The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-12-31
Limited powers.

jeCt -tWO lIitiSS are luuiSpcHSaDle: uTStf
that the action of the federal government
be kept within the boundaries prescribed
by its founders; and secondly, that all APP
for objects admitted to be con-
stitutional, and the expenditure of them
also, be subjected to standard of rigid.
but well-considered and practical econo-
my. The first depends chiefly on the
people themselves, the opinions they
form of the true construction Of the con-
stitntion, and the confidence they repose
in the political sentiments of those they
select as their representatives in the fed
eral legislature the second rests upon
the fidelity with which their more imme-
diate representatives and other public
func,ionaries discharge the trusts commt-
ted to them, The duty of economizing
the expense Of the public service is ad-
mi.ted on all hands, there are few sub
jects upon which there exists wider
difference Of opinion than is constantly
manifested in regard to the fidelity with
which that duty is discharged. Neither
diversity Of sentiment, nor even mutual
recrimlnations, upon a point in which the
public mind is SO Justly sensitive, can
well be entirely avoided; and least so at
periods of great political excitement. An
intelligent people seldom fail to arrive, in
the end, at correct conclusions in such a
matter. Practical economy in the man
agement Of public affairs can have no ad.
verse influence to contend with more pow.
erful than large surplus revenue; and the
unusually large appropriations for 1887,
may, without doubt, independently of the
extraordinary acquisitions for the public
service growing out of the state of our In
dian relations, be, in no inconsiderable de-
gree, traced to this source. The sudden
and rapid distribution of the large surplus
then in the treasury, and the equally sud-
den and unprecedentedly severe revulsion
in the commerce and business of the coun
try, pointing with unerring certainty to a
great and protracted reduction of the rev.
enue, strengthened the propriely of the
earliest practicable reduction of the public
expenditures.
Treasury Department.
But to change system operating up
on so large surface, and applicable to
such numerous and diversified interests
and objects, was more than the work Of a
day. The attention of every department
of the government was Immediately and
in good faith, directed to that end l.; and
has been so continued to the present
moment. The estimates and appropria-
tons for the year 1898, (the first over
which I had any controD were some
what diminished. The expenditures of 80
were reduced to six millions of dollars.
Those of 1910, exclusive of disburse-
ments for public debt and trust claims, will
probably not exceed twenty-five and a half
millions being between two and three
millions less than those of the preceding
year, and nine or ten millions less than
those of 1897. Nor has it been found
necessary, in order to produce this result,
to resort to the power conferred by Con
gress, of postponlng certain classes of the
public works, except by deferring the ex-
pendi.ures for short period upon limi.
ted portion OF them; and which post
ponement terminated some time since, at
the moment the treasury department, by
further receipts from the indebted banks,
became fully assured of its ability to meet
them without prejudice to public service
in other respects. Causes are in opera
ton which will, it is believed, justify a
still further reduction, without injury to
any important national interest. The ex-
penses of sustaining the troops employed
in Florida have been gradually and great
ly reduced through the persevering efforts
of the war department and a reasonable
hope may be entertained that the neces-
sity for military operations in that quarter
will soon cease. The removal of the
Indians from within our settled borders
is nearly completed. The pension list,
one Of the heaviest charges upon the
treasury, is rapidly diminishing by death.
The most costly of our public buildings
are either finished, or nearly so, and we
may, think, safely promise ourselves a
continued exemption from border diff
culties.
The available balance in the treasury
on the first of January next, is estimated
at one million and half of dollars. This
sum, with the expected receipts from all
sources during the next year, will, it is
believed, be sufficient to enable the gov
eminent to meet every engagement and
leave suitable balance in the treasury
at the end of the year. if the remedial
means connected with the customs and
the public lands, heretofore recommend
ed, shall be adopted, and the new appro-
priations by congress shall not carry the
expenditures beyond the official esti-
mates.
The Sub Treasury.
The new system established by con-
gress for the safe-keeping of the public
money, prescribing the kind of currency
10 be received for the public revenue, and
providing additional guards and securities
against losses, has now been several
months in operation. Although it might
be premature, upon an experience of such
limited duration, to form a definite opin-
al. n