Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-02

department, been much increased by the tcmporar
power OF the late presumption law.
Tie unusual quantity of land newly advertised durin
the year lS39, and the consequent large receipts col
nected with that cause and the pre-enptions eli
cumstaiccs not likely recur in 1910 IT is believed
therefore, that the low estimates submitted as TO land
will prove sufficiently high unless graduation a
should pass. The effect Of such bill, Judging frou
reason and from analogy to the graduated prices unde
which lands are now selling, account Of the Chcka
saw Indians, at Ponotoc, much more freely than Else
where within the State would be 10 add onsdcr
/ ably to the revenue for few years.
! ExPLaNATIoSs OF THE ESTIMATES As TO ExpLSDI-
TUEEs AND OF SOME FURTHER REDUCTIONS Is THEM
! The estimates of expenditure for ordInrry purpose
in 1910 in the aggregate about five millions les
than what it is computed Will be spent IN $50. This
great reduction has bccn proposed, although the ex
pcnses Of ie3" will be quite six millions less than thosS
OF le3-, and those OF 1850 were somewhat less thar
the expenses of the previous year
The various items of new appropriations asked 70
are usual in the amounts requested BY the deren
departments having charge Of the different subjects
If any omissions or miscslcuations occur in thcm they
must, therefore, happen from nadveftence by those
officers best acquainted with the business within thc
own peculiar province.
But, the present condition of the country and the
finances, it is not expected that much necessity will
arise, either in the opinion OF those departments
Congress- to make important additions to the
requested. On the contrary, it is confidently hoped
I
out material injury TO any great national interests.
1t is difficult in young, growing, and enterprsing
community to restrict public expenditures within rea
sonable limits Certain cSigencies also occasionally
occur requiring extraordinary sacrifices. When patr
otsm and honor demand large rccunary contributions
the latter richly repaid by their tendency to impair,
vmor and security to the former But, an expenditure
OF twenty millions for ordinary purposes though much
reduced from the aggregate during few years past, is
believed by the undersigned TO be more instead Of less
|
embarrassment in moncyed affairs shall continue In
deed strong doubts exist if be more than the real
necessities Of the General Government usually require
The for this conclusion briefly these Ii is
true that such an expenditure cquang only dollar
and fourth per head of population, is not very
large to sustain conederacy with such widely
tended duties as this. If reduced to the amount of IN
posts which the whole real burden, and if compar
ed with the taxes elsewhere, equang sometimes fiji
teen dollars per head, under political institutions of dit-
crcnt forms and less frugaty, the pressure from that
source here would seem TO be remarkably light
But it should be remembered that the people of the
L. S obliged to defray large amount OF other pub
lie expenses imposed upon them by State authorities,
and, at the time, that their forms OF government,
among various cxcellcnces have been preferred part
cuarly for their economy. Hence the true question
with them in respect expenditures, is, not how large
burdens can be borne, but how much be dispensed
with 1t not what is splendid but what is uscfu! and
necessary. Not how much can be collected from them
without suffering but how much can be left with them,
both of and power and insure all the benefits of
the social system.
As the interests and wishes of the people formed the
Government, they should control ii.
Considering these circumstances, and the sim
pcity and frugaty betting republic what amount
OF public expenses is necessary
OF prG-:i il, iii tsnvGrnncnt need not exceed fifteen
millions of dollars The undersigned expressed an
opinion four five years afterwards, that sixteen
seventeen millions would then be sufficient; and he
still believes that, notwithstanding the continued in
crease of our population and wealth, they might with
prudence be limted TO eighteen millions in Ici0, and
perhaps, after the expiration of most of the present
pensions and the removal Of the of the Indians,
be for time diminished still lower.
Indeed, in point of fact recently 1884 and lS:G5
To" whole yearly expenses only seventeen and
eighteen millions, independent of the public debt
though the amount has since been increased by wars,
pensions Indian removals, and other peculiar causes,
deemed at lie time, i'll most cases, sufficient to Justify
the appropriations BY large and often unanimous votes
IN Congress, yea reduction has been going during
lc3c ana lo"o a"1 the ordinary expenditures would
not IN the present yea hut for the pension list and Iu
dian disbursements cxtsd the smallest sum last mcn
toned The whole incresc, however, has not been
confined to these two Iten's or could the whole reduc.
ton safely be, which, IN the Onion of the undersgn
cd, sound economy appears to rctrc.
In the inquiry to the amount OF yncnd;,ure which
should be considered necessary, lght.nnv sometimes
be obtained by advcrtng to the increase / nonuloton
and wealth. Looking to those, if the cxpc. dure in
dependent of the public debt, reasonable m.,,,en;
udc during the first eight years Of orr present Go.srn
Innnt the of seventeen eighteen millions ann,
ally could now be greatly disproporonac, nor pre-
badly be found either much deficient very unncccs-
sary II wo" be nearly five tilacs the average amount
about half century ago. while our population, since
that time, has undoubtedly increased more than four
fold, and wealth and resources have probably IN
creased in 4 ratio still larger The last remark. how
ever, is matter of inference from various data more
less accurate in themselves such the average i'm
portations, which have only doubled in IT, last forty or
fifty years; the foreign tonnage which mas hC'eas~I
but in like ratio; the exports of domestic produce
which have uuadrupcd since 1892; and the whole ton
mage including domestic we'll as foreign, Whch mas
also Quadruped and become more than ProPoruonaliy
efficient by introducing into over eight hundred steam
vessels
of still laraer increase in wealth. 10 be found in
The vast extension of agriculture, manufactures, the
mechanic arts, and various useful applications OF stcam
as well in opening roads and canals building up
lourishing cities, charging our territory, d'itusng
practical education, and multiplying, by ways too nu
merous for repetition, the comforts, advantages and
powers uf a great and prosperous people
But such general considerations, though beneficial
in comparative examinations, usually letter tests e
the ability TO pay than Of the propricty of TIE expenses
themselves scrutiny into the principal items . the
latter, and their amounts at this tme compared with
those from forty to fifty years ago, will AID mae IN
connexon with the considerations before mentioned,
in forming accurate Judgment on IT, proptlety
and necessity of most Of the present expenditures 1t
will show what branches nave since sprung INTO beng,
and what from their character, should should no. be
longer continued.
Some suggestions submitted on this "ut,Icc -
the last annual report, and its Importance must be i
excuse for adding on this occasion. The G pc.
ditures nominally connected with foreign interc"ur-
have increased least. Those connected with the Va.
Dom nav
ceancous charges continue comparatively moderate
But several Of our heaviest burdens such the nar
the pensions, Indian disbursements and class con-
sstine of light houses, fortifcations roads and i'm
provemens in harbors and rivers, have augmented
very largely since the first eight years Of the Govern
ment Some of them have increased more than hfty
fold.
On careful examination, il will be seen that vari-
Gus vindicatlons, less plausible, have been
made for these additions at different periods but they
cannot be now applicable for the continuance Of them
all.
Thus, the enlargement of our navn. expenses rom
less than half million yearly before l19o, to more
than six millions now, was in some degree Justliea'