Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-09-16

not average more than two day, and
at the city of Washington only four.
The difficulties heretofore existing are
moreover, daily lessened by an increase
in the cheapness and facility Of commu-
nication it may be asserted with con-
fidence, that the necessary transfers, as
well as the safe keeping and disburse-
ments ofthe public moneys, can be with
safety and convenience accomplised thro'
the agency of the Treasury officers
This opinion has been in some degree
confirmed by actual experience since the
discontinuance of the banks as fiscal a.
gents, in May last "a period which,
from the embarrassments III CONNER
cial intercourse, presented obstacles as
great as any that may hereafter be ap-
pretended.
The manner ofkeeping the public mo-
ney since that period is fully stated in the
report Of the Secretary Of the Treasury.
That officer also suggests the propriety
of assigning, by law, certain additional
duties to existing establishments and Of
ficers, which, with the notifications and
safeguards referred to by him, will, he
thinks, enable the Department to CONT
nue. to perform this branch Of the public
service, without any material addition
either to the number or to the present ex-
penses. The extent of the business TO be
transacted has already been stated and
in respect to the amount of money with
which the officers employed would be
entrusted at any one time, it appears
that, assuming a balance Of 100000 to
be at all times kept in the Treasury, and
the whole of it left in the hands of the
collectors and receivers, the proportion
of each would not exceed an average of
$4,000; but that, deducting one million
for the use of the mint, and assuming
the remaining four millions to be in the
hands of one Of the present number Of Of
icers-a supposition deemed more like
ly to correspond with the fact-the sum
in the hands of each would still be less
than the amount Of most of the bonds
now taken from the receivers Of public
money.
Every apprehension, however, on the
subject, either in respect to the safety of
the money, or the faithful discharge of
these fiscal transactions may, it appears
to me, be effectually removed by adding
to the present means of the Treasury,
the establishment by law, at few i'm
portant points, of offices for the deposit
and disbursement of such portions Of the
public revenue as cannot, with obvious
safety and convenience, be left in the
possession Of collecting officers until paid
over BY them to the public creditors
Neither the amoCnts retained in their
hands, nor those deposited in the Offices
would in an ordinary condition of the re-
venue, be larger in most cases than those
often under the control of disbursing Of
ficers Of the army and navy, and might
be made entirely safe, by requiring such
securities, and exercising such control
ling supervision, as Congress may by
law prescribe. The principal officers
whose appointments would become ne
cessary under this plan, taking the lar
gest number suggested by the Secretary
of the Treasury, would not exceed ten
nor the additional expenses, at the same
estimate, sixty thousand dollars year.
There can be no doubt Of the obliga-
ton of those who are entrusted with the
affairs of government, to conduct them
with as little cost to the nation as is con-
sistent with the public interest; and it is
for Congress, q ultimately for the people
to decide whether the benefits to be de-
rived from keeping our fiscal concerns /
apart, and severing the connection which
has hitherto existed between the govern
ment and banks, offer sufficient advan-
tages to justify the expenses. If the OBJ
ect to be accomplished is deemed i'm
portant to the future welfare of the coun-
try, cannot allow myself to believe that
The addition to the public expenditure,
of comparatively SO small an amount as
will be necessary TO effect it, will be OBJ
ected to by the people.
1t will be seen by the report Of the
Post Master General, herewith commu-
that the fiscal affairs Of that de
partment have been successfully con-
Quoted since May last, upon the principle
Of dealing only in the legal currency Of
the United States, and that it needs no
to maintain its credit, and fa-
ciliiate the management ofits concerns
the existing laws being, in the opinion
OF that officer, ample for those objects.
Difficulties will doubtless be encoun-
tered for season, and increased servi-
ces required from the public functional