The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-05-29

$50 % paid on account of the public debt lie re-
peated, on account Of the public debt for it was
paniSn redemption Of Treasury notes and these
treasury notes were so much debt incurred to sup
ply the place of the revenue deposited with the
States, III 1885, or shut up in banks during the ss-
pension OF 1887, or due from merchants, to whom
indulgence had been granted. TO supply the
place OF these unattainable funds, the Government
went IN debt by issuing Treasury notes but faith
iul to The sentiment which abhorrcd national debt,
It paid oil the debt almost as fast as it contracted
1t. Above eleven millions oiths debt was paid in
1889, amounting TO almost the ihiad par, the ag-
gresate expenditure eff Ihat year and thus, nearly
The one third part Of the sum which is charged upon
the Administration ms extravaganza and corruption
was mere payment of debt IA mere payment OF
Treasury notes which we had issued to supply the
place OF our misplaced revenue This item being
deducted ilom the 81 millions, reduces it to 2G.
g The second item TO be deducted is stated in
the table under the description of trust funds and
consists OF moneys received in trust for the Chca-
saw Indians and other Indians, on the sale of thei-
lands, for which the United States act us their IL
gent and treasurer. II amounted to near quarter
OF million, 10 wit, $2i0 1854 for the year 1889
but Tor the three preceding years averaged a nil
hon and quarter, and contributed largely to swell
the expenditures as they Were termed, OllS36, lS-
81, and 1888, This item had 10 existence in the
year 1924 so that it become new charge, uppp-
rently upon the Treasury but in reality no charge
at all, as was only delivering over to Indians the
money which had been received for them, and be-
longed to them. Yet this item, amounting to nearly
four millions in the last four years, is set down to
the rackless extravaganza of mad and ruinOus
Administration.
3 The third item TO be deducted is the sum o
$f7l1 ,552 81, for indemiics that is to say, lol
moneys recovered from foreign nations, under zen
Jaokson's administration, ioa merchants who hud
been plundcrcd under previous Administrations
whose money, when received, had gone into oul
Treasury and was afterwards paid out to the right
full owners as their respective rights were asrer-
tanned. The payment for 1889 was near three
quarters of Il million but for three previous wears
they amounted in the whole to about five and n
half millions ; and, according to the accusation oil
the Opposition gentlemen, constituted so much OF
the horrd extravaganza of those years and here
let us mark the difference between the present
times and those of 1924. When, in that year, sun
of rear five millions was paid out of the Treasury
for ndemitlcS to merchants under the Florida trca-
ty, 10 one ever thought of making the people be-
Ilcyc that it was part of the expenses ofthc Gov
eminent. No one ever thought of injuring the Adj
ministration about it, These conceptions have been
reserved for the present day. Now, for the first
time IN the history our country, or perhaps Of any
country, the recovery of indcmnitics from foreign
crs, and their payment our own citizens, become,
Il dreadful eXtrayagance-a ruinous waste ofmoncy
for which u mad and prohigatc Administration
must be thrust from power
L. The fourth item is samll sum of 50, SIS
| 80 for claims of States on account of cxprndi-
lures for general benefit during the late war. II
was payment.oi debit and not an expense of Co
vermont, and though small in 1889 it had been
considerable in three preceding years, amounting in
that time to about $3.50 600 I; aud, of course
swelling by that much the aggregate expenditure,
Of those years, and helping to make up the mon
strous extravaganza Of which the country heard
so much.
8. The item grows out of the three per ceniun
fund TO the new States by compact, as n consider
lnAing int FtucI iuin>. iui tiiv 900. 5000, 81:
item amounted to $40 and being debt due
to the States, is no part of the Government eypen-
SEES. For the three previous years. when the land
sales We're at the largest, and when some of the
States had neglected for some years to draw their
money, the payments on this account amounted Ia
near one and II half millions of dollars and, OF
course, swclled to that amount the extravaganza
of 1886, 81, and'3s In the year 1921, this item
was only $l1,7li.
6. The sixth item to be deducted was nearly al
lied to the former. 1t was sl9s $50 for the two
per cenlum on the sales of the public lands to make
roads to the new States, and applicable to the Cum
berand road. In the year 1924 it was only si7
600 but in the great sales of 1925, g, and Z, il
amounted TO near 81 200, eco. Here again was
payment of debt converted into wasielul extra
vaganCc
I. Donations Of money to. or payments on nc
count of, the Destrict Of Columbia, was the seven
tn item of deducation which Mr. d. mentioned. II
amounted TO $'l26,31i for the year 1889 II wa,
a new item in the list of Government pnvmcnts,
having no existence in 1924, nor until the wear
1882 After rhat time it had been annual, and rs
high rs S3i3,OOO i'll one year, to wit 1888 and
for the wear 1898, 7 and s amounted to near
@ll0,0 II was gru,uiy 10 the District, which
had no political rights ; and it was grau,y which
had no other object than TO relieve il from burhcns
inprovidenty contracted yet received the usual
character of corrupt extravaganza.
&. The survey of the coast was the eighth item
which Mr. b. explained. 1t was a temporary and
extraordinary object, which had grown up from a
lrillc TO large amount within u few years past .
and amounted TO sol 1895 for the year 1889. Pre-
vous 10 General Jackson's administration it rarely
exceeded two thousand dollars per annum for the
years 1886 and g, it amounted TO about : 220O
UO0
Duties refunded to merchants was another Of
the new and large items which had lately grown
up anoung our Treasury payments. From 1924
to 1882, it was unknown; vet in 1899 it was
$40, 30i in the year 1898, it was SOL, 600, and
for 1861, and s, it amounted TO above $500, OOO.
This was favor, or an act Of justice TO merchants,
granted by acts of Congress, or by judicial dccs-
ons or by reversal of Previous constructions of
the laws. 1t is no part of the Government expen-
diture, though being refunded from the Treasury.
il goes into the enumeration to swell the general
aggregate--to swell the cry of extravagence-and
to prove the hostility of the Administration TO
merchants
TO- a tenth item to be deducted was the sum of
STA $50 for collecting materials for the Increase
ofthe navy. This was an expenditure for the fn-
ture defence of the country, and averaged about
$500, 900 per annum since the commencement of
General Jaekson's administration, though only
Sl23, 900 in 1921 II is clearly no part of the ex-
penscs Of Government, bnt an outlay of money
for the benefit of after years, and of posierity.
II Permanent public buildings is another of the
large items of recent expenditure. Fcrmely these
buildings were Of pershadle materials, and sunk
under the decay of time, or the rayapes of fire