US Presidency
1860

I applied myself diligently to this task from the beginning and was aided by the able and energetic efforts of the heads of the different Executive Departments. The result of our labors in this good cause did not appear in the sum total of our expenditures for the first two years, mainly in consequence of the extraordinary expenditure necessarily incurred in the Utah expedition and the very large amount of the contingent expenses of Congress during this period. These greatly exceeded the pay and mileage of the members. For the year ending June 30, 1858, whilst the pay and mileage amounted to $ 1,490,214, the contingent expenses rose to $ 2,093,309.79; and for the year ending June 30, 1859, whilst the pay and mileage amounted to $ 859,093.66, the contingent expenses amounted to $ 1,431,565.78.