The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-03-29

S,h;a, left II under circumstances which, let me
here say do them the highest honor do NOT en-.
49, ,,no1 the inquiry whether the state OF things
sL;ch they supposed 10 exist did actually exisi or
but believing il to exist, as they did, ther ,esisc
nntion presents of tho most signal examples u
H. sacrifice of the honors and emouments OF hiSh
s,.,,op nj great expense and personal inconVeh-
;eoce and Of noble adherence 10 honor ana gooo
fai,h " hich the history Of any Country can snow
But may justly claim, nol ohiy Oh oe VIA; " ~
!, stern adherence TO principle, in utter disregard
of the spoils doctrine and OF ali those Dasest mo
tiyes and considerations which address themselves
10 some men with SO great a power say, tne"'
thar The late Extra Session time TO achieve
n great and OK tensve and dIihcuit reform inIousn
oni the deparlments of The Governments u PROCESS
like that can be attempted only curi"s 80,
session OF Congress; and do not gentlemen huo"
that II is nav in progress, by the faithful hands OF
which il has here and else where IN Congress oeeh
committed? and that an extraordinary coHmr.ce
has been raised in this body nsomuch mat 10 eHect
:, The Senate has somewhat shot from It's usual and
unnropriate orbit by establishing standing Com
,,ittee of Retrenchment? II the honorable Senate
from South Carolina took tour years 10 pflhg uowh
the oxpenses of the War Department, when under
his own immediate superintendent, may surely,
with confidence, mako my appeal to his sense OF
Justice and lberaiity allow us at least two years
before he reproaches US win u iallufe III "ofN 81
much moro extensive.
will not say that, in suggesting the propriey OF
fixing the annual average expenditure OF ms SoV-
eminent at twenty-five millions oil doIiafs, Iro'li
purpose TO preclude any further reduction oi exPen
SEES by the dismissal OF useless officers Tho abolition
of useless institutions, and the reduction OF uhhec
essnry or exuavagant expenditures NO man Is
more DESTROYS than | of seeing this GoVern-
meut administered at the smallest possible expense
cous,stent with the duties entrusted to us IN Inc
management OF our fIblIc interests Dotn al nome
and abroad None will rejoice more II It shall BIO
found practicable reduce our expenses TO eight-
cen 20 fifteen, oven to thlreen nliiions none,
repeat it, will eioIUo - such triumph OF ecoHo-
INV more heartily than l. Monochrome
But now allow me to proceed to state by what
process 1 have reached the sum of twenty-five
millions, as proposed in the resolution nave Oh
fered.
ma estimates for the current year, Independent OF
permanent expenses of q million and nan amour
ting to about twenty four and a hall miilons, winch
NAV be stated under the following heads, VIZ:
For the civil list, foreign intercourse and miscel,
laneous. $4;uou,S0. 90
For War Dep including all branches, IL ,7I7,z9i q
Naval services, 0'Voo'o o.
S24 ,424 1858 95
And here let me say single word in defence
of The army. -,
mates for The sum Of ST. ,7l7,79l 81; and those
who look only the surface of things may sup
nose that this sum is extraordinary large; but there
nre many items in that sum. have before me
siateme ut going TO show that of that only four
millions are asked foT the military service proper
"a sum less than demanded for the naval SER
vice proper, and only double the amount al which
il stood when the honorable gentleman from South
Carolina lett the department. The sum was then
about So 900 000 il is now quite 81 ,OG0 ,OOo while
during the same period, the army has been nearly
doubed besides the raising OF mounted regiments,
the most expensive for that very reason of any in
the service i think that the gentleman from South
Carolina if he looks in the subject In detail, viii
find that the cost of the army IS no al this hour
greater, per man, than 1t was when IL was under
his own personal administration. 30 am inform
ed; and that, although the pay has been raised
dollar month, which has very largely augmented
the expenditure.
1'be Executive branch of the Government has
sent ITS estimates, amounting in all 10 twenty four
and half millions of dollars, for the service of the
curren. year, which, win Inc inliiion aho nan
of permanent expenditure, MAKE twenty SIX Mil
lions How much is to be added to that amount
for appropriations not yet estimated, which may De
made during the session by Congress, to meet non.
est claims and for other objects of public nature?
I remember one item proposed by my friend near
me (Mr Maugum)for quarter of a million for the
building of a steamship, an item not included IN
the estimates bu. 70. which the Senate tas alrea>
DIV appropriated besides which there are various
oIher items which have passed or will pass during
the present session. When the honorable gentle
man from New Ii Hampshire was at the head oil the
Treasury, he made, in his communications 10 Con,
gress constant complaints of this practice lie
well remembers that he was ever complaining that
the expenditures of Government were sweiied far
beyond the Executive estimates, by appropriations
made by Congress not estimated for by the Depart
ments have calculated that we shall add to the
twenty six millions of dollars estimated for by the
Executive Departments, or permanently required
AT least one million and half, which would raise
the sum for this year to twenty millions and
halt.
How then dn propose TO bring this down to
twenty two millions? have. l own, some fears
that we shall not be able effect it,; but hope we
shall so far reduce the estimates and prevent un
necessary appropriations that the total expenditure
shall not exceed that amount The mode IN which
propose to meet such result Is TINS: suppose
we NAV effect reduction Of the civil list to the a.
mount half million. That general head includes
among other things, the expenses OF the two tiou
ses, and, as have heard, the other House has al
ready introduced report which, if adopted will
cut down those expenses one hundred thousand
dollars, though think that they should be re-
duced much more. l estimate then, three and {
half millions for the civil list instead OF four mil
lions: then estimate nine millions for the Wa
Department instead of $l1 ,7I7 900. In CONVEX
sion which have lately held with the Chairman
of the Military Committee of this body, he expires
sed the apprehension that it could not be reduced
below ten millions, but hope ii may be cut dowr
TO nine As to the naval service, the estimates o