The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-04-14

will not dispense with the necessity OF a
great increase in the existing rate of taxa.
ton. have shown that duty OF thirty
per cent. will not b. too much 10 furnish
the requisite amount Of revenue for just
and economical administration Of the gov.
eminent. And how much OF that rate will
be reduced should YOU add to the revenue
from imports the million and bali (Which
was the amount realized the last year, de.
rived from sales Of the public doma,nl 1t
will be but the difference between 80 and
about 2sa. For, SINCE 80 per cent. yields
q revenue OF % millions, one per cent. will
bring about 10000; aud every million
OF dollars derived from the lands will reduce
your taxation on imports only 100000;
If you get a million and half from the
lands, IL will reduce the taxes only from 30
to 2s4 per cent; or It you get three ,DIl
lions, as some genrlemen insist will be the
case, then YOU will save taxes IN the amount
of the difference between 80 per cent. and
about 81 per cent. This will be The whole
extent of benefit derived from this land
fund, which some senators have supposed
would be so abundant as TO relieve US from
all necessity of additional taxation at ALL
l put it, then, TO every senator, no matter
whether he was opposed to the land bill or
moi, whether he is willing for the sake OF
this trifiing difference between 80 and 26a
per cent. or between 80 and % per cent. TO
disturb great, momentous and perplexiDg
subject of our national policy, which is now
settled, and thereby show such an example
Of instability IN legislation as will be exhl.
bited by the fact of unset!llng SO great a
question within less than eight months al.
ter it had been fixed, on the most mature
consideration? Ii gentlemen can make
more out of the land fund than | have here
stated i, likely 10 yield, shall be glad to
hear on what ground they rest their calcu.
laiions. say that all the difference i. will
produce 10 the amount of our increased
taxation is the difference between 80 and
2S9 or between 80 and q per cent. Will
you, repeat the question, when it is abso.
lu,ely and confessedly necessary that more
revenue shall be raised, and the mode in
which 1t may be done is fraught with SC
many and so grea. benefits to the country,
as shall presently show, will you disturb
q great and vexed national question, for the
sake of eking out in so iriiling degree the
amount TO be raised? But let Us look al
the subject in another view. The resour.
ces on which government should depend for
paying the public creditor and maintaining
invioate the rational faith and credit, ought
10 be such as 10 admit Of some certain esti.
mate and calculation. But what possible
reliance can be placed on fund so flctuat.
ing and variable as that which is deryable
from the sales of the public lands! We
have seen il rise 10 the extraordinary height
of twenty six millions in one year, and, ID
less than SIX years afterwards, fall down to
the low amount Of one million and half!
The next resolution aflirms proposition
which hope will receive the unanimous
consent of the Sena,e. Ii is as follows:
Resolved, That it is the duty of Government,
at all times, but moro especially in ( season such
as now exists, of general embarrassment ind pc.
cunisry Distress to abolish all useless institutions
and Offices, TO curtaIl all unnecessary expenses,
and to pra, tice rigid economy.
And iht seventh resolution declares
That the contingent expenses of the two Houses
Of Congress ought to be greatly reduced and the
mileage of tie members Of Congress ought to be
regulated and more clearly defined
It has appeared TO me that the process
of retrenchment of the public expenses and
reform Of existing abuses ought TO begin in
an especial manner here, with ourselves, 10
Congress itself, where is found one OF the
most ex,ravagant Of all the branches of the
government. We should begin at home,
and encourage the work OF retrenchment
by our own example. | have before me a
document which exhibits the gradual pro.
gress in the contingent expenses OF the two
houses Of Congress from 1920 to 1910, EN-
bracing a period Of twenty years, divided
into terms four years apart, and il shows
that the amount Of the contingent fund has
advanced from S97 900, which it was in
1924, to 1921 600 in 1928 a rate Of in.
crease not greater than was proper consid.
ering the progress Of the country to SlG5,.
600 10 1882 TO S2G2, 900 in 1896 and IN
1910 /, amounted, under an administration
which charged that 10 1924 with extrava
gance, to the enormous SUN Of 1884 1888
am really sorry, for the credit of Congress
to be obliged to read a statement exhibiting
such shameful. such proAlga,e waste. -
And allow me here 10 say, wlthou, any in.
tentlon Of being unklnd to those able and
competent officers, the Secretary of the
Senate aud the CIerk' Of the House of Re
representatives., mot the present clerk thai
they ought 10 bear a share of the RESPONSE
blliiy for the great and sudden growth Of
this expenditure, Hog did II arse The
clerk presents his estimate Of the SUN that
will be necessary, and Inc committee of
ways and means, being busily occupied IN
matters OF greater moment, take Il wlthou,
sufficient examination, and insert il al once
10 the appropriation bill. BIZ, mss, thai
II should be cut down to sum Of which
members of Congress may with some de
ccncy speak to their constituents. A salu.
iary reform has been commenced in the
House Of Representatives, which ought IN
be followed W here. They have already
stricken 800. 600 from the CONTINGENT fund