Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-01-03
"THE NEW BOOKS"

ssTHE NEW BOOKS"
This is the title of an article in the official paper
Of Monday night last, 1.-THE 10Th December,) the OBJ
ject Of which is to show that the public debt Of the
United States was increased during the Administra-
ton Of Mr.. TYLER, which it pleascs the official
editor to consider Uhig Administration, by the
amount Of $l0,363, 7l7.s7. This increase the edi-
tor charges upon Wing ineficency and Wing ex-
travagance; stating that |" Wing promises Of re-
trcnchment and economy end in millions Of debt
and that " this is the manner in which the Demo-
cracy predicted they would fulfil their boasuul
undertakings"
We might perhaps have permitted this hIsstate-
ment of Wing deeds to pass, as we omanyothers
without notice. had not the government paper ac-
companicd il with the intmation that its table was
compiled from the records Of the Treasury De-
partment, and can be relied upon"
TO show how far the statement is to be "relied
upon" we will not 60 further back with our nves-
tgation than the commencement Of Mr.. VAN BU-
REN's Administration in 1887, because we shall be
enabled to show by reference to public documents
thatwhaever increase took place in the public debt
during the "tFHig" Administration, as the govern
ment paper calls it, from ls4l to ls45, was owing
to the excessive expenditures Of the /" Democratic"
Administration of Mr.. VAN buren,, from March,
1897, TO March, 184l, when the people placed the
reins of Government in other hands.
BY consulting page 5, public document No. Q, Of
the first session Of the Twenty-sevcnth Congress,
twill be found that, g from the year 1916 TO 1887,
"a period of twenty-one years, the revenues con-
SANITY exceeded the expenditures The average
annual surplus during that time was 81 AGA 1876
81, making an aggregate excess of $240,74S,764
at. Within that time there was applied to the
extinction Of the national debt $20S, 1872. 1877 A.
and there deposited with the States $2s, lOl,-
GA 81, and there remained on the LIST of Janua-
Try, 1887 in the Treasury of the United States including
the fourth insialment due to the States,
surplus OF. Sit, l09,473 26
'.There also outstanding debts due
70 the Treasury, from other than
those of ordinary revenue, and which were
paid between Isl January, 1887, and 4th
March, ls4l ..........-........-.-. 9,l24,747 90
g There also issued within that pc
Rod, and outstanding the 9TH March,
1871, Treasury notes TO the amount off,. SEAS, 5l2 40
Making the aggregate available means
9 which were in the Treasury ON tIe LIST --.---4-.-
January, 1887, and which came into it
prior to the 18th March, Is4l, oper and
ADORE The current revenues 1882, 7s2 Sc"
The amount left in the Treasury
on the 18th of March, ls4I when the
Wing Administration Of Gen. HAIR
RIsoN commenced, was............ 572,7lS 46
showing that the Democratic Admin
stration of Mr.. VAN buren, expend-
cd during its continuance. 81 0,0l4 20,
81 1927 500 55, annually, over and above the or
binary reueaue Of the country. A pretty COM
mcntary, this, upon Democratic economy Here
is Democratic President commencing his official
duties with surplus Of seventeen millions Of dollars
in the Treasury; receiving during his continuance
in Office nine millions more from other than ordi.
nary sources; borrowing, by issuing Treasury notes.
over five and half millions besides; andeaving in the
Treasury, as means wherewith his Wing successor
TO carry the Government, little more than
half million of dollars THUS" in the language
Of the document to which we have referred, were
the expenditures pushed beyond the amount Of the
revenue. They were made to absorb the surplus
: in the Treasury and the outstanding debts due 10
: the United States, so that the Treasury was, on
the 4th March, Is4l, exhausted Of us means, and
subject TO heapy and immediate liabilities. II
of peace, and without any adequate resources ex-
sept the authority granted by law to augment
that debt"
Such was the position Of affairs when the Admit
nstration of the Wing President, Gen. HARRISON,
commenced. Here no seventeen millions Of
dollars to commence operations with. Here
no prospective receipt Of nine millions Of dollars
more from extra sources. No; these two amounts
Mad been expended, debt Of $685. 900 contract
ed, and paltry half million of dollars left in the
Treasury! Was il not time that set Of new
books should be opened in the Departments at
Washington, and that confusion and extravaganza
should give place to regularity and economy 7"
If the Wings did proclaim" that new books
ought to be opened at the Treasury, had they not
good reason to do SO !
The official editor says, however, that these new
books having been opened, an inspection of them
shows that the public debt increased during the late
Administration in the sum OF lO,363,7l7 80. Now