Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-08-02

tons winch have been made, rs another re-
mark 20 winch they naturally give rise. and
whicn IS deemed worthy OF attention. The
minority OF t.c Committee will endeavor to-
explain what they mean so distinctly as not to
be misunderstood.
AS the appropriations of each year, Tor the
contingent expenses of the Departments
arc founded upon estimates for that wear,
and adapted to the service expected 10 oc-
cur, 1t will follow, in general, that the mere
tact that the expenditure is greater or less
than IN any preceding wear, taken 10y itself,
cannot be evidence ofeytravagance or econ
orhy, nos he the lust occasion OF praise OF
censurc. In an expenditure no greater than
'hat Oh the contingencies, small addition
might nc the cause of IL considerable compa-
raiive increase. An instance in point will
be found among the accounts furnished from
lhe treasury. LIN the year 1895, 1896, and
81, IL Dccanie necessary, III consequence of
the provisions OF the law authorizing the
loans OF 1913 and 1914, that the certificates
10 DC PAID OH should be determined bv lot.
and thot the holders Of them should have
due notice" The necessity was thus pto-
duced for publishing advertisements through
out the United States, stating the numbers
ana amounts OF the certifc ateS to be redeem
ca Ihs had not occurred before, for many
years. To provide for the expense of advcr-
Using, the appropriation bill of-132G allowed
the sum @! 5000 dollars, and the apnrorriu-
ton bill CT 1927, Il Like sum--heing the a.
mounts estimated for that service for the
three years. This single addition, incident
to the discharge ofthe public debt, was suff-
Gent to very considerably, not only the con.
ungent expenses Of the Treasury, but even Of
the whole OF the Executive Departments.
he use Of this Illustration is not TO be
considered rs admitting that the contingent
expenses OF the Treasury have increased
In the three last years, 1925, Is, 7, tley
are actually less than for fhe three wears pre-
cedtng, 1922, 3, i, as will hereafter be
sheWn.
II Will further follow, that no lust infer
ence can be made from the comparison of
one officer with another, though having the
same title, or OF Il succeeding officer, with
ms predecessor. Each must be determined
ny itseh. The expense must depend upon
variety OF circumstances, and, among the
rest IL nay be that an apparent saving i'll one
year VIII occasion an increased expense in
another, as if it be caused by letting the bills
remain unpaid, or the business of the Office
iaiE iii arrcar. The annual estimates arc
founded upon Wow Of each particular Of
nee, and OF Its wants at the very time Thus.
the estimate for the Fourth Auditor, in 1892.
was 1000; in 1898, Sl,65O; 1924, 1900:
1923, $4,000; 1926, $4,000; 1897, $4,000;
making total OF Sl0,45O; and total expen-
oltufe, III the same period, was but $3.50
-" III Is very true that the expenditure for
INC last three years has been somewhat
greater than for the three preceding; but
they have not exceeded the estimates, and
Tic appropriation in pursuance of them.
rounded upon the necessity at the time: and.
as they viii be again referred to, no further
remark need be made than this-tbat the in
crease in the latter years may have been ow-
ing (among other things) to the diminished
expenditure in the Immediately precedinr
ones.
Ii there be any generally operating cause.
winch may be supposed to have q constant.
ihough not exactly regular influence, it can
only be the one before referred to, viz. that
the extension of the public service will be az
tended with an enlargement of the expendi
lure, ana among the rest, with an increase Of
the contingent expenses of the Executive
departments. Should it, then, appear to be
coffcc! rs stated) that the public service a,,-
thorlzed by law occasioncd an averare ey
Pehdlture, IN 1922, 3, 4, ofS1O,O0O, 900; and
that, IN the years 1895, g, 7, it accustomed
VI 'S'titHiC VI t3i-,OUU,UUU, ana
that the average of the contingent expenses
IN the former period'was S66, 1913, and in the |
latter period was S77,454, (Which statements
though not particularly examined, arc prob !
ably correctly then it will follow that the TO- |
ia expenditure has been increased by an adj |
dition Of one-fourth, and the contingent OK.
penses by an addition ofonc-sixth, or rather
less than one-sixth. If they had gone on at
the same rate as the general expenditure,
they would have averaged S83,491. This
comparison, therefore, if it establish anv
thing, establishes that there has been an I'M
proved economy In the Executive Depart
nents o. the Government
1t IS admitted not to be an absolutely con-
elusive test, but it is an approximate or pro-
bablc test, which may be rcSorted to forwant
OF more certain one; and the minority are
or opinion, that the result is satisfactory, as
showing relatively diminished expense,
quite equal to what could have been reason
ably expected, and sufficient to allay apprc-
hension.
Having made these general remarks tho