Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-02-10
From the Windsor Statesman.
REFORM CONVENTION.

Mr. Editor noticed with great pleasure, in
the Statesman of the 4th inst. call for Il General
Reform ConreniionN meet at Norwich, on the
9Th Of February. 1t is proposed that this Con-
vention shall take into considerations, among other
Subiec;s,-in all of which the people have deep
interest those of n reform i'll the Stdie and M
fi5nnt Expenditures. Aud, would ask, is it not
high time this was done? Are the people OF Yer
mont generally aware, that the State Is ncio actu"
ally in debit more than one hundred and forty
thousand dollars? and that the annual curremex-
penses, exceed the regular revenue, arising from
the three per cent. tar about twenty Thousand dol
lars? Are ihcv also aware, thai, although The
Stale lar has not hitherto been increased thai the
deficiency has been supplied by b;ro,ring, for
several years aud that II loan OF dirty thousand
dollars was asked for by the Committee OF Ways
aud Means, dnring the last session of the legisla.
turc and authorized by the sane' Under those
circumstances, is it not time for the people, to cast
about and enquire, how it is that this State debt is
10 nc pnid, and the current expenditures OF The
state, in future, to he met? They may be assured
that the evil viii continually increase, long MS
they postpone this enquiry and delay TO apply the
appropriate remedy Il mean radical, Morongh,
aud slceeping reform into the whole subject Of
State Expenditures. They may BE- assured That
no real reform will take place until it is reformed
by their stern mandate; they must point ont the
remedy, and then elect candidates 10 60 10 The
legislature, who will not openly and nnqnestlona-
bly, pledge thenrelves To apply the same, iuliy,
and without regard 10 party distinction. Bu
ngnin enquire, by whnc neans aud from what
| funds, is this State debt, OF more than one hun
dred and forty thousand dollars 10 he paid There
are hut two methods of canceliing this debt IN
/ less the State is to he declared bankrupt. One by
! appropria;ing the whole Of the School Fund for
! tina! purpose, large portion of which The rtnte
has already borrowed, the other, by rect tara
ton Tie only alternative left 10 the people, is 10
determine which they will accept uni tn sooner
tI,ay a. la 1 Inc
momen:, forget, that dis debt is continually III
creasing, and that should they Immediately deter.
mine 10 appropriate the School Fund, Tor ihis OBJ
ert, il would not he found sufficient TO iny the
ldeht-suiue nd,iilion TO the taxes would be ahSo-
uelv necessary, nj least for one year. II they
preerto >ave the School Fund. aud pay Il debt
Ivy oirect arai n, will require iat The State Tar
he doiIlsed that is, that II he raised from s 10
6 per cent. for, M least pr years, IT, cancel tins
drht. Iwould now nsk every candid citizen ut
Vermont, without distinction of pnrty, whether
fl | and radical reform in the management ut the
State concerns is not inperavely 'lrInarded
i Let us now take a glnpce ut 0ur National Ex-
pendiJures, md see whether matters appear any
better In the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury, recently submitted to Congress, find
the following items of expenditures viz:
Civil, Foreign aud miscellaneous,
for the three first quarters 2,649,ooo 20
Military, for the three first quar- ,o-,,-ooo,
Naval, foi the three first quarters, 4,7l37Ol 81
Sl9,O65, O0s OIL
1t appears then from o6cai authority the expen
ditnres for our Civil, Military aud Naval Depart
ments during only three quarters OF The first year,
was nineteen millions, sixty five thousand, eight
dollars and cent. Ii the expenses for The
fourth quarter should be in the same ra'io, the a.
; mount for the whole year, under these depart
, ments, will I've as follows, viz:
/, Civil, Foreign and Miscellaneous, 4,56l ESQ 20
Military, 1922 ,'s &c W ".
Naval, o'o'@''~o 10
$2as3I 2i0 25
A ,ot,l amount oftwenty three millions, eight hun
dred thirty ono thousand, Two hundred, sixty dol
larry and twenty five cents in one year. for the ex-
? pensrs under he Departments of Civil, Military
r aud Naval! would now asl;, do these expendi-
5 lures look like JeGtrsanian Economy nhoni when
SO much is said !? Why il ! do not much ms
TAKE, the whole amount Of expenditures, under
the foregoing Departments, during The mr.,
four wears of Mr.. Jeffersnn's administrator "'p
not amount 10 what is n 10 expended III ne year
And now where is the honesty oi parry pohh-
coJ Ieoiers who are constantly Chanting me Sy-
rem Sonr of Lgsrsonian Economy, while their
,bo,e ,rnctce IS in direct violation OF his princI-
niles. and libel on his repnlaon? ! am aware
,hat the President in his recent message TO Con
qross. strongly recommends rigid economy ~
the expenditures OF The government, tins Is wen;
hut has ne pointed out cue single SUBJECT OF reforms
Has he proposed TO reduce The expenditures IN
any one Department of The government iias no
recommended "A reduction OF those idic ana USE
less officers in the military nnd naval departments,
| which have heen, for years, eating out Tue sun
aance Of the people, without rendering any e's-