Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-03-23
SPEECH OF Nh. VINTON,
OF OHIO,
On The Expenses of Collecting the Revenue.

HousE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Fen. 8, 1850.
The House being in Committee Of the Whole on the stale
Of the Uniop the bill regulate the expenses of collect
ing the public Revenue
Mr. VINTON said that the act Of Sd March, lS4s in.
troduced system of paying for the expenses of collect
ing the revenue from the customs and the public lands
Before that law into effect the expenses of collecting
the customs paid by the collector of the moneys
ceyed by him, and the residue income only found its
way into the public Treasury BY the passed in March
last all moneys received from the customs and from all mis-
ceaneous directed from and after the LIST of July
ls49, to be paid into the Treasury and il is made the
duty of the Secretary of the Treasury annually submit
Inmates to Congress- deay the expenses of collection and
these estimates Congress required make specific APP
preparations carry this branch of the public service,
which appropriations drawn from the Treasury like all
other moneys for other Departments of the Government
Every branch of the public service has been heretofore pro-
vided for and carried by Of what usually de-
nominated specific appropriations made by Congress from
year year in which every head and item of expenditure
annually under the review of Congress and such
Of money appropriated for each specific Congress
may deem expedent In this way the whole expenditures Of
the public money under the searching scrutiny Of Con-
gress, and enables the legislative power decide what
renchments or reforms are necessary in any department OF
the Government.
This has been the mode of appropang for the Army the
Navy, the Judiciary the Legislative and Post Office Depart
mens Till 1886 the Post Office exception TO the
general system and its expenses betrayed directly of
It's income, without the money going into the Treasury In
that year this department subjected to specific appopra
TONS founded detailed estimates from the Postmaster
raj for that service. Since that time the expense of the
collection OF the customs and of the from the public
lands has formed the only exception this general system
The act of the Sd Of March, requiring the gross receipts of the
customs and the public lands be paid into the Treasury
and the expenses Of managing them be paid tor by specific
appropriations has reduced the whole public expenditures to
uniform system. Iii valuable law, and ought to
have been passed long ago. But while brought the coec-
tons from the customs under the general SYSTEM the law pro-
vded for exception of character that does apply
nf
future year should the expenses of collecting the customs
exceed the of SI,560, 900. When consider the
growing of the county, the expansion of set
Elements, and Territories TO be settled and the
and accumulated duties that almost every year devoed
the collection service, il is, in principle just absurd i'm
pose such limit on il would be to that in all time
to come the expenses of the army the navy the Post Office
Department should not exceed specified amount That
Limitation is known to be INSULT Gent and Congress will
be obliged Immediately recede from it, the most dsas
ous consequences will result from it, the great delrment
of the public interest.
The joint resolution from the Senate now before US and
the amendment OF il proposed by the Committee OF Ways
and Means, all have for their object modify the effect of
that limitation temporarily, and till the end Of the present
hscal year, little than four and half months hence
he adoption Of either will amount to substantially tie same
thing Instead Of the of ST. 560 00O the joint resou
ton proposes 10 appropriate for this equal to the
expenses Of collecting the in the fiscal ending
June 3Oih ls4S. Under impression, which arose from
an error hereafter explained, the COMMITTEES of Ways and
demonstrating that the expenses of collections incurred in
the first half Of the present fiscal year had considerably
ceeded half of the expenses of the year s4s which
two millions hundred and thirty thousand dollars,
il fact instead of leaving half of this sum, put only
eight hundred and forty thousand dollars at the disposal Of the
Treasury Department for the last half of this year-ppossd
the amendment now pending, which IS, to allow for the
penses OF the last half OF this year equal to half
of the whole expenses the year s4s Ia the year ls4s
the collection OF the customs confined 60 the Atlantic
side Of the continent Since that had added what will
doubtless prove be the very expensive districts of California
he rha fam
the Senate, of the amendment proposed by the Committee
OF Ways and Means, would be compel curtaiment Of
the expenses for the residue of the year equal all
OF the expenses incurred the Pacific coast.
The amendment offered by proposes to except
California and Oregon, to give the sum for the
Atlantic service that expended in the district of
country two years ago. And the immediate question
before the committee whether the exception that propose
shall be made Before proceeding discuss this proposition
will answer question that perhaps every gentleman has
already put to himself Why was this Limitation on the ex-
pendure engraed the act of Sd March last With your
permission, will give its history. When the tariff bill Of
lsf6 was under the consideration Of the Committee of Ways
and Means, the Secretary Of the Treasury letter
their chairman, from which will ask the Clerk read
much relates TO the expenses Of collecting the
from the customs bears date the 23d of February
1916, and is follows
compliance with your request send you The detailed
esimstes under the proposed bill Tor reducing the duties
$3.50 7i93the expenses of collection COS, being
S537 s6i less than the fiscal year, Notwithstanding the sup
posed increase OF the proposed bill
that reduction of expenditures and will be effected this
Department"
The committee will notice that the Secretary the very
strong and positive language that if his proposed tariff bill
passed, that reduction and ciH be effected by this
Department.
On the 18th of the next month, Mr. Walker again clsd
the attention of the Committee of Ways and Means this
subject, in letter to their chairman, which follows
'SIn In my letter of the Esd of February last you
the made that the expense of collecting the
could be reduced 1857 1854 below the expenditures
the last fiscal To this result respectfully
commend that clause be inserted in the tariff bill limit
ing the expenses of collecting the under that bill
SUM not exceeding $3.50 oo0."
" The expended in collecting the is al
most exclusively within the discretion OF the Secretary Of the
Treasury the payments frequently made merely upon his
written ORDER without the Intervention OF those checks apper
tanning the qu dao of other accounts and the payments
regulated by specific appropriations made BY law
other In my opinion the expenses incident
collection OF the should be regulated specific APP
preparations, and the payments made subject the checks
applicable the settlement of other This great
reform only be introduced by the Legislation Congress
but you think proper require the corporation Of this
Department, it will be cheerfully granted"
The committee will bear in mind that The OBJ 9cts pro-
posed to be accomplished by the Secretary this letter ee
the saving Of expenses the collection the revenue and TO
latter object, he procrs his aid the committee It is hardly
necessary TO say that the Committee Of Ways Means
in favor Of reforms very desirable He informed
by the chairman tina. his recommendations the approba
ton of the committee and the 25.h day of May blowing
he addressed another letter to The chairman, follows
"SIn Having been informed BY you that the suggestions
made IN letter OF the 10th Of March last regarded
and the regulation of the by law met the app
baton of the Committee OF Ways and Means enclose pro-
vision for carrying the suggestions into effect
This provision, i is believed should be appended as
20 l. D. Il k