Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-21

reduce the duty OF the assessors 10 tie assessihe
of the quota of each county or district on the seve
raj individuals liable to the tax, and the TOTAL ex-
pense of the assessment TO sum not exceeding
nrobablv two hundred thousand dollars. A more
regular and correct assessment will of course, be pro-
yided Tor with respect to the direct taxes which
NAV be laid after the first year Of the war.
The only objection is that of the expense, which
viii prove useless if the tax should not be laid Or
in other words, if war should not take place. But
certainly this is too small item to deserve con-
sderation.
This organization, easy and cheap as il is, is all
that is necessary in order to secure an immediate
of direct and other internal taxes and
duties from the moment when they shall have been
imposed by Congress.
The probable annual expenses which must be
incurred in war with England, and the resources
for defraying them the next objects of inquiry.
1t is extremely difficult to draw any correct in
ference from the expenses of the last war with En-
gland. The amount of the arreages due on account
Of the military service, at the time when the peace
was ratified, is not stated with precision in any OF
the public documents which have seen. Although
the laws show the number of men voted, that Of
those actually raised has never to my knowledge,
been officially stated. There can be no doubt that
the want Of proper organization increased the amount
Of expenditure much beyond that which would have
been sufficient under regular and efficient system.
This has undoubtedly l,een much improved; yet
the expenses incurred in the Seminole war, COM
pared with the number of men employed and with
that of the hostile Indians, show that either there
are still some defects in the organization, or that
there were great abuses in the execution.
The payments from the Treasury for the mill
tary department, embracing only those for the army
proper militia and volunteers and exclusive OF those
for Notifications and the Indian department, amount
ed for the year 1919 to $1s,9S6,000, and for the
year 1914 to $40, 5OS,0OO. The disbursements for
the navy are stated at $6,446,O0O and $7,3l 900
for these two years respectively. By comparing the
reports of the Secretaries of the Treasury Of Decem
ber 1915, 1916, and 1877 it would appear that the
arrearages due on LIST January, 1915, exceeded ten
millions of dollars; and it seems certain that the
actual war expenses Of 1914 could not have fallen
short of thirty-fve to forty millions of dollars 1t
has been asserted that the regular force during that
year amounted to $4,000 men.s
The population of the United States has nearly
trebled during the thirty-four years which have
elapsed since that in which the last war against
England was declared Their wealth and resour-
ces have increased in the same ratio and that, in
Of war, these should be brought into action
promptly as possible, admits of no doubt. Once
engaged in the conflict, TO make the efficient
possible will shorten duration, and alone hon
making anappfoximae estimate of the annual expenses
with Great Britain and if had, could this
lime perform that AMOUNT of labor which absolutely
airy in order to draw neences Taking only gem
raj view of the subject and considering the great difference
expense in keeping navy in active service between
eight gates and Of ships of the Ene fourteen fri
ates and competent number Of steamers that Texas and
Oregon additional objects of defence, that the extensive
system Of Qualifications which has been adopted will require
about fifteen thousand additional men, and that in order
carry successful and decisive asanst Me most sulner
abb. portion n the British doPnlons great dispOsste FEp
lar Iofcs Is Absolutely necessary IL vesy that fall
below thens in saying that ahsr the fra year 81 the war;
and when The Of he connt Shs Be fully bfooshl
into action the annual military and nsvsl expenses VIM
amount to sxty seventy millions Of adls To this must
be added the Expenses for AL other obct which, for the
year ending The 30t Of juno, Is4 amounted near G
Millions but which, the Secretary the Treasury hopes
may be reduced 10 eleven millions md aha The gross an
nual expense for all objects will be estimated at seventy seven
millions he increased annually by the annual interest on
each successive loan..
In order the Of revenue and loans
required dcfay that expense the first question which
is Che Elimination Of the derived from CUSTOMS which
will be The necessary consequences Of the war;
The actual receipts into the Treasury arising from that
Of revenue were, round numbers for he years 1872
respectively, anu
S. O00 900 and tho which accrued during
those three years respectively amounted 3d. i42 OOO
S. 7os OOO and ,OOo From the LIST Of July sla
the rate ofdutes mportaons doubled and in order
compare these receipts with those collected peace time
they must be reduced for those three years respectively TO-
1870 ooo $500, 600, and $1,000 or il the reve-
accrued be compared (Which is the correct mode
$3.50, OOo,t So 354 00O and s225,O00 Al that time
the duties accrued were account Of the credit allowed coli
ected average only eight months later and the
unexpected mpoaons In the latter half or the year 1872
American vessels which arrived with British licences sub
sequcns TO the declaration of and to the which doubled
the Of duties sweed considerably the receipts the year
lsIs only in ls4 that the fn effect of the war on
the ycvenue- derived fromthat source felt. .
The dimnuon the OF American and foreign ton
mage, employed in the foreign trade of the Emitted States
strongly exhibited by the following statement
Tonnage in The foreign frade Of NE United States
Years. American vessels. Foreign vessels Total
1911, ,..-.... =. ..94s, 207. 30, 203 gsl. 450
1912. = .......... .667, 500, Al, O99 n s. O9s
1873. .237, 34S. III 3, 827 35l IFS
isla. 80 626. as, 302. IOz 92s
And il be rcooecteths during the nine Ia months
Of 1914, Great Britain peace with all the other Powers
Of Europe, and that these therefore neus Yet they
hardly vcniurcd TO trade with us.
The amour, Of receipts into the Treasury derived from Gus