Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-28
LETTER FROM MIR. Chiffon.

the 10Th INST unnppacd by The battalion OF figures
which Mr. Wickliae has paraded before me, or the I,
mcrccnsry squadron, who yelPing at my heels
feel the confidence of having truth on my side, and
we have high authority for saying, ii is mighty and
will prevail"
In all that have heretofore said, relative 10 tic
public expenditures, have relied on the official doc
uinents, submitted by the Secretary Of the Treasury
to Congress- the appropriation acts found IN the sta
tute books; aud last though not least, the figures
Of the Chairman ofthe Rctrenchmcnt Committee him.
self Taking these different lights to guide me,
have found that the expenditures of the the
year which above all others, the nation looked to for
retrenchment and reform, have exceeded, by very
largo sums, the expenditures of the preceding year
taking out from each the payments account OF the
public debt and those made by the British for deport
cd slaves under the Client treaty, as 10 present
the naked nett amount unobscurcd by what does not
belong to it. The excess, to be sure much grca-
ter according to the rs official report OF the Secre
tarv, than Will now appear to be by his amended Of
fetal. or by the former figures of the Chairman of
the Committee of Retrenchment; but still taken in Ell
thcr way. all ways, in which any fair comparison
can be- drawn, there is large, and TO me, uner-
pected excess This now relterate, sfcr careful
review of all that has been written and ready to
prove it, at all times and all proper occasions
When this controversy first began, there was por.
tonous futtering about the Departments lest the Sc
cTetaiy of the Treasury had admitted much his
official report the state fthc finances; and sundry
movements took place first in House Of Congress
and then IN the other to enable the Secretary take
back his estimate for the 9TH quarter of the year. lie
has accordingly managed to make the required
rection through the Committee Retrenchment,
though uncaied for by the House of Representatives;
and shall now in what have to say, discard hsrst
report for the 18th quarter and rely solely the amen
ded one. have only to request, after shall show,
by tkis second and amended statement of the Fnan-
ces, from the Honorable Secretary that 1929 is still
ahead of 1923 in expense, that he will not take this
back also, to make further amendments before we rot
through. But am blamed for hitherto relying on
the duh quarters estimate of the first ocia and Mr..
Wckhe is very learned and technical about the terms
estimate" and sea, 'eH6iiurc.' knew we'll enough
that the estimate would not always square e-nciiy
with the expenditure, but could not permit myself
TO doubt but that it was near enough to the truth
for substantial accuracy, and for fair calculation.
was sent to Congress the basis of it's legislation
and surely, 1t fit for Congress TO act upon was not
to be discarded by me, when it tie only Official
information submitted. But now it turns out that
the Department is willing swallow the blunder If
it one, of more than iakion If d0lIu,s if they
can help the cause of my anita gonis;s, and put me
down.
The Secretary estimated, he says for that quar-
ter, the expenses at 7,245 AL 05, whereas they
turn out after ALL 10 be only Sc, 2389I4 AZ. Differ
cnce, as call it 0icial laundering 81 oo6 $50 o.
If Mr. Rush had made such mistake as this hard
ly think my colleague would have intruded himself
between me and my constituents, to defend HIM as he
has done on this occasion.
But am reminded that Mr. Rush, in 1898 estima-
ted his 4th quarter at 81 3926O3 72. He did So But
there any such difference of million in that quar-
ter as / am considering? MOI The expenses
ofihat quarter were S7,21457I, near as could be
expected to the estimate Do not then quote Mr.
Rush as precedent tor this system of laundering by
millions But let this official slip go for VIVA. Il is
worth. / come at to the actual expenditures of
the two years. as admitted by the Secretary him.
self, and endorsed by the Chairman of the Betrench.
ing Committee. Here they are:
Total expenditures for 1928, Se5 $50, 47e So
Deduct public debt, i2,Ie3 ,4ss OF ,ao,o,o 49,
Treaty of Client 100000 4o} i2'''S''o7 a.
Nett expenses of 1891 SI2,5e5,972 o5
Total expenses flr 1922, S25,o71,o17 So
Deduct dobt, Sl2,3S3eOo II :; ono ooo ~
Client treaty, $3.50 50 iN''SE'oo" 80
Nett expenses of 1899, '$I2,876 $50 so
Making excess of the year 1922 over the expen-
ditures of the year 1925 9e4 Is, and this too
without taking into consideration the fact that the
year 1923 is charged with six months legislation, and
the year 1929 with but three. To make the compar-
son perfectly fair, three months legislation should be
DEDUCTED from 1928, as to make it allow but three
months session to each-Now the pay of both houses
of Congress for 90 days, without considering the prin
ting g. other contingencies, would amount go 080
which ftaken out will leave the real excess of 1919
oyer 1923, 362 044 dollars.
Such is the result of comparison between the first
year of the present, and the last of the late admins
tratiorI:t.,
But letus go back to the first year of Mr.. Adams
as perhaps still more fair. That is let US coInnare
the first with The first of both administrations; each
of course having the benefit of short session. and see
how we shall come out in such contrast. In 1895
the nrst year OF MI ADAMS, the whole expenses
were S23.583, 804 u
Deduct public debt, 1905 ,344 78
Nett expenses Of 1926, 1I4eo,459 eA
II has been already sheWn, that in 1890 according
to Mr.. Wicklife's admissions and the latest re-
port from the Department Of tho Treasury that the
expenditures were S12 1919 1886 GO; making an ex-
cess IN the first the present Administration of
Si,l86,47e 66, over the FIRST year fthe last will
also state that in the latter year the suu ot. hun
dred thousand dollars paid to General Lafayette ia
charged, put down expendedin 1926. Should that
be reckoned as not standing on the footing Of ordina
~ expenditures, and will pretend That it does
the difference in the two years will be one million
three hundred and eighty sir thousand four hundred
and seventy sir dollars and sirty SIR cents Il is USE
less to struggle against these figures. You cannot
shake them off.
Dir. Wickifie has said much about abuses and nee
ulations; but this does not help the difficulty. Wbv
spend more money now, than the last
did, with ell the abuses which have been attributed
u them 1t matters nothingt the American people
whetherthey are plundered with without the forms
Of law If the present Administration is as econom-