Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-02
No. 72.-VOLUME XXXNI.
: r'libcrtics, which grateful posterity sl69s5
deavor to rcmunerate The Indian expenditures enag

the new States, and fiscal view, profitable ad
vances OF money to be fully repaid By the sales Of
lands, to which the Indian title has thus been anicaby
/ extingushcd The other group OF items for forts,
: ligh houses roads, harbors and rivers, entirely
!, new, and the whole augmented from fifty thousand
dollars to three and four millions, have several oc-
caslons, and to proper ot"n he"a considered prl-
dent precautions for national deitfcc and useful aids
the extension and security of commerce Some fx
penses OF smaller magnitude may have swollen quite
as last Us these; others with less rapty: and others
still have been wholly created since l797 Part othe
nave apparently become permanent charge on the
reasury, and part undoubtedly may be, others have
becn, properly discontinued. But, without time now
to go INTO the consideration OF details as to any exccpt
lose iour enumerated classes, 1t may be added that
these are when united, nearly quadrupe al the
other ordinary expenditures and either of those four
classes alone amounts yearly to sum about equal 10
az the other ordinary expenditures, and more than
ie "sole OF every kind except the public debt, each
year, from 1889 10 1877
me precse periods when the greatest scs hap
Pcned and the rauo of Them have not kept an uniform
pace WIN 'he PfogrcsS of population and wealth In
many respects INC ratio Ia" been nearly great du
ring the last ten or twenty Years as IN some previous
terms Thus, the whole expense, of the Government
IN 1913, with the exception before mentioned were
about three millions yearly; and in ISIS. after the
lapse OF quarter of 4 century, had Increased
though IN period of peace, to fifteen millions of
dollars, or five-iold, while our population in that
period had only doubled But durnp the next sin
teen or seventeen years, in -:iI and l-3j, the
expenses had enlarged not twenty FIVE cent while
our population had advanced at least sixtysy per cent
During the present year, though in intermediate periods
chiefly from Indian and renewals, considerably
higher, they VIII not exceed the amount III ISIS more
than sixtysIx per cent, while population has since
increased more than eghtytuur per cent Again take
the progress in the ordinary civil expenses, which in.
clude those of the Executive Legislative and Judcia!
departments miscellaneous a.d foreign intercourse;
all Of them united were but a little over hall million
OF dollars in 1893: while III isis they had increased 10
ncary four millions, eight hundred per cent though
our population had augmented only one hundred per
cent
But since the last date that class of expenditures has
not enlarged forty per cent having been not FIVE
millions and half in either 1897, lS3S, or probably
lc39, while our population has advanced eighty -four
per cent, than double that All can thus
perceive where, when and in what, the greatest i'll.
crcases have occurrcd-thc principal reasons whether
sufficient otherwise assg ned for several Of them,
and the ample opportunity which still exists for further
rctrenchments, so far as the public interests sup
posed by Congress To require them, any all Of
these large burdens on the public treasury
| As some encouragement to hope for continued re-.
ducton III several of thcm without injury TO Of
the important establishments of the country, it be
Observed that portions of these items of expense and
several smaller Ones must cease forever with the tenn
po-ary occasion for them, and others will not, when
once completed, require renewal soon, If ever. Such
are numerous special donations and grants durable
public buildings of all kinds, dry docks, improvements
borS constructed distractions in rivers removed the
manufacture of weights and measures tn" survey OF
the coast much of The removal Of the lndiHs ,2sf-
tngT"'9t 9f PiaaaS ttcS, ah c task Of reduction,
-, become necessary 70 70 farther and dni-
nish general pro- scale or otherwise The COM
pcnSation 10 all officers, civil and military, executive
judicial and legislative II is surely much better 10 do
this, far the public cxigenccs may require and
justice sanction, than to expose the Treasury TO bank
ruptcy, by continuing to make appropriations beyond
in Iol II.
to resort period of peace the spendthritt and
suicidal policy OF ctcc,ng permanent loans 10 dcray
ordinary expenditures Peace the time 10 pay rather
than incur debts, and II would be- wiser for any nation
to hoard during peace than to borrow largely and
thus cucumber still more those energies and resources
which are naturally crippled by war, but whose whole
ygor is conducive to its success
The preceding remarks applicable 10 ordinary cx-
pcndturcs. But for Extraordinary ones, such within
few years past, the cNprnSIv" removal of the Greeks
and Cherokccs, the Black Hawk and Florida wars while
equal caution may well be exercised in deciding or
their necessity, yet, when that is admitted, less
objection exists to temporary measures for relief, Ike
Treasury notes or short loans provided permanent
increase of taxation is not likely to be required Tie
end.
In voting for extraordinary charges, rs well as IN
sanctioning from sympathy justice, unex pectcd APP
preparations towards large private claims aud interesting
local Objects il often happens that heavy payments
imposed the Treasury for purposes contemplated
in the ordinary estimates.
And the obvious proprcty Of generally making the
samc time somc new provision oil means adequate To- the
dfcharge Of such additional burdens, is sometimes
fortunately overlooked. But, when acting these
other Eases, if Congress cannot, consistently with lts
views OF duty TO the country adopt the suggest
cd and restrict the amount Of appropriations whether
ordinary or extraordinary, to the certain current
nue., the only remaining which seem dcienshir
are these either to provide for recalling portions OF the
public money deposited with the States, esta-
ais an adequate system of direct taxation, at
sting laws concerning contemplated in the c&
necessary for purposes of revenue, and .t
on several articles of luxury nov free.
| oS SOME PERMANENT SAFEGUARD UNDER FLUCTUATIONS
Is RECEIPTS AHp EXPENDITURES.
Much has at times been wisely done by Congress 10
supply means for meeting unexpected dcicCncics.-
But all legal provisions heretofore adopted for that pur-
pose having expired, financial operations viii be
constantly exposed to danger, unless permanent
safeguard under contingencies is established.
| These circumstances must constitute apology for
once explaining some of the grounds IN favor 81
suc measure, and earnestly asking speedy legislation
conc"rnIng It.
| The principal sources Of our present
Silly affected by fluctuations not cnly IN ccmmcrcal
prosperity, but in the crcps, the banking policy, and
credit sy stems of even foreign nations The influence
IL these seems 10 become yearly changer
! bic and more uncertain III MS extent
| Numerous illustrations in supper; Of these views
nave been referred to in former reports. Some 81!
them Show a sudden and great falling oil IN the regular
\
from nine millions in quarter, u only three IN tho
"xt and as the sales Of public lands, from twenty four
millions in l-}6 amount over half of all received
IN the previous forty years, to loss than three millions
! IN 1899. But the returns from the districts in
States during the last two years present additional facts
equally striking on this subject.
In Michigan, for instance, the sales of public lands
in lr36 exceeded five millions Of dollars They fell III
ls35 to only Sl342s4; and in Mississippi, where, IN
1885 and 1885, they exceeded three millions each year,
they fell in 1888 only $4,000 AS before ntimated,
a portion of such extraordinary fluctuations results
from the vaclatng character of the from which
our revenue is derived. But most of them evils
ms parable from the periodical conractons and ex-
pansons incident to the present defective system OF
banking in country full Of enterprise as ours with
such freedom in pursuits, such facilities Of intercourse,
and such strong temptations 10 rash speculation
| The fluctuations, however, not confined 10 the
receipts. The expenditures, which may be sanctioned
Inv Congress annually, very uncertain IN their
amount we'll doubtful in the proportion of hcm