Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-02-12


the Mexican bounty land from absorbing for several
years nearly all the proceeds of the Sales little
will be paid for lands while they outstanding, and remain
at their present reduced price, being the market worth
little than half the Government price of the quapy of
land which they will buy If this unfortunate result should
be realized then nearly the whole the Secretarys
estimate for the lands would have deducted from the
Of the Treasury and the interest of even the twenty
three million loan provided for otherwise And here he would
dismiss the subject of the estimates of the Secretary of the
Treasury, and beow attention those of the Secrea
ry Of War, which much wider of the mark
He had already shown that in the estimates presented last
for the expenses OF the then current year. between the
over-esmates and underestimate Of the Secretaries the
Treasury of at the end of the year than they had
calculated by than nine millions OF dollars and that in
his estimates for the current year the Secretary the
Treasury had evidently fallen again into the and
that in forming opinion to the extent of the
the Government for this year the loan asked for
must add it the Of the Secetarys estimate Of
receipts for the year. amounting in all probability to at least
five millions OF dollars which would bring the loan
wanted from sixteen up tweny-one millions TO this must
be added whatever may be the the Secretary
of War AT the last session Of Congress- when the regular
estimates presented for the present fiscal year. which
commenced the st Of July ls47 the whole expenditures
for the year. in all branches of the public service est
mated at S45, ,7Sl 7S4.5l. We have gone through
month half Of The year. and the estimates already sent in
for the year amount So, 7s3, ,66O07 composed of the
following items Estimated expenditures for the current year.
set down in the report Of the Secretary OF The Treasury for
the current year. the Of 660.00; between the
9th of December the date of that report and the date OF the
acting Secretary letter to Congress of the 10th Of January
in which he informed the House that the loan could be reduc
ed to twelve millions the Secretary of War had sent into
the Committee of Ways and Means ur.er estimates to the
amount of S. 000 and the Sd instant the Secretary
of War sent in the Committee of Ways and Means fur
her estimate for deficiency in the Quaenasters Depart
ment OF $780, 700; making altogether the before mentioned
OF S62 7S3 66G07 the estimated expenditures of the
year which began the st of July last instead Of the
of S45, 7s, 81 originally estimated at the beginning
of the last session of Congress. Of this last the Secre
ary Of War estimated for the army proper volunteers, and
ordnance department. the Of while the
estimated deficiencies sent in at the present session by the Sc.
creay OF War; for the army proper volunteers and ordnance
amount to the additional Of Sl4, ,033 439.M If we
bear mind that the the for this
branch of the public service for single year equal to the
whole annual expense Except the payments made
OF the public deb of the entire Government under the ad
ministraon of the younger Adams may well be startled
this disclosure Of what is going But is said by
of excuse for this that larger force has been called into
service than was anticipated when the estimates were ORR
ginaly made for the year. Undoubtedly larger force has
been called than provided for in those estimates but
is that for the omission The question is
ought these troops have been estimated for apd so
why was omitted Has the Administration since underta
ken any great military expedition then begun
decided upon Were not troops then in New Mexico
and California Was not Gen. Taylor far advanced into
Mexico at this day Was the invasion of Mexico
through Vera Cruz then decided upon and had the
then gone from this city organize and
take command OF the expedition Had not both the Com
mander n-chef and Gen. Taylor when called upon officially,
given their opinion that accomplish all that de-
cided upon would require larger force than has yet
But waving these inquiries have the whole Of the
deficiencies for this year been yet pesenedto Congress
He afraid not appears that the Quartermaster Gene
rail- the 4h of November estimated the deficiency in his
branch of the service follows For aearage the Quar-
termastes Department proper, millions five hundred
thousand dollars and for clothing camp garrison equip
age nine hundred and sixty thousand doarmakng in all
estimated average Of eight million four hundred and sixty
thousand dollars. In submitting this estimate the Secre-
tay Of War; and along with his estimate for the fiscal
amounting for that year TO Sl9 29l 200, the Quarter
the supposion that there will be from fifty five thou
sand in the pay Of the Government be provided for
'to keep thryfve thousand effective in the field and
that force far too small for any valuable purpose The
force estimated r.wl every of them be required"
The Secretary Of War; Notwithstanding these est
mates TO the Quaermaser General for revision and reduc
ton. And the 18th OF November the Quarermaster e-
neral again handed in these estimates having down the
estimate for aeaases in the Quaermases Department pro-
per from 81 5O0 900 TO S. 10000 and the estimate Of
rearage for clothing, camp and garrison eQuipaee from
$780, 600 TO $780, 000-making reduction in the last item
OF $500 000 and in the former Of So 500 000 being
both reduction Of $50 900 below his first estimate.
AT the time he reduced the estimate for the Quarter
masters Department for the next fiscal year from nineteen
millions two hundred ninety-one thousand hundred dol
lars, first estimated fourteen millions hundred and
fifty thousand dollars-being reduction years ogi
nal estimate Of five millions thousand two hundred
dollars and reduction in the original estimate for the
Of this and for the service Of next of mill
lions nine hundred and thousand two hundred dollars In
submitting these reductions the Quaremaster General writes
the Secretary Of War that his estimates made
from data derived from the experience Of the last year
and be also says, "Whether those reductions be udcous
time must determine. would not have ventured to make
them but for the fact that sessions Of Congress will have
terminated before the expiration Of the fiscal year for which
the estimates submitted have been made" Now this
looks directly large deficiencies again year, which will
swell the loan that will then be required BY direction
Of the Committee of Ways and Means he (Mr w addressed
letter the Secretary Of War know why the original
mates cut down, and TO ask him for copy Of those
estimates with the Quarenaser Generals letter TO him
companyng them On the 24th Of January the Secretary Of
War furnished the committee with copy Of the original est
maes and copy Of the Quaermaser Generals letter The
Secretary also transmitted TO the committee report 10 him
from the uaermaser General Of the 18th Of January last
whom the Secretary had referred the committees letter Of
inquiry. In that report the Quaemaser General says to
the Secretary hat the estimate for the service Of the year
reduced in consequence Of the information which you
communicated the policy intended 10 be adhered
by the Executive and from having asceaned between the
9TH and 25h of November that the expenses Of supporting
the troops in the interior Of Mexico great had
estimated them.' He concludes this report in
guarded show that he had confidence in being able
carry these reductions. He says in conclusion,
should there be heavy losses Of property and no extra
ordinary operations undertaken during the and troops
be increased think the asked for will be sufficient
but the rigid economy will be required to make them
do" II very improbable that of hese contingencies
will in the Of the next eighteen months, II the
continue and il is almost certain that oil OF them will
VIC nut settled that these