Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-11-21
{ Four Dollars Per Aanum--paid IN Aapance.1

'eH sSilitpfy ' t1clr QCDc11CNCe on
Us Will increase with it. Already we have
within our limits a climate that supplies us
with every important article that can min
lister to comfort or luxury, excepting, per-
haps the coffee plant; and the acquisition
of Florida will give us this Our interest
will soon lead us to raise every thing we
consume, possessing, as we do, more natu-
raj and acquired facilities To internal com
MERGE than any people on the face OF the
globe Nature has given us the boldest
streams, approximated to each other, art
VIII unite aud improve them, and the fede-
raj government secures the free and unre-
strained Interchange OF all our productions.
lhis viii be the bounty to orr deriving, as
far as we can, a supply of our wants from
each other, which neither the capital, the
cupidity, or the violence of Europe can
countcrvail. This is a species Of trade,
which will require no navies to protect, no
commercial treaties 20 regulate, no sacri-
ices to pursue. Its likewise a trade which
viii every day be Increased by the deve-
lopement of our resources, while our de-
mand for foreign products will be diminish
ed. 1t has been the destiny of other great
nations as the:y rose to consequence to aban-
don the agricultural for the com numerical
state but it-wilt De the rare felicity of this,
in our unriv2lied progress to grandeur, to
become, after we have reached a certain
point, every day less a commercial and
more an agricultural and manufacturing
people. Under these auspices, and the o.
ther peculiar attributes of our character, is
it Utspian to indulge the hope that we may
even for centuries continue to be exempt
from those -desolating wars which have
been so fatal to Europe.
no
United States the lower will be the tax paid
by each member of the community In -
years the national debt will be paid of,
and we shall have attained population ex-
ceeding 8 millions. The revenue at present
devoted to the debt is more than two-thirds
OF the whole revenue Of the Jnitcd States.
Its only the balance which goes to the sup
port OF the army, the navy, to the civil list,
to pay the expences of foreign intercourse
and the whole list of contingencies. The
statement made by the Secretary of the
Treasury during the last session OF Congress
ON this point, is too interesting and iilustra-
tive of the object of these remarks, to be
here omitted.
In order to give more general and con-
else view of the receipts and expenditures
ct the United sSateses during the wears
commencing on the Ist dav OF April, 1901,
and ending on the 31st day of March, 1908,
than can be derived from the annual prin-
ted accounts, n statement marked (H) and
several explanatory statements marked (H.
!, to II. 81 have been added to those which
usually accompany this report.
From those it appear that sum of 5o,-
COZ ,467 dollars and q cents has been paid
into the Treasury during that period, viz.
6 from dsties on tonnage
and on the Importation OF TO-
reign merchandise, 4j,I74,S37 %
From all other sources (in-
Guiding ,596,171 dollars and
43 cents, arising from the sales
Of bank shares and. of public
vessels, $3.50 50
so, Coz, 467 o.
"And that the expenditures, during the
same period, have amounted to 4o, sos, s27
dollars aad-56 cents, which have been dis
5ursei for the following purposes.
l. Less than one third OF the whole has
been sufficient to defray all the current
cxpences cf the u. S. viz.
For the civil, and all domes-
tic expenses of a civil ma
tlre, S,7s6.114 70
For the military establish
ment & Indian department, 4,405,T92 %
For the naval establishment, A,S42, 635 IS
For the expcnces attending
thc intercourse with foreign
nations, 1,o71,437 81
Amounting altogether to 14,105, $3.50 Cd
3. Near one third was ncces-
sary to pay the interest on
the public debt, viz. 16,27G,70O 95
CON which subject it may
not be improper to observe,
that part of that sum, a.
mounting to 100000 dolls.
was paid on account of the
interest on the deferred stock,
a charge which commenced
only in the year 1901, and was
therefore in addition to the
annual sum wanted before
that year for the payment Of
interest on the public debt.
9. More than one-third, and
which may be considered
as the surplus revenue Of
the y. s. during that PERI
od, has been applied to-
wards the reimbursement
and extinguishmcnt of the
debt, viz.
On account
ofthe principal
of the public
debt proper, 16,317,663 %
In payment
IS Joi4.