New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-05
NEw.yOHK, SATURDAY MORNING PKBRUARY s. ,s4s

debts equivalent not 10 the whole but 10 the mos,
considerable portion OF the capitsl which has been
destroyed by the wars in which Gres. Britain has
been involved. Yet not 70 the whole since in
order TO include the whole amount Of capital de-
stroyed by those wars there must be added 70 the
public debt incurred all the war taxes raised and
expended io- the sane purpose.
The preceding observations. though illustrated
by the example Of Great Britain. are equally ap-
plicsble to the United States Almost the whole
capital applied 20 war expenses is destroy ed be-
cause il is expended on unproductve objects
The munitions Of var horses and multitude Of
other articles are actually destroyed variety Of
other expenses, such as those Of Transporting and
afterverd OF moving an army with all it's appara.
tus particularly II in foreign country are entirely
lost. The great bulk Of the moneys raised for car.
rying war, is expended in feeding, clothing and
supporting men. whom the war has converted into
unproductive consumers all Of whom, before that
earned enough by their labor at least 70 subsist;
and mos. Of whom did produce q surplus over and
above their personal expenses. AZ the end OF the
war nothing remains bat the artillery, muskets and
tents. All the rest Of the capital expended for the
land forces has been aDnihllatef
do not perceive that any deduction can be
made from that aggregate, other than the profits
Of contractors and in some cases those Of persons
employed in producing or manufacturing that part
OF the supplies which Is drawn from home.
But Whatever may be the case in other countries
IL does LOt appear tndL any should De
made in the | nited States, on account OF the mo
neys earned by men who may have been employed
IN furnishing certain supplies. There 10. IN the
United States, constant demand tor capital and
labor to be applied to productive purposes. Every
able bodied man. whether cCltivator Of the soil,
pechanc or lsborer, can, Ia the United States OBJ
tain remuneratIng wages. And, therefore, every
man employed in preparing war supplies, for ia
stance in building wsrstesmers, or other vessels,
has been diverted from some analogous employ.
ment which would have been applied to productive
objects.
Il is not without painful feeling that we are com.
PEELED to admit that these consequences OF the
exican war, on the fiscal and commercial con
Germs Of the nation, have heretofore been greatly
aeviated by the dreadful calamity which has al.
iected Europe and especially the British Isles.
famine, caused by the failure OF one important
crop, and by diminution in those OF other articles
Of food. suddenly increased our exports 10 an
paraleled amount far exceeding In value the for
eign merchandise usually wanted by the United
States. and causing. accordingly, not ONLY an in
of dutisble imports and of revenue, but also
an extraordinary influx Of specie. This general In
crease Of wealth had. among other effects, enabled
Government TO carry on the war without its evils
being Immediately felt
But the causes which had produced that state OF
things have at leas, for the present, ceased to ope
rate
H.. The preceding observations are Of gen
era nature. The first subject Of special inquiry is
the amount OF the actual receipts and expenditures
since the commencement Of the war.
All the Receipts. whether arising from Revenue,
Loans, or any other source, paidinfo the Treas
ury, and therefore known to the Secretary OF that
Department. He 10 also responsible for the dis
bursements by his own Department, the most i'm.
portant Of which are those relating TO the public
debt. But with respect to the moneys expended
by the other Departments, ths statements Of the
Secretary Of the Treasury only show the amount
received by each from the Treasury. These never
exceed that for which appropriations have been
made. The Secretary is bound, provided the re.
cepts are adequate, TO pay to each Department the
sum appropriated for its use and under the several
heads OF the respective appropriations. But he is
in no degree responsible for the manner In which
the moneys have been expended by any other De
partm emit than his own.
In ordinary times, in times Of peace, the expen.
ses Of each Department correspond so nearly with
the appropriations that the statement Of the Secre
tary of the Treasury, OF the moneys paid by him 10
each, gives 70 the public very approximate view
OF the actual expenditures. The Deficiencies, for
which additional appropriations may be asked from
Congress are generally uncomfortable. But In
time OF war, IL becomes necessary In order to as
certain the real amount of expenditures to to
Neither indeed pay more than the amount APP
propriatedi but more may be expended, and for the
difference debt may have been incurred.
The Secretary Of the Treasury is in the same
manner responsible for the correctness of his est
mates of receipts But with respect to those Of ex
penGitures, by any other Department than his own,
he only transmits those prepared by each Depart
ment for the correctness Of which each is respect
lively responsible.
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 80, is47.
This is almost identical with the first year Of the
war. The Secretary of the Treasury had, In bis
Report OF December ., 1896 estimated the War
Expenses for that year;
Paid during IL; quarter. ss5365e %
Esmsted for the last three quarters ls5Iy4s -
Total os7 10
In his Report Of December 6 lsi1, be states the
Receipts and Expenditures for the same year, as
follows viz;
RECEIPTS
from Sustoms
From Public Lands ...,.........s...'... <fsoo 10 -
From Miscellaneous Sources l005IO 81
From svss Of Treasury Notes snd Loans f5oIslss -
Total Receipts. 0xOzost9 81
Add balance in the Treasury. July l. ls4e... s@i5s o
Total Means .......................... bllo2izS -
TIE Expenditures dufing the same Fiscal
Year 73fol ~ ~
Leaving balance in the TreAsury, July l, -.... -.
1917 OF
as appears IN detail by accompanying s,atementA.
have used in vain every endesvor TO obtain
copy OF this statement A. In order II ASCERTAIN the
details OF the expenditure, Of which the gross
amount alone is given In the text Of the Report
IL will be found In that volume OF the documents,
which contains the Report of the Secretary Of the
Treasury, with the documents relative thereto and
Il. -. lo+n 1afn akf "