Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-09-08


ceipts Of the Government to its absolute
wants; TO prevent extravaganza, by
withholding the means, to preserve the
purity Of the public agents, by keeping
them out oftcmptation; to enforce econ
omy, by making it impossible fol the
Government not to be economical.
HIsin vain to oppose little appro-
priations of money when there are mil
lions of surplus in the Treasury. If
there be surplus it willbe expended,
and to be expended it must be appro-
priated. Keep the money out of the
Treasury. and leave it in the pockets
of the people, its rightful owners; null
titude of projects for expanding it
would then never be thought of, and
Others would never be pressed.
While, therefore, we deem it the
duty of every Republican to oppose
unnecessary appropriations and ex-
penditures, we look to a proper regu-
lation of duties and taxes, to be levied
and collected from the people, as the
only efecttive remedy and preventive Of
public extravaganza. Duties on i'm
ported merchandise, though paid in the
first instance by the merchants, come
finally out ofthe pockets Of the people,
as much as if they were direct tax
laid on lands and personal properly
We hold that it is the duty of Congress
to ascertain, as nearly as practicable,
what an economical administration OF
the Government ought to cost; to gtad-
uate the duties or taxes, in such man
Y ner as not to produce a surplus beyond
that sum, and to vary them ia conform
\ tip with chat principle, as the chang
ing circumstances Of the country may
require. We hold, that when Congress
establishes, or suffers to exist, a system
of revenue which collects from the PEG.
pie more money than the public ser
vice, ccomically managed, necessarily
requires, they peryert the Government
from its true object, violate their duty
to their constituents, and commit upon
them the same wrong which monarchs
perpetrate upon their subjects when
thew seize on their money or goods to
support unnecessary wars, or minister
in their pleasures, their tastes, or their
passions.
At present, we have no surplus in
the Treasury, aud the receipts of the
Government are scarcely equal to its
necessary expenditures It's our earn
est desire and determination. as far
as our opinions and appropriate acts
lean avail, to cut off the possibility OF
any surplus hereafter; not by extend
ing the expenditures, but by lcssening
the receipts. And whenever the ex
penditures can be lessened, also, with
out palpable INJURY to the public SER
wise, we are in favor Of diminishing
them, and the receipts i'll an equal de-
gree; making our Government as cheap
to the people as possible. and as pow
erless for mischief as it shall be cheap
in its administration.
We rejoice to see the many OF the
recent great causes Of taxation are fast
disappearing. The public debt is now
fully paid, and the people are entirely
relieved from that burden. The ex-
tlnguishment OF the Indian titles to
lands within the States and Tcrritor-
les; tho removal of the Indians to the
west of the Mississippi; and the Indian
wars. in which the United States have
been recently engaged. have necessa-
rily produced a great expenditure Of
the public treasure. These will, no
doubt, shortly, be brought to q close;
and this heavy drain upon the Treasu-
ry Of the United States, of course. cease
land many other causes Of expendi-
lures are rapidly terminating.
i One Of the strongest temptations for
!, the collection Of large revenues, and
. the continuances Of which is most TO
be guarded against, would be the de.
posite ofthe public money in the banks.
Il Ifdeposited in banks nominally for
ssfe-keeping but really to be lent out
\ to their customers the banks will have
Il an interest in swelling the amount, be-
cause by lending they receive q pro,,
3 fit upon 1t; and their customers vii
/, have an interest ia the same poIcS
t because they can borrow more money
!, and get more indulgence by it. Bj
! these means money may be wrongful,
! taken fSomits true owners by the Go
& vernment, not for the public service
i but to be devoted to PriVate parPOst
G exclusively.