Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-03-26

plored and all useless or unnecessary expense
have been lopped of.
The honorable Senator from South Carolina
(Af. Calhoun has favored Us, on more occasion
than one, with an account OF the reforms he ef
fected when a, the head Of The War Department
of this Governments; and no man, certainly, cal
be less disposed than am TO deprive him ola sin
gle feather which he thinks he put IN his cap BY
that operation. But what does ne tell US was hi
experience In this business OF retrenchment? liz
tells Us what we all know TO be true-wha every
father, every householder, especially finds TO b.
true in his own case-that ii Is much easier L
plunge into eNtrasagance than 10 reduce expen
SET; and il ls pre- emlnently true of a nation. Ev
cry nation finds 1t tar easier 10 rush into an eS
:ravagant expenditure Of the money entrusted tc
It's public agents than to bring down The public
expenditures from a profuse and reckless to an O.
economical standard. All useful and saIutary re.
forms must be made with care and circunspection
The gentleman from South Carolina admits thai
the reform he accomplished took him four years tc
bring about. Ii was not till after four years oil
constant eyer,ion that he was enabled to establish
q system Of inst accountability and tc bring down
the expenses Of the army To that average, pei
mau, To which they were at length reduced. And
now, with al! his personal know edge of the dlf-
hcullIes Of such q task. was II kind IN him. was
1t kind or fair IN his associates. To taunt us. as
they have done, by already asking, where are
the reforms you promised 10 accomplish when you
were out OF PoWcr!'
Mr.. CALHOUN here rose to explain, and observed
that VIVA, he had sand again and again on The sub.
lect Of reforms was no more than this, that il was
tIme The promises reforms SHOULD begin; it was
lime they should begin; and tina, was all he now
asktd.l
Very well; if that is all he asks, the gentleman
will not be disappointed. We could not begin at
the Extra Session; 1t could not then reasonably
be expected Of US; fr what IS tho duty Of a new
tJnipICt r,tioo uhpu =, 6rs1 comes into the DnE.
session of powero lis immediate and pressing
care Is to carry on the Governments; to become
acquainted with the machine; to look how it acts
III It's various parts, aud TO take care that 1t shall
not work inIiriously 20 the public interest. They
cannot. at once, look back al tho past abuses; 1t
is not practicable to do so; It must have time to
look into the pigeon holes of the various bureauX,
to fad out what has been done, and what is doing.
lis first great duty is to keep the machine of Gov
eminent IN regular motion. 1t could rot, there's
fore, be expected Tint Congress would 90 into a
thorough process Of reform al the Extra Session.
It's peculiar object then was 10 adopt measures OF
immediate and Indispensable retIet TO the People
and tG the Government. Besides which, the SUD
sequeni misfor.unes of the Wing party wero well
known. President Harrison occupied the Chair
Of Staie bat for a single moath; and The members
Of his Cabinet left il under circumstances which,
let me here say, do them the highest honor. |
do not enter upon the inquiry whether the state
Which thev supposed 10 exist did actually exist or
not; bat, believing IL TO exist, as they Odd, their
resignation presents enc Of the most signal OK.
anpIes Of the sacrifice Of The honors and emo!u-
ments Of high station, AT great expense and per-
soGal inconvenience. and Of noble adherence to
honor and good f4ih. which the history Of any
country can show. But / NAV Justly claim, not
only on behaif Of the retiring Secretaries hnt for
the whole Wing party, q stern adherence TO prin-
ciple, IN utter disregard Of tho spolls doctrine,
and of all those haser motives and considerations
which address themselves to some men with SO
grea, a power. I say, then, that The late Extra
Session was no time to achieve a great ADD exten
siye and difficult reform throughout the depart
ments OF the Governments; a process like That can
be aitempted only during a regular session OF
Congress; and do not gentlemen know that 1t is
now IN progress, by The faithful hands TO which 1t
has here and elsewhere IN Congress been com
mitted? and that an extraordinary committee has
been raised in this body, insomuch tina, TO effect
it the Senate has somewhat shot from It's usual
appropriate orbit by establishing a Standing
Committee of Retrenchment? If the honorable
from South Carolina took four years to
bring down the expenses of the War department.
when under his own immediate superIntendence,
| NAV surely. with confidence, make my appeal
TO his sense Of Justice and liberaIity TO allow US
at least two years before he reproaches US with a
failure in a work SO much more extensive.
will now say that, 10 suggesting the proprIe-
" OF fixing the annual average expenditure OF thus
Government at twenty-two millions OF dollars,
from this time and for some years 10 come, l., is
not my purpose to preclude any further reductions
Of expense by the dismissal Of useless officers,
the abolition Of useless institutions. aud the re-
duction Of unnecessary or eytravagant exPondI-
lures. No man is more DESTROYS than am Of see
inc this Government administered At the smallest
possible expense consistent with the duties en-
TO us in the management Of onr public
interests both at home and abroad. None will
reioice more If it shall be found practicable to re-
duce our expenses to eighteen, fifteen or even to
millions. None, repeat IT, will rejoice
in such a triumph Of economy more heartily than
|. None-nOne.
Blu. now allow me 10 proceed TO state by what
| have reached the sum of twenty-five
millions as proposed in the resolution | have offer