Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-16


pcndi,ure without sdvrr,ng TO other eircums tance'
which have been shown still further to enlarge IL
the result is as sixty five eishyn'ne, she~ins an
increase of patronage between those years thi'y
six per cent. The progressive increase having oeon
much greater within tho las, four ears Than WIN"
the four years preceding.
Anticipating the answer to this statement, tha'
the increase Of patronage &c. has no, bean greater
than the increase in tie growth and population OF
The country, the Report goes On TO show, by The OPP
Grafton ,f the several causes already enumerated
tina, the patronage Of the Government has more
than doubled within tho space OF time wherein ''e
growth and population Of the country have not pro-
baby increased more than 81 per cent But, whilst
sho wing this, the Report denies that there 10 any
substantial reason why the patronage Of taeGosef"
ment should nerease.ln proportion 10 IT'S increase Of
population. This idea the report goes on to SHOW
is an ass lmption dangerous ss well as erroneous
The danger OF patronage thus increasing with
The growth OF country, arises from the grea'
advantage of an organized over an unorganlzed
mass the groa, advantage which, in apopulou'
country, power thus acquires over liberty. The
Report dilates the power which such swell
ling patronage, all welded by asingle individual,
gives him 10 corrupt the virtue OF the people and
seize on their Liberties, SC. Under a continued
progressive increase OF patronage, keeping pace
with the increase of population, liberty itself
mus, certainly be lost. Nothing bat Reform can
save IT, The action Of the Govcrnmcnt must,
then bo moderated. This, the Report maintains,
is the principle on which political existence &C.
ponds
The Report says that the Committee are aware
tina, il may be urged against their statement, That
since 1888 thero has been great decrease IN the
public revenue by the operation OF the last tariff
law But tho revenue IS yet as great, now that
the public debt is extingulshed, as II was when the
public debt amonnte TO hundred millions OF
dollars The difference between that time and
the present is, that tbs surplus revenue then went
to puy the public creditors whereas it now goes
into the pockets Of those who live upon the Treasu
~.
The Report next proceeds 10 examine into lac
Effect of this enormous extension of Executive pat
ronagc The Committee says, it has tended 10 sap
the foundations of the Constitution, u throw a
cloud Of uncertainty the future TO substitute
a degrading subscrvicncy To power for the attach
men to liberty and our free institutions, for watch
the American People have been heretofore distin.
gulshed. There never was period IN our hiso-
Tory, in Short in which the prospects wsro more
gloomy for liberty, and devotion 10 party ard TO
power stronger. With this increase ofpa,ronnge
the whole structure OF the Government is undergo
ing change. Admitting the necessity of strong
Executive, the Report enters into nm argument TO
show that an Executive has become too strong,
when il begins to regard itself ns the paramount
power in the Government. Nor in our case could
the aid Of the several States be successfully invo
ked to resist the approach Of despoiic power in
this form. SO FAR from opposing it, they will be
more likely to MD and strengthen the Executive,
and acting in conjunction with ii, constitute a
-. 4 uit 10 Iva tod nv ofh ere
,hor,y.
For these evils, present and prospective, the
Report says, there can DO but one eifectual remedy
and that is, prompt and great reduction OF Exec.
utive patronage, into tho mos, expedit ut mode Of
elfectng which the Committee next proceed to in
9urc. They begin by laying Town as a general
principle that i, is the duty ola Government to
leave the money, as far as practicable in tho peck
cts of tho people, from which they say it cannot be
removed by the Government except for its essen
,ial wants, without violation Of the highest trust
of the Government, and nantes, injustice to the
people.
Tho Report then enters upon an elaborate and
comprehensive view of the finances of tho country
TO show to what extent the revenue OF tho country
mny be expected 10 exceed the amount necessary
to the support of Government. In pursuing this
inquiry, the Committee go on to shew that, during
the existence Of the compromise law, go called,
regulating duties on imports, and nfer all the
ductions which may be made by reducing the du.
tics articles which did no. interfere with pto,oc-
tion there Wi still be an unavoidable annual sur.
plus in the Treasury of about line millions of dol
lars. They do not propose to reduce the income
by reducing tho price Of tho public lands, because
to reduce the price would not only tempt great
speculation, therein, and affect the value of all
other landed properly in the Union, bu, would
have tho effect to increase instead Of diminishing
the income from their sale. As, therefore, it is
deemed impossible during the existence of the COM
promise act, and without disturbing that act 10 pre-
vent the annual receipt into the Treasury of SIR
plus of nine millions even after reducing the OK
pendltures Of the Government within proper limits
the Committee 60 into on inquiry as to the most
expedien mode of applying this sum. They pro-
test against its remaining and accommodating in the
Banks where il is deposited and they do not re-
commend its application to the purposes o. inter-
nal mprovcm mt, tho difficulties in the way Of
which have been increased by the late Executive
vetoes, refusing to sanction appropriations for that
Object.
The Committee therefore, come to the conclu-
sion that tho only and the least Objectionable mode
OF dIsposing OF the surplus revcnu,, is TO mako an
annual distribution Hereof among the screral
St"es an" Ie'ftto'teS, Uhth1tnS Ne DlStrlG OF
Columbia, to continue until the year 1912, which
will terminate the existence of the present compro.
mise act, and leave Congress at liberty to reduce
the income to tho actual wants Of tho Government
The Committee propose TO effect their obi &C, by
an amendment Of the Constitution, giving power
to Congress make such distribution which major.
iiy the the Committee deem it now within tho
competency of Congress. For that purpose they
report JOINT resolution and propose to divide he
annual surplus revenue into such number If shares