Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-12-23
VOL. XIII. NO. II.

functlenaries, discharge the trusts commit.
ted 10 them The duty of economizipo
the expenses of the public service is adj.
| mitted on all hands; yet there are few
subjects upon which there exists a 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
DETERMINATIONS, upon point in which
| the public mind is so justly sensitive, can
be entirely avoided and least so at peri
DDS OF great excitement. An intelligent
people however. seldom fail to arrive, in
the end, at Correct conclusions 10 such a
matter. Practical economy in the man.
agement of public affairs can have no
adverse inf uence to contend with more
powerful than a 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 Indian relations, be, in no inconsider-
able degree, traced 10 this source. The
sudden and rapid distribution of the large
surplus then in the Treasury and the
equally sudden and unpreeedentedly Sc
we're revolutions in the commerce and.
business Of the. country, pointing with
unerring certainty 20 a great and pro
tracted reduction in.the revenue, Strength
ened the property ofthe earliest practicable
reduction of the public expenditures.
But, to change a system operating upon
so large surface, and applicable to such
numerous and diversified interests aad OBJ
jects, 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, and has been so
continued to the present moment. The
estimates and appropriations for the year
1888 (he first over which / had any con.
tro) were somewhat diminished. The
expenditures of 1889 were reduced six
millions of dollars. Those of 1910, ex-
elusive of disbursements for public debt
and trust claims, will probably not exceed
twenty-five and half millions: being be.
tween two and three millions less than
those of the preceding year, and nine or
ten millionsless than those of 1887. Nor
has 1t been found necessary, in order 10
produce this result, to resort to the power
conferred by Congress. of postponing GER
tain classes of the public works, except by
deferring expenditures for short period
upon limited portion of them; and which
postponement terminated some time since,
at the moment the Treasury Department
by further receipts from the indebted
banks, became fully assured of It's ability
to meet them without prejudice to The
public service in other respects Causes
are in operation which will, it is believed.
Justify a still further reduction, without
injury to any important national interest.
pIoved in Florida have been gradually
and greatly reduced, through the persev-
ering> efforts of the War Department; and
a reasonable hope may be entertained hat
the necessity for military operations in
that Quarrer will soon cease. The remov-
al OF the Indians from within our selled
borders is nearly, completed. The pen
sion 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, promise ourselves
a continued exemption from border fl
IcuIties.
The available balance in the Treasury
on the lst of January next is estimated at
; one million and half of dollars This
: sam, with the expected receipts from all
sources during the next year. will, it is
: believed, be sufficient 10 enable the Gov
eminent TO meet every engagement, and
: leave suitable balance in the Treasury
: at the end of the year, If the remedial
measures connected with the customs and
r the public lands, heretofore recommended,
shall be adopted, and the new appropria-
t tons by Congress shah not carry the ex-
t penditures beyond the official estimates.
The new system established by Cor
gress for the safe keeping of The pu5fic
: moneys, prescribing the Kind Of currency
e 70 b. received for the public revenue, and
e providing additional guards and securities
0 against losses, has now been several
months in operation. AIthough-it might
5 be premature, upon an experience Of sue b
u limited duration, to form definite opinion
e in regard 10 the extent of its influences in
: correcting many evils under which The
|. Federal Government and the country have
5 hitherto suffered -especially those tha,
!, have grown out of banking expansions, a
L tdepveciated currency and official defalca.
If tons; yet it is bnt right to say, that noth.
e ing has occurred IN the practical operation
p the system TO weaken, in the slightest
: degree, but much to strengthen the cont
l. dent anticipaiions of its friends. The
grounds of these have been heretofore So
= fully explained as to require no recapitu
{. laion. In respect to the facility and con.
4. velience il affords in conducting the pub
!. =. :, II L., . III L. Guar,