The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-03-28
SPEECH OF
MR.. PHELPS,
TEfE WAE&TME PUBLIC FINANCES,
OF On

'TEFE WAE &THE UBI4IC flNANCES,
Differed IN The Senate Of the United Stofes, Jam
nary 2sth, ls4s.
Concluded.
To what extent the estimates Of the Quar-
termaster Gcrersl We're reduced at the sugges-
ton OF the Secretary. J ana not able precisely
TO state. 4; IL staterh, howe. er,- hy a Senator
near me. (Mr. Clarke, OF Rhode ISLAND upon
information said to BE- derived from that officer,
and communicated by him to the Committee OF
Wavs AMI W., ans Of the House, tl'assrven mil
lion, more will bc required in iis,f department
alone. over and aisne the amount Of the c>tf-
msteS ~ulsnit,r-i To us, for the ensuing fiscal
v,ar. k-this be true, the @hliiion which ]
have male to the S.cretarys estimate OF cx-
pe1n,liturc for that year, (S7 ,eeo,V"o.) and
which seems To excite the surpris'. OF gentle
men OIL the othcr si'le, will be required iorthe
service OF that department alone.
Ii will lie perceived, that ] add that sum for
the whole excess in every branch Ot cNpendi-
tur-. over aud ovet the Sccrrtary's estimates.
The considerations upon which my estimate oil
this deti-ic~.y is based are these:
FRS, The expenditures OF the current year
rs now ascertainc,l, will exceed the previous
estimate of the Secretary by the sum ot tinr-
teen millions, exclusive Of 1.-THE SlU,"Gl .si4 now
asked Tor. III which at least seven millions are
20 cover an expenditure (as ! have ALREADY
s!Iown) u,er and :l,ove the m,sotni OF the SCI
rerary's present estimate. la this calculation.
the cxpenlitur. of' the current fiscal year will
exceed the original estimate ly twenty millions
OF dollars.
The ,-,mras-s Tor Oh. coming year are IN
creased. exclusive Of payments on account oil
the public debt, only about eight millions Il
hove the estimate furnished ~ at the last scs-
SION tor the current year, vhSrl, will leave adc-
firiency i,r tbr COMB: year. If the e1pendI-
ture oil that year -boald equal that OF the pres
cnt, Of twelve millions Of dollars. i have re-
,iuct,l it to seven. 1t requires no spirit OF
prophecy to forc-ce, that at the next session OF
Congrp-s we .lr,'i lie called upon Tor further
appropriations to- the rxtrnt Of 81 lcaaicn mil
lions of dollars.
But will your expenditure Le less for the
coming. than for the current year? lou pro
pose a rhorc extensive plan OF operations; to
adj thirty thousand men Ia your military es'ab-
.iShment to occupy the whole Mcxican terri
tory to spread your armies. like the locusts OF
Egypt, over that whole RrpHhic-and, lk,
The locust> of Egypt, to bring them TO subinls-
sion by eating up their >ubstance-not merci!
% iiscomfit her armies in the field, but to dis
lace her whole government and c,vd arrange
:ncnis ;an.l, in the language OF The honorable
Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs.
to occupy and retain all her positions, militar,
and political. Will YOUR expenditures be di-
minislrl? Iron what principle, then, is II,
that we are furnished with an estimate for the
..omine wear. which falls iro;n ten TO twelv"
millions short of the ascertaincd expenditure
II the present?
add the seven m~il!irns. therefore, to cover
the un.!er-ratin. OF cxpenscs actually estimated!
or in the first place.
In the serond place, ] include in that sum q
variety of contingencies not estimated for, and
,ot susceptible of previous estimation such a.
the loss and destruction OF military stores, pro-
%.isions, and other property. iy the ordinary
mode, of destruction. us well ~ the casualties
If war. The ronmissary of subsistence tell
r,s. in irving the causes OF The deficiency in hi
Irpnrin,cnt for the current wear. that, "owin:
20 the nature of the climaic OF Mexico and the
inn e feet store houses, 1.-THE 81 cles Of sub-i<'-
..ncc bciu. pri>lrblc,) murh has been los
from decay aud w~a<tase, "a, also from wreck
during ran.IOrfaiion.'
Thrifty 80 estimate !. male for the com-
mutation of land honu:ir.. by The reception Of
money instead Of land, at the option OF the SOL
.I;er. authorized by the net giving lounties I.
YOUR soldiers. This item is not susceptible OF
accurate estimation.
Fonr;:,lv. There Il M estimate for pensions
% v.,r waun..,-! and disabled 4oldicrs-an l.
fem ri ~ ir,ronsi,irrati,. magnitude. How
.. l.. t.Ht.t.ul ON the Tr,sa-
s,lrv. a. one of the fruits Of this war, no maj
an tel.
And. Lastly, I take into consideration the
,niscc lancous cl:in.s ut. ] ihc;i> fer scrvh'e rem
i,.rcd. property taken or lost, untuliille'l. &c.
which cannot lie estimated or enumerated.
Those who are familiar with the expenses
.erowinr out Of the Seminole war. can form
some conception OF what mat be cxpcctcd from
this source.
Now. sir, am 7 right or wrong in adding this
sum of seven millions to the estimates OF cx-
rn,litur,-s for the comm. wear, in view o;
these considerations
l;u, this Is not all. This bill proposes t.
! -,ise fen additional regiments. The expense
Of this force is not i%ucErtcrI IN tIc Secretary
estimates. What will they cost? Sir. | an
not enough of military MAI to determine with
DfCci>Dvb u INV thde thc pay ""N ="
of Il regiment amounts to about two hundres!
and fifty tlct.-#nl dollars per aunum. The
additional expense Of c%lcfi". will probably
larry the sum up to three hundred thousand
.lollars. The bountics for one thousand men
mount to $4,000. and the expenses Of re-
~cruitinc to about the same. The cost Of rails
Ing a regiment, sni Transporting it to ihc scene
oi action, will not. in nv opinion, fall short OF
- l.-l..l .bar-.pl .loilars Tine rfvQS
Won an expenditure Of fur fmndrcs: thousand
! dollars for = regiment FIR the year, or four mil
lions in the aggregate for the troops to be rails
ed bv this bill. This estimate Is, in my Jndg-
ment. a low one, and, as it is not inrluled in
the Serretary's~e estimate, | add it to his estima>
ted deficiency.
have one other item. The Secretary in
rlu les, in his estimate of receipts for the cur
rent wear, the sum of Sc, 1884, 29+ as avails OF
loans and Treasury no,es, Of this sum, he re-
ports S 1 POP. 02O as available on the LIST Deem
Ter, ls47, by which I understand that this last
sum is vet to be borrowed. ] therefore carry
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