the courts. Instead of that his decision is final, unless reversed by Congress. ”

“ Since then many other acts of Congress have been passed upon the subject, of which one more only will be reproduced. Like the preceding act, it provides that no officer in any branch of the public service, or any other person whose salary, pay, or emoluments is or are fixed by law or regulations, shall receive any additional pay, extra allowance, or compensation, in any form whatever, for the disbursement of public money, or for any other service or duty whatever, unless the same shall be authorized by law ”

“ Compensation for extra services, where no certain sum is fixed by law, cannot be allowed by the head of a department to any office who has by law a fixed or certain compensation for his services in the office he holds, unless such head of a department is thereto authorized by an act of Congress ”