Litchfield enquirer., 1829-12-17

. paonle vvhose active patriotism IS not hownded bv sectional limits, nor lnsenslbie to shst en;r;t of concession and fOrbearance. which rave fife to our political compact. and stilI snsiains it. Discarding all calculations Of ,,cIisicaI ascpndancy, the North, the South, tbe East, and the West, should unite in di- minishing any burthen, Uf which either may justly complain.
 The agricultural interest of OUT country IS 70 essentially connected with eNery other, and so superior tn importance to them all, that tt is scarcely necessary to invite to it your par ticuIar attentiOn. It is principally as manu- Cactures and commerce tend to increase the value of agricultural productions, and to ex- tend their application to the wants and conn forts of society, that they deserve the foster ing care of Government.
 Looking forward to the period, not far dist ! ant, when sinking fund will no logger be rec Quired, the duties on those articles of impOr l tatiOn which cannot come in competition with | our own productions, are the first that should engage the attention Of Congress in the mod iRcation of the tariff. or these, tea and cOf- fee are the most prominent they enter large ly into the consumption of the country, and have become articles of necessity to all class. es. A reduction, therefore, of the existing duties, will be felt as a common benefit hut, like all other legislation connected with com merce, to be efficacious, and not injurious, it should be gradual and certain.
 The public prosperity is evinced in the in- creased revenue arising from the sales of the public lands. and in the steady maintenance of that produced by imposts and tonnage. notwithstanding the additional duties imposed by the act of 18th May, 1923. and the unusual impOrtations in the early part of that year.
 The balance in the Treasury, on the lst of January, 1899, was five millions nine hundred and seventy two thousand four hundred and thirty five dollars and eighty y-One cents. The receipts of the current year are estimated at twenty -four millions six hundred and two thousand two hundred and thirty dollars 1; and the expenditures for the same time at twenty six millions one hundred and sixty -four thou sand five hundred and ninety five dollars leaving balance in the Treasury, on the lst of January next, of four millions fsur hund- red and ten thousand and seventy dollars and eighty one cents. the public debt, during the present year, the l sum of Sl2.45O.OO5 and 80 cents, reducing the l whole debt of the Government, on the first of January next, to $48, ,565, ,4O6 and 50 cents, in- cluding seven millions of five per cent stock, l subscribed 10 the Bank of the United States. The payment on account of the public debt, made on the lst of July last, was S8.715,462 and 87 cents. It was apprehended that the sudden withdrawal of SO large sum from the banks in which it was deposited, at time of unusual pressure in the money market, might cause much injury to the interests dependent on bank accOmmodatiOns. But this evil was wholly averted ny an early anticipation of it at the Treasury, aided by the judiciOus arrange ments of the officers Ofthe Bank of the United States.
 This state of the finances exhibits the re- sources of the nation in an aspect highly flat tering to it's industry. and suspicious of the ability of Government. in very short time, l9 s15p6Siah tba Rhs afht hkt Ehsa Ee hrssaeHed ts from considerable portion of its present bur thens; and will find not only new motives to patriotic affection, but additional means for the display of individual enterprise. The Rs- cal power of the States will also be increased. and may be more extensively exerted in favor of education and other public objects; while l ample means will remain in the Federal Gov l ernment to promote the general veal, in all l the modes permitted to it's authority.
 After the extinction of the public debt, it is not probable that any adjustment of the Ia riff, upon principles satisfactory to the People of the Union, will. until remote period. if ever, leave the Government without con- siderable surplus in the Treasury, beyond Wu0S mdy U0 TcYubteu LOT NS CuTTeut SerVlCe. As then the period approaches when the ap- plicatiOn of the revenue to the payment of debt will cease, the disposition of the surplus l will present a subject for the serious delibera. ton of Congress and it may be fortunate l for the country that it is yet to be decided. | Considered in c0nnexion with the difficulties l which have heretofore attended appropria. tiOns for purposes of internal improvement, and with those which this experience tells US will certainly arise, whenever power over such subjects may be exercised by the Gen. eral Government. it is hoped that it may lead to the adoption of some plan which will re- concile the diversified interests of the States, and strengthen the bonds which unite them. Every member of the Union, in peace and in war, will be benefited by the improvement of inland navigation and the construction of highways In the several States. Let US then endeavor to attain this benefit in a mode which will be satisfactory to all. That hith. ertO adopted has, by many of our Gellow-citi- 1 gems, been deprecated as an infraction of the 1 Constitution. while by others 1t has been view. ed as inexpedient. All feel that 1t has been | employed at the expense of harmony in the | legislative councils.
 To avoid these evils. 1t appears to me that | the most safe, just, and federal disposition which could be made Of the ssrplus revenue, would be its appOTtionmsnt among the several