New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-03
The Branch Hints.
Editorial Correspondence.

The Committee Of the House on Public Expcn-
dtures. of which Hon. A. J.. LIyS of Science
tady, y. Y. is Chairman, end that on Eetrench-
ncnt, of which ex-Gov. GmNER of Va. il Chair
man and Hon. JoHs MAyvARD of Seneca, y. J.
most efficient Member, are both pursuing visor-
ousiy the investigation, properly conhded to them.
Some of the results already attained present de-
veopcments Of cxtravagance, pro1gacy and waste
fulncss under the last two Administrations which
must startlc the Country. The latest published Of
these Reports is that Of Mr.. GREEs Of Ky., from
the former Committee, on The BRANCH MINIS,
which appeared in the National Intelligencer this
morning, and Of which / shall give brief
synopsis. The whole fills six close columns of the
lnielligencer.
The three Branch MINIS at Newt Orleans, Char
lotto, y. c. and Dahloncga, Ga, were established
by an act of Congress, approved March Sd, 1885.
Thomas II. Benton wa. the father of the measure,
and dragooncd his party into the support Of it.
against what must have been The dictate of their
better judgement. The idea of this most uniYo
statesman was that coin could be made more
abundant by increasing the number of Mnts.
which il Just rational the conduct Of loafcr
three more pockets inserted in his neither garment
But argument and fact were exhausted upon this
subject in vain it was shown that the existing
Mint in Philadelphia could coin all the Specie that
could be found without any increase of force or ex-
pensc-that the Specie all tended to the great
commercial cities by an irresistible law and that
the proposed Branch MINIS would cost thousand.
and answer no purpose whatever All in vain
the Branch Minis were authorized, in order TO set
the foreshadowed stream OF gold flowing up the
Mississippi. The results may be briefly summed
up as follows:
The four Mints hare coined much less noney
since they were established, than ne enc coined
IN he corresponding period before. Even had
there been a tendency to additional coinage it
would have been effectualy countcraced by another
act which the bu-hcaded author of this measure
drove through Congress about the time,
making all sorts Of strange and uncouth Foreign
Coins legal tender throughout this county at
their full intrinsic value if not more OF course
the holders could not be simple enough to send to
the Mint their toregr CONS, while they would pass
lust as well here as our own, while our own w0ald
not 50 pass abroad. SO tie WHOLE coinage of
orr FOUR Mnts for the last THREE gears IS xot
cqualto the coinage of our ONE Mint IN 1884, be-
fore these foolish, wasieful and conflicting laws
went into operation.
Such having been the fruits, let us now see what
has been the cost
The Branch Mint a, New-Orleans was contract
ed in 1885 to be built for 1882 900, with an ox-
press stipulation that it should be finished COM
Petely and no allowance made for extra work.
In defiance of this stipulation, however, S44,778 65
7rds afierward allowed for extra work. sos 627 90
paid for Machinery and 1922 10 for Com
missions, making its whole expense of erecting
and furnishing this Mint 1926, 6iS II, or Sly
1913 u more than the chiQ Mint at Philadelphia
which cost included the ground which this. so far
as appears, doesnot The expenses Of this Branch
Mint has since lup to last September only amount,
ed to $4,000 3d. while the Charlotte Branch
has cost the country sl3S 278 So and the Dahlo-
mega Sl29703 66. making altogether 1922 i57 -
paid by the people up To last September for Mr.
Ben'ons Branch Mns. every dollar of which. as
10 any possible utility, might just as well have been
made special dcposiie in ths bottom OF the Red
Sea
These three Branch MINIS have together coined
up to the lst Of January, - 1854 ,708 which could
all have been coined at Philadelphia without adj
ditiona eNpcnsc-ihc workmen employed and paid
there standing idle about half the time Every
dollar coined at these Branches has thus cost the
People over 81 30.
Among the items of Public expenditure a, the
New-Orlcans Mint arc hundreds like these:
J. VI Reid, building 6a,s hguses tagging yard paw.
CLAY CLARK baths closet ................ i7Co al
Stiles Miller 59i yards OF wood pavement SIS
A9rae othe person. paving SS6 20
'lay Clark, finishing closets ss p
toal................. .............. SlS,s@ 3
Herc are "A few Missed sne 'us items:
Bookeas AMI dcsk SO Tree. shrub, and dow SIS
rsned maeo@any char - lee s>i Table sio.... IN
Thny 'hars..... 10 , bus, OF Mr. iiyngstcn. %
r~S @S,'la, pi,o,e, dSse lump for lobby. q
Two rcans cap paper. n Two bronts psns, ~
T'%eeog eapeoseso an officer going North in .umner rs
:" ,,y, n a,"1,r wt'A =" $40 ........ $40
Do expenses from D.hlonega II New -Oreaas. .. So
Do. tIHc spcst travelling do. 10 DAYS ......... ieo
J. L. Rhisl for travelling ........... ~
Do sr tam cuuen, expenses .................. 81
- pans miiiens ......... so > ca>ks coal sra
10 do do .......... 81 pcnksNcs ..... Is. kc. Sc
These items. and hundreds like them, be it OBJ
served. were audited and paid-mauy without a
shadow Of voucher that they had been actually ex-
Pcndcd-whilc Lcri Woodbury. was Secretary of
the Treasury Nor there j. not louder voice
raised IN the Senate for rigid Rc,rrnchmsni, and
vigorous scrutiny Of accounts, and nice economy.
than that Of this same Levi Wesdbury. rejoice
TO md such man in position where be can talk
end act on the right side g.
Is 1T TRUE The Ashyilc N 4 N,ss,,,,er