The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-22


nexed has been ovenated No such thing has
heen done and we isknothing in saying nor can
| IL be done-and it is therefore that we say the
objections referred 10, whilstthey are unfounded,
| are moreover unjustly or unfairly made. There
| is point which seems to have been overlooked
and TO which we would respectfully draw the
| attention Of our readers, which is nothing more
nor less than the nature Of the basis on 1ehich
the estimates IN question stand. Does this ba-
sis consist of the current expenses OF me 10
| rernmem? Certainly mol. The current ex-
penses of fhe Government TO- m but portion,
and very small portion, of the charges, TO de-
fray which appropriations are asked by the Ex-
ecutive. Let reference be had to the statements
and il will be found that, in the departments of
| War and the Navy, with regard to which the
most serious objections are urged, the current
| expenses are almost as nothing when compared
with the demands for constructing Notifications,
building ships, and doing other things which
| have been most iniquitously, as we believe, left
undone by preceding administrations, owing to
disreputable desire for popularity and dread of
| the responsibility which would have attached 10
a true and faithful performance of duty. The
simple fact is this Mr.. Van Buren's admins
tration, in its zeal to acquire a reputation for
economy, studiousiy aroidsd doing any thing
that could be left undone, e.rcept indeed, such
matters as mere connected Nth eiecfioneering
purposes, and therefore ii is that iohat should
hare been done by him and his friends has de-
voired on the present Administration. Such
was the state of things when Mr. Tyler assum-
ed the reins of Government, and his Secretaries,
as in duty bound, in making their reports, adopt
ed as their guides the actual lodnts Of The coun
try, due regard being had to its honor and secu-
rny. Such being the case, is it not ungene-
rous and uncandd to assign as a fault to the
p esent Cabinet, the faithful performance Of its
duty, because the mlsdeeds Of its predecessors
had left IA host of things to be provided for,
whel, If these predecessors had acted honest
iy, no such wants would have existed
We will suppose case for the purpose of
illustration, and then we will ask whether the
objections of which we speak are not most out
rageously unjust? A man, in succeeding to
an estate, finds that he has become proprietor Of
a large cotton factory. Having sent for his
agent, he requests him to furnish statement of
the expense incident to the efficient operation of
the factory for the ensuing year. The agent
goes TO work, and fads that the building has
been suffered 10 go 10 decay, the roof is ieaky
the araHs hare fallen doaon, some Of tho mrchi-
| merry Is out Of place, a shaft has been broken,
&C., &C., and Of course, in making his estimate,
| he includes the necessary repairs as indispen
| sable to the 9 efficient operation" of the estab
| shment. His estimate, we will say, amounts
to twenty thousand dollars for tn year, and, on
presenting it to the proprietor, he is told that the
owner has no money and therefore the estimate
| is too high, and must be reduced. Would not
| his answer be-why, sir, you asked me to esti-
| mate what it would cost 10 carry the establish
menl into 6 efficient operation and the data on
which my statement is founded have been fur
! nished by experienced mechanics. The house,
| you must remember, has been suffered to go to
| decay, the roof is leaky, the walls have fallen
down, the machinery is out Of place, and there
| fore useless unit put in ORDER the shaft is bro
ken, &c, Sc; but if you will look to other parts
Of my statement, you will see that apart from
| these repairs the current expenses would be on
| ly ten thousand dollars, instead of twenty thou
sand Now, we ask any candid man TO say
| whether in this case, the agent deserves blame
| for extravaganza, because he gives a fair and
candid exposition of the condition of the tacto-
| ry. To this question there can be but one an
swer, which is in the negative With what
grace, then, or propriety can the Departments
be charged with extravaganza in their est-
mates? We will put Congress in the place of
| the proprietor; the Secretaries are the agents !;
| the factory, in its ruinous condition, is the pub
lie service, and the estimates of the Secretaries
are the returns Of the agents based upon well
ascertained data, furnished by experienced
workmen. The two cases stand on 6 four
legs" and are precisely analogous and now we
demand whether, under their oaths of Office, the
heads of Departments could have acted other
wise than they have done. SO far from avoid
ing inquiry, the gentlemen in question court an
examination, and, if there be one single item
not demanded by the honor and safety of the
country, or mscaculated, they will agree that
it shall be corrected. We believe that every
fair and honorable mind will agree with us in
saying that, under the circumstances, the objec-
Itions are unjust in themselves, and that, admit
| ting them to be well founded it becomes the
duty Of their authors to show in what instances
there has been error or miscalculation.
THE PRESIDENTS CREED.