The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-04-05

placed on fund SO Hnxtnating and variable as
that which is dervabls from the sales OF me pup
lie lands? We have seen it rise 10 tho extraordi.
nary hight ortwenly, six millions in one year, and
i'm less Than six years afterwards fall down 10 the
| low amount Of ono million and a half
| The next resolution nilirms proposition which
| hopo will receive the unanimous consent OF the
Senate. IT is as follows;
| Resolved That il is the duty of Government, at
! all times but more especially in season such as
now exist, ofgenernl embarrassment aud pecuniary
distress, TO abolish all useless institutions and offices
10 curai all unnecessary EXPENSES, and to practisc
rigid economy.
| And the seventh resolution declares
I That tho contingent expenses of the two Houses
Of Congress ought 10 be greatly reduced; ana the
mileage Of Nom bors ct Congress ought 10 De reg
ulated and more clearly defined.
I II has appeared 80 that the process oil re
lrenclment of the publick expenses aud reform OF
existing abuses ought 10 begin IN nm especiai mans
ner here with ourselves, in Congress ITSELF where
| is found OF the most ex'ravugani o. an Tue
| branches of the Government we should oegh
at home, and encourage the work oil retenchment
by our own example. have before me docn-
mont which exhibits the gradual proSre IS IN the
contingent xpenses of the TWO Houses OF congress
from 1890 10 1910, embracing perod OF twenty
wears divided into terms four years apart, and II
shows that The amount OF the contingent iunu mas
! advanced from $50, 600, which il was in 1924 10
$I2I 900 in 1928, ratio ot increase not greater
thun was proper considering the progress oi inc
country; to s 900 in 1882; TO 2o3 ,ooo in 1857
aud i'm lSi0 il amounted, under an Administration
which charged that in lS25 with extravagance, TO
tho enormous sum of 1884 333! am really sorry,
for the credit Of Congress, TO be obliged to read
statement exhibiting such shameful, such profllgate
waste And allow me here TO say, without any
intention of beng unkind to those able and com
peuent officers the Secretary OF The Senate ana the
Clerk of the House of representatives., (not inc pres
ent Clerk. that they ought to bear share OF The
lrespopsibiiity for the great and sudden CROWN o
this expenditure. How did II arise! Inc Clerk
presents his estimate Of the sum that will DO ne
cessary and the Committee of ways and Means,
iy in matters oil great moment,
take il without sufcien; exainnannti, ana insert IL
at once in the appropriation BIZ. but INSIST ,ln'
il should be cut down 10 a sum oil whlch hemners
or Congress may with some decency speak TO Their
cor sti,tenls.. a salutary reform has been com
menced in the House of Representatives, which
ought 10 be followed up here. They have already
stricken 100, 900 from he contingent lund Tor doti
Houses; hut they should go much lower. nope
thero will be another item OF reiTenchmehl, IN
fixing n re- asonable maximum amount to be allowed
for stationary furnished TO the members o congress.
lr this shall be adopted. much VIII have been Done
for This Is one of the most fruitful sources oil Gun
gressichal oxiravngance. l nm tod t'at me sta>
! Iionery furnished during the 2oth eSoosress aver
ages more Than $i00 per head TO each memoef'
Can any man believe that any such amount as ths
can be necessary? Is it not an Instance OF Pohgate
waste and proiusion?
NV next resolution il directed 10 NE expenses
of The Judicial department of the Government:
Resolved, That the expenses OF the Judicial de-
partment Of Government have, oil late years. oeeh
greo,ly Increased, and ought to be diminished
In this department., also, there has been u vast
augmentation OF the expenses, and such an ono rs
calls for a thorough investigation. Inc amount VI
The Augmentation tor the Judicia department mas
sprung up from 5000 900, winch u was III io~4, 10
ca7I 900 al which ii stood for the year lS40 Gan
any man believe that this has all been LARRY Done!
that department actually requires the expenditure
every year of nearly halfa million oil dollars:
have no doubt that the District Judges and The
Marshuls who have great controi oi Inc exFen-
diture of The fund, and the Clerks, ought 20 be hed
j responsible for this enormous increase. With ~;
u indulge invlulnuS UIStitc-
tons L think could name district in winch great
abuses prevails and the expenditures are four or
five times greater than They are IN any o.ner district
throughout the country 1 hope this whole mat
ter will be thoroughly Investigated, and that some
necessary restraints will be Imposed upon this
branch Of the public service. am iuiy sorry mat
in n branch ofthe Government which, Tor It's purity
nnriyb ness has been distinguished ,aud which
so well merits the admiration of The whole county
there should have occurred So dscreditahie an IN
crease in the expenses of lis practical admlnistra
zion.
Il The next resolution asserts
Thai The diplomatic relations of the United States
A with foreign Powers have been unnecessarily ex
tended during the last twelve years. ana ought u
be reduced.
mark however, that since the days oil Mr. Adam
administration the number OF foreign ministers VI
the frs grade has nearly doubled, aud that OF MN
isters of the second grade has nearly upied. why,
we have ministers abroad who seeking for the
Governments to which they are accredied,and the
; Governments are not TO be found. we nave minis
,ers al Constan tinople and Vionna-and Tor what!
We have an unreciprocated mission 10 Naples
and for WHAT There was al the last session an ut
tempt TO abolish this appointment, but uniortu
natey it failed. One would lhiuk that IN such q
ono sided, unrecprocated diplomacy, 1t regard to
economy did not prompt US to discontinue the iea-
lion, national pride would la like manner, we
might look round the coasts Of Europe and OF
Ibis contine and find mission alter mission wt'ch
there seems to be no earthly utility IN retaining
But forbear -
On the subject of mileage, nope there may DC
an effort to eqnaze it justly and render IL UNIFORM,
and that the same allowances VIII De MACS ''' 'he
same distance travelled, whs ther by and,oy water,
Or bv steam route or whether the distance De ascer
l.,ned nv horizontal or surface measurement 1
think the former The best mode, because It limits
US TO Single aud simple Inquiry ana leaves 10 MI,
pen door for abuses. | hope, therefore, we sha''
adopt it, c,L...a,. ,ns Tina.
Resolved That the iranking pnVieee ought 70
be T,r,ber restricted the abusive uses vi u RESTRAIN
ed and punished, the postage OF letters redu1e9he
made ri estimating distances more clearly uehheu
80. ~ ;,,ad AMI a small addition 10 postage on