The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-04-21

mates Of expenditures for tho consideration OF Con
Gress 1t is plain and simple business, though
from its nature. II cannot DO very precise, and
cannot see any necessity for envelopiGg 1t III So
much obscnrily and uncertainty.
Appropriations are of three classes .
In The fast place, tler are certain 81 Stunning
APPROPRIATIONS which need not be renewed hniii
ally - Such is the Of 100000 expended every
yea, Tor armng the militia; and such arc some oi
The cIasses of pensions, aud few other small char
In the second place, there is 'ile large class, in
which The charge s created by law, but annual APP.
propiatinns are required TO enabe the Treasury to
dI ,hurse the necessary for its payment. This
includes the Army and Navy, the civil list and II
list Of miscellaneous obj cells.
In the third place, there are. rs we all know,
many appropriations made by Congress for special
objects. public or private, aud those often amount
10 considerable sums. Private claims, roads and
canals, building Of light houses, Indian treaties,
many objects recommended by the Executive Sei f.;
all these require every yonr, greater less a.
mount of money from the Treasury. The Setrcla.
ny says that the expenditures OF that desci ption,
which may be sanctioned by Congress annually +,
very uncertain in their amount This is true;
but then. these expenditures, in every year, n.
mount to a considerable sum, and have done so
from the very beginning Of the Government, can
any just or comprehensive view of the probable
necessities of the Trearury be presented which
shall leave all such out? 1t IL quite Impossible
that such expenditures should not DC made Now,
in these estimates aud recommendations. fnd no
provision whatever for any objects of this kind
The estimates strictly confined TO the Army,
the Navy, and The civil tist. find no allowances
for a single dollar which we mi ht vote away here
npon ii private claim Yet the Secretary Tells
that, IF Keep sohia the estimates, the means io
not hOfd out But he must know, | should have
thought, that cannot keep within the estimates
- 1t is moro than probable, Judging from the past,
that he himself, before the session is out, will call
for appropriations not within the estimates And
does he mean, in that case, TO throw the blame of
any deficiency which may ARISE on Congress, by
saying that Congress id not keep withih the esi'
mates.
five may believe the President, and if the Sec
relaries have fulfilled his directions there Is moth
ing in any of the estimates which Is not required
by the absolute wants Of the Government But
we know, sir, that there things, not IN the esti
mates, in regard to which the wants will be abso
lutte; for instance, the privaee claims, upon which
we arc passing here every day, and Tor many OF
which we must provide, if we mean to do Justice.
Besides, do we not see and know, that in all hu'
man probability various other occasions of nppro-
priatiors will arise?-Wil there he contingent
cies for the in Florida? No expense for lndi-
treaties? Is it not possible that events may u.
rise on The Northeastern frontier involving heavy
charges?
And again, sir, does the Administration abandon
the Cumberland road? Here is no estimate for
dollar on that head Of expenditure. Yet trust
an appropriation for That Oh eci will be made. /
shall certainly vote for it myself. And harbors on
the lakesare provisions for those places of refuge
and safety for lake mariners to be again proposed?
They not on the estimates. Is no improve
ment Of any other harbor, or new lighthouses, and
,nothing else which the protection Of Atlantic or
INLAND commerce may require, To I've undertaken or
provided for? Or, since these things not with
IN the estimates, if Congress should provide for
them, Congress to be reproached for its conduct
and made answerabe for deficiencies?
repeat sir, that Executive Departments must
well know that. for some of these obj ects apPro
priations will Of necessity be made; and / repeat
therefore. that it seems TO me to hove presented
such plan for receipt and expenditure, rs should
have embraced them and provided for them. The
amount agree could not have been wei ioreseen
But it must hive been foreseen-it could not hut
fla, hn
essary; and yet the estimates make allowance for
nothing.
There is sir, in these Executive communca-
lions, n constant repetition of sound general max
inns about the Importance of economy. hope the
virtue will be p,aclised, as well as preached But
in my opinion there is just economy in refusing
appropriations tn important, necessary, and ussi:l
public objects.-Let economy begin by cutting of
useless objects, and diminishing the expenses OF
accomplishing such as are useful Let il push its re.
form To The reduction of the cost Of collecting the
revenue Let it take care ofexpcndItures, by uust
ing the publ moneys To honest hands. Let II re.
duce offices, wherever they can be reduced In all
these, and other like things let it exert its sauary
Influence. But is the Cumberland road TO stop
from an impulse of economy! Are the lakes TO he
without harbors, from considerations of economy?
Are important contingencies in public affairs not
he reasonably provided for for reasons "i ecuno
my, What sort of economy would that he?
Sir, / take great public virtue, true economy, to
consist, not IN an undlstiugulshed neglect or refu
sal to appropriate money. but in n careful selection
of important and necessary objects of expenditure
in the frugal application of means TO accomplish
these objects, and in enforcing exac: and pune.
tnal discharge of duty by every officer charged ell
ther with the collection Of money, or with any ex
pendtnres great or small This is my idea of wise
and practical economy, such as it becomes us to ca
ercise, and such the country will approve. But
it is oflittle value, value at all, that Execu
tive. communication, should rehearse TO us general
economical maxirns, unless they show us w hat OBJ
jects of expenditure may he dsregarded, or in
what other way savings may he made And i
would be especially edify if these general nd
montons should be accompanied and enforced by
some striking and brilliant examples set by the
Heads ofdepartmenls themselves. / presume tina
no injustice towards Congress is intended, but
must say that in many of these comuun cation
there are things which calculated 10 nsser
great me rit from economy in the Executive Depart
men,s, and which but too well calculated Il
throw upon apparent want of that virtue
If it be required OF Congress to keep its ap7ropria
will nf fha ,anS