The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-17

the gross amount of customs which would accrue IN
der the avs as they would be left, when these final
reductions should have taken place would not exceed
fourteen millions of dollars and that after deductlng
the expenses OF collection and allowing for
there wOuu remain nett sum of less than ten mil
lions 70 be applied to the support Of the Government
Mr. w. was inclined 10 think that this estimate was
too low and Tor reasons to which he would presently
alude. He was inclined to think that we might RELY
on receiving at least twelve thirteen millions of nett
revenue from this source The largest of these sums
however would obviously be wholly inadequate for
the present exigences of the country. Ii would fall
far shot OF being sufficient for annual expenses
TO say nothing Of the debts bequealhed to us by our
predecessors Why, even the late Administration it,
self when 1t was parting from power and attempting
TO atone by preceps OF economy for practices Of ex
travagmce-eyen the late Secretary OF the Treasury
when pointing 10 US the thorny way of retrenchment
and reform after having so long pursued the primrose
path ofdaance hmselt-did not suggest that a lower
sum than seventeen eighteen millions of dollars
could Ne made to answer for the annual expenditure Of
the cosntTy. But ii turned from the diving pre-
cepts Of the late Administration to their example dur
ing life, we found that the average expenditures during
the foar years OF their existence about twenty
eight millions per annum.
And here MIR. w said, he willing to confess
that he thought we should moi be able to reduce the
expenditures of the next four years very much below
that sam. True we had constantly complained of
our predecessors as extravaganza waseful profit
gate in their management Of the public moneys; and
to economy and reform and he hoped and believed
we should honestly fulfil that pledge Bu economy
and reform did not always involve an immediate and
absolute reduction Of expenses And considering the
condition IN which the country had come into
handsthe debts we had To discharge the breaches to
build vi the strip and repair he did not be-
leve TINT such reduction would be found practicable
to any treat extent. When e.heard gentlemen on
the otr side throwing in teeth these promises of
reform and taunting with professions of
afa mn rhana han
few thousands Of dollars TO the relief of the widow Of
dparted President, few millions of dollars to
the reconstruction of dilapdated Notifications he
nminded of that fine passage 10 Mr. Burke 5 let
ter to noble lord in which he draws a contrast be-
tween tue and a false economy. He was reminded
Of 1t nors particularly few days ago, when homo
rable member from New Hampshire Mr.. Atherton)
adorned speech upon the loan bill with that
able maIlm from an ancient Roman" magnum est
vectigal parsimonid.
Mereparsimony said Mr. Burke is not economy
1t is searabe IN theory from it and in fact it may,
or it my not be part OF economy, according to cir
cumstnces Expense, and great expense, may be an
essential part IN true economy If parslmony were To
be considered OF the kinds Of that virtue, there
is however another and higher economy Economy
is dstributve virtue and consists not in sarng but
in selection. Parslmony requires no providence, no
sagacty, nopowers OF combination sno comparison,
judgment Mere instinct and that instinct not OF
the n,blest kind, may produce this false economy in
perfection. The other economy has larger views 1t
demands discriminating judgment aud firm
gaciuIs mind. IL shuts one door 10 inpudent tnpor-
tuni4 only 10 open another, and tcider, 10 unpre-
Stunning merit And no State since the foundation
of society has been impoverished by that species
of proiusion.
1t was to this economy that had pledged
selves economy of selection and proportion; an
economy which should not exc out the means of
boundess exravagance in one line of expenditure by
base Injustice in another; which should not
the ra service OF the country To bestow upon jobs ;
which should thrust aside the honest claimant
the aged pensoner TO make for more dependents
and more pacemen; but which, spending as little as
the public interest would admit should spend all that
the public honor and the public justice and the
pubic safety should require, trusting earlessly
10 just generous intelligent, and discfimina
ting people to sustain and sanction Its OUTLAWS
The party power had indeed pledged themselves
economy. But they had not pledged themselves TO
abandon our iorlfcations to let the country remain
predecessors had left it, exposed every point
from Passamaquoddy to The Sabine, TO the invasion OF
foreign foe; TO leave the navy in its present weak
and miserable condition TO e1tngulsh the lights
along shores and let commerce wreck Itself on
ice-b bound coast The people of this
country would despise and condemn such economy as
this. hey had condemned 1t already. he honestly
believed il not the amount TO which the late Ad-
mnstration carried up the expenditures of the Go
yernment which had brought upon them the rebuke
of the nation, SO much the ends for which those
expenditures were made. The people became indg-
nant when they that their money was speat for
naught and their substance Tor that which was not
bread.
Having thus admitted that large addition To the
revenues of the country lndspensably necessary
Mr.. w proceeded To the consideration of the pending
bill as the mode Of making such an addition. tie was
not prepared TO say that it would make too large an
increase; would he hesitate, had we the time TO
spend upon it, and the Information necessary Tor act
ing upon understandngy and safely 10 20 with the
chairman of The Committee of Ways and Means IN
!. Wall ma
amount. But he was compelled to say, we had not
the time; we had not the information. Already there
was Impotence to bring this debate to close al
ready the House had voted to take the question on
this bill within week from the day II was entered
upon, Other great measures were behind, 10 winch
this must give way. Now, sir, said Mr. w in behalf
of the commercial and manufacturing interests of the
country protest against the adoption OF measure Of
this magnitude, without more opportunity beng al
fordcd for It's Nomination. This bill of novel
impressions and required far han ordinary
In the revenue bills heretofore passcdrof late years
certainly the articles which duty To be laid
had been specified and named and those which were
TO remain free had been left to implication. In bills
so framed could see at once what we We're voting
for and the country could at once what TO be
the operation of our votes This bill, it would be per
ccived, pursued the opposite course. II enumerated
the free articles only and left those which To pay
a duty to be discovered by reference TO the tables.
Such mode of legislation might be expcdent if there
proper preparations fol it. II would unques-
tionably prevent many evaslons and many Frauds and
ger in'Ach to the revenue But there was great dan
cutting we did not know where we might
strike were likely to do great injury and great IN
Justice without being aware oft
As an illustration OF this, and proof also of the
injustice OF some of the particular provisions of this
bill, he would give the committee little Of his
pcrence. He represented, as he said great mcrcan-
tile communlty-a community the second in CONNER
cial importance in the Union, and which owned more
than one-tenth of the entire Tonnage the country
He deeply regretted that they were not more adequate
" represented this floor, and that the serious i'll
health during the last year of the experienced mer-
chant and excellent man. who had preceded him in the
Boston seat, Mr.. Lawrence, had deprived them of
his services at so important session the present
Ehey Nere alsn A nrent mnnn nciurinn