The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-06-11
r L. SMITH. R,gisrer
TRFAsuEY DEPARTMENT,
Registers ofes My 4, 1910

flee.
r L. SMITH, Register
TRFAsuRY DEPARTMENT,
Registers OFcs My, 4 1910
To this slalemen, is appended another
very loug ore, specifying the amount paid
each year, under all the items enumerated
IN the note above, beginning with public
debt, trust funds" &c, The aggregate Of
all these items, and the Sd column above,
form the aggregates Of the first column.
The object Of Mr.. Benton has been TO
produce the impression, that the amounts IR
the 81 column are those which constitute
the real expenditures Of the government,
aud not those ID tho 81 column. By s,nk
ing out all Of what the party calls "extra
ordinary expenditures, they wish 10 bring
down the amount TO some reasonable sum.
IL many instances, those extraordinary F"
expenditures are more wasie!ul and corrupt
than any others, As an instance Of waste.
fitness, We may cite the New ] ofk Custom
House, which has been il progress Of build
ing for many years, ard wlll cost, 10 all,
abou, two millions Of dollars. Ih4, build
ing was commenced during JaCkson's ~
aud VII! be finished under tlarrlsou's luspcc.
lon. OF corrupt expenditures, may be CT.
cd the hire Of a Steamboat III FLORIDA, a.
5000 q day, the government paying the
owner, for a few months hire, more than
five times the whole value Of the bout
And YET such items as these are put down
as extraordinary expenditures, for which
the Administration IS not 10 be held uccoua.
table
But look a. these columns, The FIRST
year, 1924, ls the last Of Mr. Mourue's
term; 1875 to ls2s inclusive, John &. Ad
ams's 1870 to 1887 Geo. Jacksous; and
the last three years Mr.. Van Burcn's.-
From 1924 to 1899, lherc were payments
made On accoun. of the fubljc debt q debt
created during the war With Great Bdain1
to tie average amount Of more than ,lir
teen millions year. As soon as that deb,
was paid off IN 1882, the system Of ex,ray
agance commenced, and tho payments from
the Treasury tn ! 1899. exclusive Of the pub
lie debt, sweIcd at once from Is 10 22 nil.
lions
Look at the first column Of the table, and
you will find that tho payments in the last
three years, have actually been greater than
in any three years Of the tmo when we
were paying moro thar thirteen millions Of
dollars year Of debt.
The second column shows the annual
amour, Of expenditures for which the gov
crnmeut is actually responsible every year.
Nee the enormous sums expended during
the last three years. An average Of more
than thirtythree millions Of dollars year
are required for MIR. Van Burcn to carry
on the government And il is idle 10 tell
the people that this, that, aud the other
amount must be subtracted, because II Is
appropriated 70 build an eXtrayagan, house.
or TO TT out an exlravagant expedition, or
to pay party Editors their salaries whilst
other persons are employed to perform their
duties. This is humbug. The second CO
Iumn confirms the actaa amount Of eypen
dIlurcs exclusive Of public debt, and thai, is
the column for which the people should hold
Tue Administration responsible. When We
were all battling against Adams, on account
oi his exiravagance, he would have been
very wiling, doubtless, to have justified
himself on the score Of extraordinary an.
proprla,Ions." He would have been ready
enough 70 show, as the third column now
states, that he was only liable for seven and
nan millions year; but would bis plea |
have been admitted Far from it.
But look at the third column. After all
the deductions that could be made for eek
traordlnary expenditures" i, actually shows.
that Van Buren, requires an average sum oil