The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-02-13
PU BLIC FINANCES
SPEECH OE MR.. EVANS,
OF MAINE,
In THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Jan. Is, ls41
fcoNcLuDED.


see the calculations of the Sccretarythe in
which he proposes distribute the nineteen millions
anu quarter among the different branches of the
vice-where the reduction is 20 fall When the homo
raoe chairman said that he might possibly be told that
the estimates of the Secretary not to be relied
upon, he only repeated what is the common judgment
Of the country Experience has not furnished much
ground for such reliance and indeed the gentleman
himself abored considerably demonstrate the diff
Guilty, if not mpossiby, especially in these times of
| fuctuation, OF forming any estimates which would
De likely to be verified by the results readily admit
that for myself do not place much confidence in the
accuracy of the estimates They TO me TO be form
ed, not upon the wants and requirements Of the ser
vice, but IN reference to the ability of the Treasury
and 80 formed as to produce desired result Sums
total assumed IN the first place. and then the com
ponent items arranged to meet the aggregate. The
Administration desires to make favorable exhibition
ofits fiscal aas, and to show that the income of the
year will exceed all its disbursements Nothing is ca
sier Assume the receipts will be SO much, and divide
up among the various sources of revenue; then as
sumo the disbursements to be much and frame the
estimates accordingly for the various branches of ser
vice. and deductng the from the other furnishes
exactly The oregone conclusion. say IL seems TO me
that this Is the mode of proceedings and this SUPPOSE
ton Is verified by statements appearing in the docu
mens submitted TO US Gen Jesup, in his report of
18th November and also in his letter of 18th Novem
Der, says, Eat the last session Of Congress presented
an estimate FOL the service in Florida of six hundred
thousand dollars; that estimate required od
fy, and reduce one half He did reduce it not be
IL,
because he was required to do in Of
the condition Of the Treasury The result shows that
the sam fist proposed wanted and so pressing
was the necessity that he required $500 900 early in
,ne present session. growing out of the reduction Of
his FIRST estimate
The same thing appears in the estimates for thu ma
val service, submitted al this session. The Navy
Commissioners by whom these estimates are prepa red
say that they were limited TO the total Of five mil
hon and twenty-five thousand dollars All that was
ien 10 their discretion was to apportion this sum
among the various objects of expenditure in that
branch Of the public service So much for pay of off,
GERS and seameni so much for provisions medical
stores, NC; so much for superintendent and naval
constructors at the several ads SO much for hospi-
tails; SO much for increase, repair, armament equip
ment, and wear and tear OF vessels in and
so much tor Improvement and repairs at the navy
yards &c How was this aggregate of Us OPS 900 OBJ
tainedI Not because It would cover all the wants and
necessities of the service-by means. No estimate
had been formed that basis M, but il was n sun
arbitrarily assumed, and the Commissioners were d.
rected to make their details conform to it, They plain
ly inform US that this il enough. They find them
selves unable to allow more than 100000 of il for
increase OF the Navy out OF which they wish to fin
ish the two steamers being built, and the frigae
Congress, and TO commence steamer which thew
wished to do last year. but were only prevented from
including in the estimates of 1910 by the supposed ne
cessty OF limiting the estimates to certain amount
1t seems this mode Of forming estimates was adopted
last year also In regard to the navy yards they say
the board are of opinion that much larger expendi-
lures would be very desirable to place them in proper
situation to operate efficiently in period of war;
manifest therefore, that the estimates submitted 10
not founded upon the interests of the service or
the wants OF the country, but arbitrarily assumed
to BRING out desired result In any estimate SO fra
med, declare again have very little confidence.
ftho expenditures Of the pear are to be what have
endeavored to show they must be, any where near
it, it manifest that the and receipts of it
from all sources, will be inadequate to meet them.
The Secretary estimates thee whole receipts Of the
year at twenty-five million five hundred and eighty
thousand dollars This would fall short of the ordina-
ry expenses five Millions being almost large
deficit as existed last year.
But to this sum 1922 $50 900
| Add available balance on hand $50 S55
Expected receipts from banks go 600
Balance OF treasury notes, authorized by
act Of March 81 1910 3426
And we have the whole resources of the
| Treasury fol the year, stated by the
| Secretary himself SEA 1913 473
In regard to those estimates think they are some
what what will be realized, than those for the
expenditures | differ with the honorable mem
Der from New York Mr. Barnard) as to the probable
receipts from customs, and shall not be surprised if
they quite up what is supposed by the Sccre-
tary, The receipts last year not far from thir-
teen millions We all know that business is
ing from the stagnation and lethargy which il was
then sunk. Men begin TO feel confidence, and l,ok
forward in the that the country no longer
to be afflicted with succession Of visionary expert
ments lmportations are much greater now than they
at the corresponding period of last year, should
think nearly double. Homeward freights are quick
and rising All accounts from the English papers re-
present the American trade as briskly revving. 1t
would require an increase of about fifty per cent.
the importaons OF last year to give nineteen millions
Of revenue; and this, in ordinary times, would be
great increase. But the mporations of last year were
small, and the country is somewhat drained Of foreign
goods Probably the business in the latter part of the
| year may decline to some extent in consequence of
the great reduction of duties to take place 3lst De
cembcr next Besides there will probably be large
Importation Of free goods, from the ppehension that
duties may be imposed upon them at the next session
of Congress- and this may to extent, check the
importation of duable articles. However, as these
all speculatons, which may may not be correct and
cannot assign reasons in which have much con-
fdence myself for supposng the Secretarys estimate
greatly too large am willing to adopt II, as showing
| the propable receipts of the year. What, then, win
| be the deficiency What amount of additional means
will he required the expenditures of the year
Whole expenditures as before stated 1871 ,6S5 600
Whole resources 2i,723473
Deficit 6,96l ,527
bill 5000 900
Deficit 1861 ,527
Add least balance which ought to be
in the Treasury at end of the year,
as Secretary states 100000
$3,96l ,527
SO that in addition TO the sum now proposed to be
issued shall require for the service OF the year. and
to leave sufficient balance in the Treasury the end
of it, further sum of at least four millions. II is not
safe TO proceed without it. Ii Congress will provide
for the redemption of the notes outstanding in
some other mode, and not make them chargable upon
the revenue OF this year. my judgment the five mil
lions now proposed will be sufficient to carry us
through il. The Secretary himself seems to have
some lurking apprehensons that this may be neces-
sary for he suggests that il may be found expedent
TO authorize contract to be made under proper