Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-26

! INST
Jus' wants of the Government, md 10, e.
o'"s period distinguished by nars;mo,,
~ '"eh administration were thought bv r,,,v -
'','c"sohaoiy proiusc, and were ACCORDINGLY the
-, " ", systematic attack, on account Of thei,
supposed extravaganza. ASSUMING tho, ,ho 80
Pend't"re Of SO, 1Sf 900 to have been annie n, ,ha
po''oo inc question which presents itself is wis,
o"s" " 10 be at present, taking into consideration
' necessity OF increased expenditures in conse
i'ence OF increased populaon7
ihcy have already shown that the C,vc,,mon,
''a' permanent increase of expenditure
:" proportion to the growth of the popnlation
| which may be estimated at ahoot 2 nor .a,,, ,.;,l
out an increase of patronage TINT mus, !, ,,s nro
| S.ess inevitably prove fatal to the institutions and
4oe'iy OF the country. On this principle. the cx
"'''u'e instead OF increasing nearly Is 900 600 i,
| "" years. as II has, ought TO have incnased much
Tess 'han three and ought not, in the opinion of
your committee, TO have exceeded 1000 900 n. the
'ar'hest, Assuming that sum as liberal ALLOW.
'hce, ana adding it to the expenditure of 1922 we
sha't nave the sum OF ssll 10 600 beyond which
me present expenditure ought not to have passed
.nc'uuing the pensions and, excluding them
SioolS1l2 instead Of $22 7l3 600 the sum ac,u-
aiy expended. OF the items which compose the
present expenditure that for pensions constituted
last year, the sum of 1891 ,S77 CONSIDERING the
| advanced age of the pensioners there ought TO be
according to the annuty tables, decrease bv
deaths of Ia per cent annually, which, in seven
years would diminish the expenditure on pen.
SONS, from the sum above mentioned, 10 ST., OiO-
'o,, annually, giving an annual average reduction
Vi @o-o 10 and would reduce the expenditure on
pensions, for the ensuing seven years, to an ave
! rage sum of So 0iS, 900. Add this sum to $40
ol2,}i2, the sum beyond which the present expen
dtnrc ought not to extend, excluding the pensions,
and we shall have tsl2 oG0 liz, as wha, the annu.
al average expenditure for the next seven years
ought to be-
Take this from the sum of 5s2l ,239, OIL which,
as has been shown, will be the probable average
annual means Of the Government for the same pc.
ROD, and it would leave 50 l79 d99; or, in round
numbers, for the facility of col uaton, 900 600
IS the average surplus means, during the PERIOD
at the disposlt on Of the Government, the suppo-
sltlon that the expenditures will be rcdu ced TO the
economical wants Of the Government.
Having shown what will be tho probable SURPLUS
revenue, should the expenditure be reduced to its
proper limits, the committee propose next to con-
slider, wheih'r under existing circumstances the
revenue Can be reduced.
/ The two great sources of revenue are lands and
customs. The others (not including the post office,
which IS particular fund.- of small amount
After careful Investigation, your committee are of
opinion, that the act of ID March, 1888 has redu-
ced the duties on imports with some exceptions,
as far as Is practicable under existing circums,an-
ccs, consistently with the intent and spirit of the
act
The act provides among other things, that after
the 3lst day of December, 1888, IN all cases
where the duties shall exceed 20 per cert. ad vnlo
rem, one-tenth part of such shall be reduced
and in ike manner one-tenth part every two years
Ill the ;'lst of December, 1899; and that on the
such excess shnll be deducted and on the Both of
June, 1912, the duties imposed by the then existing
law shall remain unchanged except as provided IN
the sixth section.
Your committee do not deem it necessary 10 in
qure whether the circumstances under which it
| passed, involves any thing IN the nature OF a
pledge contract, which would forbid any altcra-
| tons of its provisions. 1t Is sufficient for their
purpose stale the fact that the is the result of
a compromise between great sectional interests,
brought into conflict under circumstances which
threatened the peace and safety of the country and
| that it continues to be the o. ly ground on which
the adjustment of the controversy can stand. I'm
der these circumstances 10 disregard the provisions
| of the act would be to open n controversy which
your committee hope is closed forever; n coaro.
versy, which, if renewed, would DO more to in
crease the power and influence of the Executive
than any other event th,t could oc ar. With the
| impressions, then, that the provisions OF the act
cannot be disturbed without endangerng the peace
of the country, and adding greatly, by its conse
quences, to Executive patronage, your committee
| have limited their inquiries TO tho reduction OF the
duties on such articles, by the provisions of the
act arc subject to be reduced and after careful
| investigation, they of the opinion, that all the
reductions which can be effected consistently with
the spirit of the compromise are lnconsidefablc and
| a. IL. ~, hp do
quiro too much time and Investigation to permit II
10 be done AT this session, will appear by refer
ence to the letter of the Secretary o: the Treasury
| herewith annexed hut in order that the subject
may be taken up with full information at the next
! session they have instructed their Chairman to
submit resolution for the consideration OF the Sc
nate directing the Secretary Of tho Treasury to re-
port at the commencement OF the next session,
v hat duties under 90 per cent al valorem, may,
with due regard To the manufacturing interests oil
the country, be repealed OF reduced with an estl-
! mate of the probable arount OF reduction
In turning from the customs to The public lands,
your committee fn1 that the difficulty OF reducing
the revenue from that source is not less considera-
! bic than thnt from the customs. They fully agree
IN that beral policy in relation TO the public lands,
that regards them the means OF settlement, as
well as n source of revenue and that they should
be disposed Of accordingly, in the manncr best cal
cnlatcd to chilusc ilourlsh'nS and happy poPula-
ton over the vast regions placed under our u'n-
ion p,loy the wisdom OF which is best 'i'uStra,
| ted nv the wonderful success with which II mas
been ACCOMPANIED. 1t IS an essential maxim Oh
this noble and generous policy, that the pr"eo'