Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-01-15
POLITICAL ASPECTS.
WASHINGTON, 30th Dec. 1874

suspended, amounting to about $1,700O0O; and
that on or about the Sth of November the Sec
rotary of the Treasury notified the President
"that the temporary postponement Of certain
appropriations made by you on the 4th of Au.
gust last under two acts Of Congress passed
lin July preceding, can now be terminated with
"safety to the public credit" This recommen-
dation was approved by the President. 1t does
not appear, however, that any expenditures have
subsequently been made in consequence ofsuch
recommendation and approval and it is believed
that none have been made, but that this is an
other attempt to mystify the money affairs Of the
country, and to hide from vulgar gaze the en-
barrassed, if not bankrupt condition Of the
Treasury. One million seven hundred thous-
and dollars ofthc appropriations were suspended.
In November a flourish is made that the Treas
ury is now able to meet the demands on it, and
that those suspensions are no longer necessary.
Two months having elapsed since they "termn-
ated )" the question is, what proportion of these
appropriations has since been paid! 1t is be-
lieved, not dollar, certainly not one tenth. 1t
is manGuvre to hoodwink the people.
More than three weeks of the session have
elapsed and nothing has occurred that distinctly
points to any fixed and settled policy on the part
of the administration and its friends. So far,
however, as judgment can be formed. from the
indications that are given, the conclusion is ire
sistble, that the 4th of March will present an
exhausted Treasury, with claims upon the
Government for millions of dollars and no pro-
vision made to meet the exigency. The admin
istraton and their supporters in Congress are
like all other Bankrupts-tliey shrink from an
investigation of their affairs, and live from day
to day by unworthy and disreputable expedients
anxiousy looking for the hour when their as
sets shall be surrendered to their Assignees.
The second act Of the same farce that was
played last session is now to be played Then,
as now, we were told officially, that there was
money enough in the Treasury, and that no
further issue OF notes would be wanting. Mark
the language of Mr.. Wright on the 10th January,
the Sub-Treasurv Bill being under consdera-
ton. "The Bill" said Mr.. Wright, las it was
"row, would come into operation on the first of
"July next on the 18th Of June next the last
"Treasury note, issued on the authority Of Con-
"prcss, for the last two ;essions would become
"redeemable, SO that Mr. Wright was not
"aware that when the bill would come into
"operaton, one dollar Of Government paper
"would be floating" and yet, since that period
the amount of Treasury notes in circulation has
been increased, and is now much more than it
was at that time.
At the commencement Of the present, as at
the last session, Congress were told in the OPEN
ing message, that they must not make any APP
preparations but such as are in the estimates.
Only few days after the Message was delivered
an application was made for one hundred and
fiftv thousand dollars not IN the estimate TO pay
the pensioners the fund Of more than million
of dollars being exhausted by an improper con-
structon of the law, and runous speculation in
worthless stocks.
With deficit Of fifteen or twenty millions Of
dollars, (tllat is our present situation) what is
10 be done How are the demands upon the
Treasury to be met! Mr.. Calhoun, in his
popularity hunting wisdom, proposes to meet
them by giving away all the public land. But
how are they to be met practically' There are
Injuries, such as silks and wines, that are duty
free. From these articles several millions Of
revenue might be annually raised. They are
luxures, and the rich or extravagant would prin-
cpally paw the duty. But Mr.. Calhoun, while
he is in favor of giving away the public lands,
he is opposed to levying duty on silks, or rather
he was during the last session. The question
came up incidentally.
Mr. Clay said, in regard to silk ITSELF look at
the facts For seven years past, the annual
amount of it brought into this country has been
l2500,000 dollars, and one year it rose to 3d.
100000: and this l2,500,0O0 is for an article
which if any thing is for the adornment and
luxury OF man, silk is that article. 4 *
And if was not absolutely powerless; if my
friends and myself had any power in the dlrec-
ton of this Government, | would tomorrow
impose duty equal to the maximum, which
the compromise act admits that is, twenty per
cent on this import Of l2500,O0O dollars in silk
Mr. Calhoun said, differ in toto from the
Senator from Kentucky. Sir, the
old condemned system is ruinous in every branch
and especially to the manufacturing, agricultu-
raj and commercial lHteTeSts. He ulstTcsS
which he ascrbcs to the importation OF silk,
comes from other causes, &c. &c.
To return to the question-llow are the de-
mands upon the Government to be met! VIII
the party in power, during their reign make
the necessary arrangements TO raise the ways
and means to meet those demands! Without
circumlocution, reply they wiH not. What
then is to be done! From the present aspect of
affairs, the plighted faith of the Government
must be disregarded and sacrificed, or, THERE
MUST BE AN EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS. In
the language of Mr.. Webster, we must have
what merchants term rest We must open
new books.
nertra session must be held, to repeal the
Sub Treasury law. To provide safe deposi-
tory for the public money. To ascertain the
amount of legal claims that this administration
,o, ,nS,tiefed To create a stock for them