Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-07-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
THE NATIONAL FINANCES.


Housr OF REPRESENTATIVES,, JusE 81, ls4S
Mr. ROCKWELL. of Connecticut, addressed the commit
tee in substance follows
is my design go into labored discussion OF the
ous yexed questions which have been agaed between the
majority and minority of the Committee Public Expend
TIRES in regard 10 the annual report submitted Congress by
the Secretary the Treasury. 1t is not necessary the mat
ter has already fully examined but in view of the
po made TO this House by the minority, well that by
the maorty Of the committee, Is certainly desirable to
in the midst Of this vast of figures what the Of
the whole actually Is
take it for granted that the report which has been here
submitted by the minority of the committee is document
horzed not furnished, by the Secretary Of the Treasury
III should like to be corrected in that assump
ton. Here Mr. r. paused, but response gwen On
the other hand if the suppoton correct should like gen.
emen say Here he paused again, but no answer
given. From what has anspued here, showing that the
report the majority the possession OF the Secretary for
so long time (some weeks beieve) it must be apparent
that the substance Of the epor Of the minority is from the
Treasury Department, and as such shall treat it.
shall coniine myself bare statement Of facts and
invite gentlemen the other side OF the House to correct
as go along should fall into any error.
And in the first place. ask this House TO remember that the
minority report does not shoo that the Seetarys report 10
Congress entirely right upon any one Of the points assaed
by the majority Of the committee And uither that wherever
there exists an the maoys report there is
also in the report Of the Secretary have at present nothing
to do with the report Of the committee in its details
cerned only with the RESULT.
shall that result SHOWN reports
from the Committee Public Expenditures In this House,
and by the speech Of the chairman Of the Finance Committee
in the Senate The facts shall undenied and
deniabe shall first present propositions as to the
mistakes pointed out former OCCASION and before the SUBJ
ct had been reported upon by the Committee on Public Ex
penditues While slate them again ask any Of the
committee to correct as go along Here Mr. X read
the following items
l. That from the first three pages of the report Of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, without reference 10 any document or
tab was uanfa mi of owe
2 This statement OF the excess OF
expenditures over receipts to that amount
g. That, by the subsequent official statements OF the Re-
gter of the Treasury this error was acknowledged TO be-
instead of about 81, l00,0 600, 81, 40i 800.
f. Tha. there further error in that statement Of
S35000 which, being corrected would show the amount
OF the discrepancy TO be 81, $50, 800.
That the statements made of the nature OF this error OF
$780, by the chairman Of the Committee Finance Of
the Senate and by the minority of the Committee on Public
Expenditures do agree and that evidence is furnished
by either the majority minority Of that committee or the
chairman Of finance show that either is correct and no
satisfactory intelligent exposition is furnished IN relation TO
this serious amount.
g. That the Secretary his report undertakes to inform
Congress Of the of public debt paid during the year
ending st December S47 and in his report he refers TO the
tables appended 10 the report giving the information In
Of them Is stated that the amount for the year was
Sl04s0362 10, principal and interest in the other 1t Is
stated that for months including the twelve
months and five months in addition, the whole amount
s926l259 Os, being less in seventeen months by nearly
million and quarter by table, than in twelve months,
part of the seventeen, by another
T. The language which he refers to these tables is
follows, the 10Th and 18th pages of his report
Table exhibits the of the public debt and inter-
paid from LIST December S46, lst December lS47 in
GLIDING the reimbursement Of Treasury notes under acts
prior 10 act OF ed july 1876 under act OF 22d jolly 1885,
and under act Of 2Sth January Is4 amounting in principal
10 the of 50 S. aud in interest to $50 g.
Table exhibits the yearly payments account OF prn-
epa and interest OF the public debt from 1871 to iS4 both
inclusive"
These the tables between which the discrepancy
appears
s. That from no quarter has any information been given Of
the true amount OF public debt paid during that year.
9. That these and discrepancies, with but
cepon, appeared the face OF the report Of the Secretary
the Treasury he tables specifically referred to in his report
and appended the same and to discover that they
did require any examination OF books papers be-
yond those in his possession and accompanying his report
10. That the acknowledged Of S6,9l5,07s in the
actual receipts for the first quarter Of the present fiscal yea
not in any table accompanying the Secretary
report any table whatever. The amount correctly
stated IN the table B. accompanying the Secreays report
being single item very short table and the
abstract Of receipts and expenditures the first three pages
Of the report ITSELF and nowhere else and if in relation Il
these the Register Clerks responsible for the
port ITSELF and the incorrect Of the materials thus clearly
presented they in fault, otherwise not.
again call the notice of gentlemen to the fact that the Sc
creay Of the Treasury states the amount OF public debt paid
slo,4sO3 62 10, principal and interests and that the
Of public debt paid In months the
twelve months and five besides Is SO, 2el 25s 0s.
want any gentleman here present say how 1t happens
that the amount paid in f,oe months in place stated
millions, while in another place the amount paid in
Seventeen months (including the tme) is millions.
VIII any gentleman Of the committee any other gentleman
explain this Here Mr.. X. paused
get no And that it is much easier 10 bring
IN youmnous document containing vast confused Of
figures than to give definite plain and distinct
question single point in the Secretary's report.
There not line in this statement Of these pro-
positions which refers any thing obscure which could
only be learned by searching the books the public Of
ces they plain gsrng facts which appear on the face
Of the sccrcays report the tables accompanying IT,
and referred 70 by him, and other Of Regis
ter Of the Treasury.
50 much for these errors the secreiarys report as ogi
naly submitted
And in regard the in the Secretary repor
and the accompanying tables shown by the reports Of In
msjority and the minority Of the Committee Public Ex
penditures.
Il is rather an amusing affair that the minority Of the com
mitee should in a somewhat supercious way, charge m
friend from Pennsylvania (M SrRoHx) with gross
of information relation matters Of finance, and that TIL
should be done by the gentleman from Virginia. Mr b.
pISsEn whom, with all due regard for his ability and et
quence, had not supposed peculiarly entitled TO ca
my worthy and honorable friend to account on questions
that kind but they have seems, deemed u in good ias
10 do What they had for doing this will best
pear from comparing the results Of their report and Of his.
beg leave 70 call the attention Of the House TO tabular stat
ment which hold in my hand, Cor which am indebted
my friend from Pennsylvania Mr. r. here read the docr
men b. sohjoined 10 hi speech From this statement Ii