Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-01-06

lie debt. Though the amoun, has since been In
creased by wars, pensions, Indian removals. and
other peculiar causes, deemed at the time in nost
cases sufficient 10 justify the appropriations by
large. and often unanimous votes In Congress, yeia
reduction has been going on during 1885 and 1889,
and all the ordinary expenditures would not IN tho
present year. but for the pensnn lisi aud Indian dis
bursemens, exceed the smallest lat nnoned.
The whole increase, however has mol been confncd
tu these Two items, nor could the whole reduction
safely be- which, in the opinion Of The undersig med,
sound eeonomy appears 10 feqniie.
Ia the inquiry TO the amount of expenditure
which should be considered necessary, hght may
sometimes be obtained by advefting 10 The Increase
OF population aud wealth. Looking TO those, il
the expenditure, independent of the public debt.
vas reasonable in magnitude durlng The first eight
years of our prescott Government, the som ol seseo-
teen eighteen millions annual, would not now
be greatly dispsopuri,nnatc, nor probably be found
cithcfmueh deficient oryery unnecessary. Ii would
be nearly five times the average amount about half
century ago. while our population, stree that tim.
has undo abledly increased lhan four fold, aud
our wealth and resources, have probably inefeas-
ed IN raio sill larger l lac last remark, however,
IL matter oil inference from varuus data, uore or
less accurate in themselves such AZ the average
importatians, which have onl, doubled ~ the last
forty CT fifty years the foreign tonnage. which has
increased but IN like miio tie eApoi oil domestic
produce whieh have quadnpled since l792. and
Iwhole tonnage including domestic vel as foreign
which has also quadfullcd, and b. come more than
] u
eight hund, ed steam vessels
Othet data, less uccut'te, but not less sure midi
cations OF still larger increase IN wealth are In le
found IN the vast extension oi ngrric,dtnte mann
lectures. the mechanic ats aud various useful Az,
I,Caions u steam, well IS IN opening roads and
canals, building up noutiehlng ehes, enlareinp our
territory, dliiusing practical education, aud multi
plying, by ways too numerous Tor repetition III,
comforts, advantages, ana powers OF great AID
prosperous people,
Bun such general considerations thou h beneficial
~ comparative examinations. usually better iest.
of the ability To pay than OF the proprefy Of the ex
penses themselves scrutiny into the pfineipaI
items OF the latter, and their amounts at this time
compared with those from forty In fifty years apo
viii and much, IN connection with The cons letaiiou.
before mentioned, IN forming more accurate iudp-
the prophecy aud necessity Of uost Of ia.
present expenditures. 1t viii show what branches
have since sprung Into being, and what from Their
character, should should not be longer ,ou1,n-
ucd.
Some suggestions were submitted on this sub.
lcct IN the last annual report, aud us importance
must be the excuse for adding more on this occa-
sion. The expenditures honlhally connectrd with
foreign intercourse have increased least, rbnse
connected withhthe War Department have inereas-
ed most. The civil aud niscellaneus charges con-
linue comparatively moderate. Bul several Of our
heaviest burdens such The navy. The pensions In
diam disbursements and class consisting of liph,-
houses Qualifications ronds aud Improvements in
harbors aud rivers have augmented very largely
since the ilsi eight years of the Government.
Some Of them have increased molc than fifty
fold.
Ga "A careful examination il will be seen thai va.
tious yndicatUn', more or less plausible have
been mnde for these additions different periods /;
but they cannot now be applicable Tor the coniinu-
dnce oi them all
Thus. the enlargement Of our naval rxpense,
from less than half milton yeatly before 1895. 10
more lhan SIX millions NOV, WAS IN some dee rec
justified. from ume to time. as an efficient aid
/ foreign intercourse with semi balbafous people, aud
for the protection OF our commerce and citizens IL
galusl nlnslice or rapue whether IN temOlcst All,
u, nearer quar- ers Of The globe. The increase of
pensions from only forty of CITY thousand dol
lars yearly Al first. and only eighty thousand
~ late 1911, 10 nearly four u illions now
was defended various grounds. But in must
cases considered less liberal charity Than
rs payment Of the Revolutionary debt to pair,oic
sodiery. who advanced afduous services 10 the fed
rather than money, aud endured suilerings in The
establishment Of our liberties which a grateful
posierily should endenvor TO remuncuatc
The Indian cxpndilures, enlarged from few
thousands To three or four milli Of dolla have
been regmdcd rs the most oiiItaeiaus means Of ,,-
proving permanently the condition Of the aboii-
gnes, as wisely extending the boundaries of civil
zation over The States, md. III fiscal view as
profitable advances Of money, 10 be iully repaid
by the saes OF aud, which the Indian title las
thus been ancably cAiinen sled. The oil
cioup OF items, for forts lighthouses, road, har-
burs md rivers, some entirely new and the winie
augmented from hhy ihousatd dollnts TO tlrce aud
louf millions, have, on seyefal occasions, and
proper extent bceG considered prudent pleca,-
tons Tor national defence and useful aids the
tension and security ofcommercc.--Some expenses
Of smaller magnitude have wollen quite rs fast
these others with less fpdity and oil ers still
have been wholly created since 1877, Pant of,llem
have apparently become pen anent charge on the
Treasury, AID part undoubtedly nay be, hers
have been, properly discontinued. Bat wit out
time now 90 iulo the consideration OF details as u
any except those four enumerated classes. il
be added that these ate, hen united, merry quad
r fup,e al tie olher ordinary expenditures and ell h
or of those four classes alone amounts yearly to
sum about equal To all The other ordinary expen-
diturrs and more han the " ole OF ev~ty kind
ccpt the public debt, each year, from 1859 Ia
1877.
4 The precise perinds when the greatest increases
happened. and The ratio Of them, have not keIt an
uniform pace with the progress OF population and
wealth. In many respects the ratio has been
nearly So great during the last ten twenty years.
rs IN sune previous Terms. Thus, the whole ex-
peusps If the Government in 1903, with the excep-
/ ion briore mentioned, about three millions
yearly and in 1873, afef the lapse OF a quarter Of
/ a century, had increased, ihoneh in period &C
peace, fifteen millions Of dollars, or five fold.
while our population IN thai period had only dou-
! blcd. But, during the next sixteen seventeen
years, in 1881 aud 1885, the expenses had
arged not twenty five per ce T.. while our population
/ uad advanced at least SKY six per cent.
/ During the pre- sent year, though in Intermediates
periods. Chiefly from dian wars and removals. con-
lilo ,ltarf hpy Py 40