The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-02-25

vS,;,ss 10 The Secretary of War that his
FMS, estimates 'were made out from data
derived from the experience of the last
wear" and he also says: Whether these
reductions be jadicions time must deter
mine. | would no, have ventured to make
them but for the ia ct. that two sessions OF
Congress viii have terminated. before
the expiration ofthe fiscal year for which
the estimates now submitted have now
been made" Now this locks directly to
large deficiencies again next year which
viii 90 to swell the loan that will then 6e
required.
Bv direction ofthe Committee Of Ways
and means he (Mr W addressed letter
o,he Secretary of War to know why
the original estimates. were cut down,
aud to ask him for copy of those eSli-
mates with the Quartermaster Generals
letter to him accompanying them. On
the oath of January the Secretary of War
furnished the committee with copy of
the original estimates, and copy of the
Quartermaster Generals letter. Tho
Secretary also transmitted to the commit
tee report to him from the Quartermas
ter General of the 18th Of January last,
To whom the Secretary had referred the
committees letter ofinquiry. In that re.
port the Quartermaster General says to
the Secretary. "that the estimate for the
service Of the year was reduced in con.
sequence of the information which you
communicated to me as to the policy in
tended to be adhered to by the Execu.
tive, aud from having ascertained be.
tween the 4th and 25th of November that
the expenses Of supporting the troops in
the interior of Mexico wero not So great
as | had estimated them He concludes
this report in manner so guarded as to
show that he had no confidence in being
able to carry out these reductions. He
says, in conclusion, should there be no
heavy losses Of property, and no extra
ordinary operations undertaken during
the year, the troops not increased, think
the sums asked for will be sufficient; but
the must rigid economy will be required
to make them do" 1t is very improba-
Bile that none of these contingencies will
occur in the course of the next Is months,
il the war continue; and it is almost GER
tain that all of them will happen We
may therefore put it down as settled that
these reductions will all be called for.
And in proof Of it, on the 81 Of tho pres.
ent month, only ten days after his letter
to the Committee of Ways and Means
the Secretary Of War writes to the com.
mittee ihat contingency had happened
which made it necessary to make an adj
ditional $4,000 for the Clothing De.
pariment, which brings bac!.:: tho arear-
aye Tor clothing from the reduced sum of
six hundred thousand to nino hundred
and sixty thousand dollars, at which the
Qnartermaster General had originally es.
timated it.
If we would make safe provision for
the present fiscal year We shall restore
thetwo millions eight hundred aud sixty
thousand dollars which were taken away
from the Quarlcrmaster Generals o.igi
nal estimate. lfths be done, and we as
sumo there will be no other expenditure
during the year beyond what is already
estimated for, and no addition made 10
the army, then the wants ofthe Govern.
ment for ths year beyond its means will
stand thus: To the loan of sixteen mill.
ions now asked for by the Secretary oI
the Treasury, add five millions for over
estimate Of the revenue of the year, ant
add also two millions eight hundred ant
sixty thousand dollars for tho under.es
mate Of the expenditures in the War De
partmeut, and there must be raised b,
loan to carry the Government To the Isl
Of July next, twenty-five millions eight
hundred and sixty thousand dollars
And the loan of tho last session, which
was intended to provide for tho whole oil
the present year. Instead OF twenty.throe
millions which the Secretary, as already
stated informed Congress- was all that
would be wanted, should have been for
fory-iye millions eight hundred and six
~ Thousand dollars. lfthe sixteen mill.
ions now proposed to be raised will meel
the wants of the Government, then The
public debt at the end of tho present is.
cal year (.Tunc 30Ib) will be sixtysix
millions Of dollars. If you udd to this
seven millions eight hundred aud sixty
thousand dollars for tho over. estimates OF
receipts, and under estimate of expond.
lures, as already explained, the debt at
that date will be seventy.three millions
eight hundred thousand dollars.
Let us now see what addition will be-
made TO this amount at tho end of the noxt
fiscal year, which ought properly to be
provided for at the present session of Con.
gress. The appropriations for next year,
which begins on the lst of July uext, must
be made, at this session, and, when the
appropriations arc made, tho means To
pay them to be provided at the same
time, instead Of raising loans on an emer.
gency as we are now obliged to do, by
reason of the short estimate Of the Secre.
tary Of the Treasury, when tho twenty
three million loan bin was passed at the
late session. He should have ampl,
time 10 negotiate his loan before the mon
ey is wanted 1t is, therefore, the clca
duty Of the Executive lo ask that provis
ion may be made at this session for al
the wants Of the Government for the mex
year, and not come as at present, yea
behind tho proper time,
What. he (Mr. W would ask, will b,