Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-08
Total,
Sl42,076,3e4


Total, Sl42,076,3e+
An average of Thirty;fvc Millions Fgue
Hundred Thousand Dollars annually
Upon the adjustment Of balances, on the
accession of Gen. Harrison TO the Presi-
dency, i, was found that there was an ac-
tual deficiency in the Treasury, of TWEEN.
TY-FOUR MILLIONS Of DOLLARS;
and that this deficiency was concealed from
the public previously by the insidious me-
thod Of postponing debts actually due. and
borrowing from the resources of one year
to pay the debts of a preceding year. This
practice was kept up during the whole
term of Mr.. Van Buren,, and the purposes
of concealment were the better accom-
plished by resort TO Treasury Notes in
stead of loans.
Mr.. Woodbury. and Mr.. Calhoun have
both conceded (what. indeed, they could
not well deny) that National Debt existed
on the 4th March, lS4l, to the amount Of
the outstanding Treasury Notes, upwards
of Five Million of Dollars. But these gen.
tlemen carefully avoided reference to the
deferred appropriations made by Congress,
which, with the outstanding notes, swelled
S24 ,OOO,0 900. Indeed, Mr.. Charles J. In
gersoll, one of their party, acknowledged,
in an address 10 his constituents, that the
debt was Ttoenty- TUo Millions Of Doliars'
The items of this debt, however, are
conclusively set forth in report of the
Committee on Public Expenditures, of
which Mr.. Merriwether of Georgia was
the Chairman, during the winter Of Is4l-
9. The correctness of this report has not
been impeached from any quarter. We
subioin an extract
Indebtedness recorded in the Treasury Department.
Treasury Notes, S5.2s3, 1871
Debts due in Holland, LAO, 600
Funded debt of the late VAT. 299 ,554
Uufunded debt, SO, 297
Those two las, items we're contracted during the
late war.
Debts recorded in War Department.
Amount due twelve tribes of Indians on which
the Government pays an interest Of Sl3l 900
s2,5sO,OO0
Amount due Chippewa and Ottawa
| Indians, $40 900
Amount due several tribes in trust and
| expended for use Of Government, i29 1888
Amount due Florida militia, 3l7 ,60l
Amount due Georgia do 7S,495
Amount due State of GeOrgia, 207, 600
Amount due State Of Maine, 100000
Those four last items, amounting to near.
million Of dollars, were embraced in bills
which passed both Houses of Congress the
last night Of Mr.. Van Buren's term of of.
flee, but too late to receive the signature of
the Speaker but they have since been pro-
vided for by Wing Congress.
Debts recorded in Pos, Office Department.
Due arrearages to contractors. 27,993
Due contractors beyond means. 1854 900
Debts recorded in Navy Department,
Amount Navy provision fund used, Sl,l43,o3s
Actual deficiency of means to meet
the appropriations made BY the
Congress which adjourned March
! 8, lS4l, and previous Congresses, l20So, 22l
s247le, O0s
Here, then, is a debt Of more than
TWENTY-FOUR MILLIONS of DOL
LARS, every cent of which was con-
tracted before the 4th Of March, Is4l, and
some of which, in despite of the Difficult
ties encountered by the Wings, has been
paid off since their ascendancy in the Ma.
tional Councils.
And this diminution of the public debt,
il should be further remembered, was &C.
compilshed against continued struggle OF
factious Opposition, who, throughout
nearly the whole period of the Extra SEES.
sion, not only spoke for days and even
weeks against all regular measures for the
support of the Government, but actually
voted against nearly all the appropriations
in which they or their constituents had not
a direct interest.
But the wors, of the evils under which
the country labored. was not merely in the
creation Of National Debt, (which cur
adversaries are now falsely charging upon
us,) and in factious resistance to all
measures for the payment of that debt; ou,
is to be found in calamity which years
of prudence and selfdsnial can scarcely
alleviate. We mean the widespread and
} desolating effects Of
DERASeENssT OF TIE CURRxsey.
; The war upon the Bank, and final over,
: throw If that institution, was enc Of che