Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-05-26

have been avoided This and this alone, is the mode
b. which they establish The charge Of extravaganza
against the present Administration Now, sir,
IS pTescacd The heads Of expenditure before
rt!c Senate, and the people Of the l. States, Off.
-cinl and authentic form, and feeble as may be, am
willing 10 take up the gauntlet and DO battle wh any
OF our political opponents IN defence of the present Adj
m!rs'faon against this charge shall not refer 10 the
journals for The purpose Of proving That they themselves
have voted IN detail for the very expenditures which
they now condemn in mass This has never been my
practice. take these expcnd lures as find them; and
all ask IS that opponents shall come forward and
specify, IN distinct and tangible FORM those particulars
(which they deem unnecessary and extravagan,
Gentlemen, in the frs, place, fix fifteen millions Of
dollars as the proper annual expenditure of the Gov
eminent, and then charge the Administration with
travagancc because it has exceeded this imaginary
standard The present report Of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, exposes the clcarest light the faacy and
the injustice of such Among the items
sttung the twelve and half mill ons of the extra
ordinary and temporary expenditures during the last
year, We must certainly ind the evidence OF this e1
travag ancc If is any where 10 be found. Can any
Senator specify sin. lie expenditure upon this st,
which ought not TO have been made In il the items
tor Indian wars fer the purchase Of lands from the
Indians, and their renrval West Of the Assiss ppi,
amonnt to a large sum. But who viii say that these
expenditures have been unnecessary The present
! Administration, when It came into pnwer found an
Indian raging Southern frontier This
savage, If possible, than any war which
/
and children murdered ndiscrimna,ely. Would
any Of lends this side OF the House, stop
to calculate the cost osdetrndng citizens against
such cruel and treachcrous foe. answer not one
| lfmonS more had been necessary for this purpose,
they would themselves have granted these millions
| With what justice, then, the Administration be
ccnsurcd for this expenditure; Extravaganza in this
particular can with more justice be- charged on
Mr. Van Buren, than the Emperor Of China. He
found the Florida raging when he into
|
legations 10 apply the money granted by Congress to
the defence OF the country. Had he acted otherwise,
he would have violated the highest dirty Of his station;
and vet this is heavy item in the eXtravagant expen
dturc with which he is charged. 1t is perfectly
fair for gentlemen to examine carefully the manner
in which this has been conducted, and if they
find any thing in il Justly censurable, 10 hold tup to
public view. Bat the ITSELF and the nccessaryex-
penses of conducting II, inevitable. Then as to
tie removal of the Indians and the purchase OF their
lands THIS policy was, believe, commenced under
the administration of Mr. Monroe and has been stead
" pursued throughout all the succeeding Admnisra
tons The object has happily been almost accom-
pishcd Is Mr. Van Buren, ohargeahlc with the ex
pensc incurred By pursuing this policy, II Indian
treaties ratified BIZ the Senate and sanctioned by Con-
gress had required the expenditure of five or ten mil
lions in removing tho Indians from the States
east of the Mississippi to the west ot that river, who
could have fairly charged Mr. Van Buren, with extra
vasance in this increased expenditure Is there any
Senator who would restore the Indians to Georgia. and
the other States from whence they were removed, even
If by doing So he could restore the cost of their reno
val to the public Treasury; Not one.
The most extraordinary item embraced IN this gene
raj charge Of extravaganza, the large amount of m
IDENTITIES paid BY the Treasury TO citizens for
losses sustained by the injustice Of foreign Govern.
ments, and which the administration Of Gen. Jack
son obtained from these Governments By IT'S vigorous
and successful policy These sums paid into the
Treasury in trust for the claimants and OF necessity
they paid out 10 these claimants. And yet thIs
very disbursement contributes largely IN swelling the
aggregate expenditure Of the last year to S31 O0O,OOU
and is thus made constitute of the items OF proof
establish the charge of extravaganza against the pre-
| sent Administration.
might examine in detail the whole list of these OK
traordin1-y and temporary expenses of the Government
during the last year, and ask which OF them could
have Been avoided and The answer to each individual
Quest N must lie the same They were all necessary
Mr. Van Barren is fairly chargeable with of them
Point CIT when. and where, and how, he could have
avoided dim n hed any OF them Unless you can DO
this, YOU give mp the question.
| The honorable Senator from Kentucky MIR. ClsyI
takes up The expenses of the civil list lie compares
their aggregate amount with what 1t was number OF
years ago, and shows that 1t has increased ms IN
has been rendered absolutely necessary oy the
increase Of our dly-exendng country But he deals
altogether in generals. He does not descend TO Part
culars, where could meet him.
Here Mr.. CLAY SAID, do descend into particulars
mentioned the increased number Of custom-house of.
fcrrs
Mr.. BUCHANAN The gentleman refers general.
IL TO tho custom house officers What kind OF ball
of particulars is this; If the number OF custom house
officers has been increased let be shown that tins m
crease was made without necessity, and was not re-
ouirrd nv the public service. This, think, WI provo
10 he difficult task Let the subject lie mInutey IN
yestCa.ed.
meals bnt by close examination OF facts and hgures
Tho Secretary of the Treasury has laid the case fairly
onen for 7enten,en and If there has been any exPen
dture not justified by necessity am wiling TO unite
with them in condemning It. Three years OF the eI
pendtures of the present Administration are no" ne
fore the country and shall expect al early day, TO
hear from our friends in the Opposition on this subject
repeat again let them point out the items OF exraya'
gance and if We who the political friends of this
Administration cannot defend each one OF them IN de-
tail We must suffer the consequences The people Of
tins country have right 10 know whether any, and,
If any, what amount Of the thirtysevcn millions of
dollars paid Of the Treasury during the last yea
has been expended without necessity
| Sr, the necessary expenses OF TINS troVornm"ht
must % on increasing. No h man prudence or lore
siGht can prpvent All that can tots, to take care
that no, dollar shall be expended, which Is not neces
sarv 10 nromoe The interest defend the honor OF the
country You might with equal proprIety say that Inc
same quantity OF cloth would make garment ioF lhr
frIl crown man. which sufficient for hlm when he
was little boy to aege that the necessary e8pen
diture for this country, embracing 70 states ana
three populors Territories, should be Limited ~ what
they had been 10 or 90 years Ego The position cannot
| for a moment, be MAINTAINED >,
,rree with the Senator from South Carolina, Mr..
That sound policy dictates 10 ne 10 increase our
navy Il is our best and most natural defence against
forrign Zoe. and our commerce, which IS spread over
every sea, demands additional protection But, &C
cndIuG To the positions assumed Ivy gentlemen the az
nronrations which MAJ be made by Congress to carry
this policy into effect, you'd constitute, IN the aggre
gate of the accoun, current heavy item Of extavagan
cxpend turc against the President who should execute
our will.
The present issue is precise and limited in its cha
racter Have the expenses Of the Government been
exrava CANT the 4th March, 1897 We are ready
for the trial This question, however, IS no, 10 De o
cded by comparing the aggregates OF expenditures co'
the wears 1877 ISIS and lSg, with the aggregate '"r
previous years, when there were nc Indian ~ars-h'
indian lands to be purchased, Indians 70 be rsmov.
I'd and none cf the other enumerated eN'lo'.na'y
expenses TO be incurred have no'n'ng more :" ''S
Mr. CALHOUN NJ object, when hrst addressed
! a., III subject, neither 10 accuse HpI