Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-17
TwENTY-sEy ENrH coNGREss--2a Session.
SKETCH OF ME-. WOODHtRy'S SPEECH.
L., Sc.nt.- I.-rc1l1-n- -Mncch 10.


Mr. WOODBj isN observed that he was friendly 10
most Of these resolutions and especially those IA favor
OF rctrenchmcut. Ills object IN Rang was. not n OPP
nose them nu,scrinnGtey, bUi 10 brtrI forward icis
and try TO show the icw OF the items eioo
died in late official reports. with view g! furnishing
more correct data for decision than that upon winch
some Of the Arguments on the other SIDE are based In
fact for OF the propositions taken Tor granted IN
these resolutions Their" data al all gwen For IN
stance in one is proposed 10 raise revenue beyond
.went per cent tctor examination INTO The absolute
necessity for such ,ncrr-e of taxation Would IT not
b. more rational and certainly more sasi "i"rv To the
country, lay down cand dig and iary Tie. details cal.
cuated 10 the ncccsS = tor TINS 'rcrtas' ' ana
thereby Justify the cali Congress 20 adopt ihs resn
lliion Even tue solution in tayo! ot Fe!enchnen-
an abstract principle winch one dened-see ned, from
the way in which u put, jusiiy "hno2nus to the
objection that il was iaopp0une}g and hastily urged
without waiting for that lniormtt'on on ;ae snfect
which could alone derive authenticity from official re-
ports in PREPARATION hut not yet furnished by the De-
pnrlmcn,s.
But, suspcndng these general remarks for the pre-
sent and passing On resolutions in their numerl
r.; order he would take up the first and dispose of 1t
IN few words by giving 1t ms hearty concurrence
e never did entertain other doctrine than that the
current expenditure of an economical administration o
the Government ought to h. iu.g met by correspond
irr amour: Of revenue. II was source OF grat'tcn-
ton hr to he able sat. that The party with HON
he acted and The Administration in which he had lately
taken part did entertain any other doctrine, aud
any mputable ground gnust them for departure from
this principle should ali cardnr be stated where II
was tha, the fault lay. 1t is, indeed, t. be deduced
from If not admitted hy the avowa's of TIE Senator
from Kentucky himself, who IN his opening speech on
the OF these resolutions, distinctly ald 1t
down rs notorious fact, that nr past we'll
IT present. policy was pursued al one end OF Penn.
syvania avenue, and different pc.cv II the other end.
This was no more than what he (Nr w had SAID at
The extra session; and Il then used by others
4 lra literally
sequence of this diversity al policy between Congress
and the Administration TO! years, that expenditures
were made 10 exceed both estimates aud revenue, by
appropriations, which created for so long duration the
necessity OF resOTnG 10 such temporary eSpeGiens as
Treasury notes
Mr. " here entered INTO details Of The rise and pro-
press of the Treasury note SYSTEM show ing that al The
commencement of lc3S, the balance them, then
outstanding, was only millions and nine. tenths;
vet in that year, Congress exceeded the estimates thr
1een millions BY appropriations He ASKED, conld not
the two millions and nine tenihs OF outstanding ba
lance on Treasury notes have been easily extngushed,
# such excess of appropriation had not been forced
mon the puhc Treasury: s., IN l>3l, the year be.
gan with hulance OF seven millions and three nths;
~ $50 Nth only two millions and tcn;hs: and
~ Sll, with only four millions and six.tenths But
die excess of appropriation IN ISIS, being thirteen mil
lions: in 1879 millions: and IN 49, three inons:
the expenditures increased by The acton OF Con-
stess eighteen ilionsa sum more than necessary to
paw Off three tines over, all the outstanding Treasury
at the beginning oilSil. The four mli,ions and
sxienlhs outstanding then, the only real debt 10
be cleared oil and from debt of any KIND, there
would have been ample surplus for all con'insen-
ces for wears but for this al appropriations
From al! this apparent that very material fact
was established inst .hc late Administration, far
from no; recognizing aud dong lis best 10 act in
iormty with the principle laid down in the Senator s
frs. resolution had the utmost of lis ability, adhered
10 it in the teeth Of pressing legislation 10 depart from
H. whatever may have been done III tins end o. Penn
yania avenue.
As to retrenchmen,s-had not the late Ad;ninstTa.
ton continually urged upon Congress the necessity Of
rettenchn,ni; and had not he Treasury Department
from tune 10 time giren specifications OF re!encnmen,
which, though adopted INT part, brougat down the
sxpenai.nrea from tho irll,iGas every thing in 1855
and 1886 from twenty t.e millions. III l-39 10 twenty
two aud half in lS4O and, had this policy been per
sisted in through lSi! would have brought them down
10 only twenty and now eighteen millions. And the
intention was to come down 10 seventeen millions, or
less # il could be done without n1pariug any lmaor.
ant branch of the public service. The object constant
" in view was by all means, 10 keep the expenditures
Of Government from increasing faster Than The ratio OF
increase in population and wealth
The real expenditures Of the first four years OF Gen
Jackson administration, averaged only fourteen m'i
lions differing not more than ore million irc" Alr.
Adamss and none from the ratio OF increase os popuia
INN Both were Some VIVA: high in certain respects
a nd what bappsned in Tie last your years at General
y,ckson,s administration: Did not Congress by APP
roprat;nr eyond the average increase and the annual
estimates offered Of only fifteen otsixteen millions, ex
cen. as enlsrred to cover work. begun by Congress run
mn the expenditures to upwards Of twenty nre aioas