The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-04
THE REPUBLIC.
See first pags.]
Mr.. walker.

mEs p" S1kcTs
The gentlemen in opposition, in seeking
to justify themselves for factiously with
holding from the Administration the means
necessary to support the revenue system,
invoke the authority of Mr.. WALKER.
They say that Mr.. WALKER, as long ago
as March 16, 1916, recommended the in
sertion of clause in the tariff bill limiting
the expenses Of collecting the revenue to
$1,560,000 This is true. The recon-
mendation was made in letter to Mr..
MCKAY, which we reprint from a copy
furnished by Mr.. BAYLY in his recent
speech:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
March l6, 1916.
STA In my letter of the 23d of February last to
you, the statement was made that the expense Of
collecting the revenue could be reduced 1851 1864
below the expenditure Of the last fiscal year. To
insure this result respectfully recommend that
clause be inserted in the new tariff bill, limiting
the expenses Of collecting the revenue under that
bill to a sum not exceeding 81 100000.
The sum expended in collecting the revenue is
now almost exclusively within the discretion Of the
Secretary Of the Treasury. The payments are fire.
quently made merely upon his written order, with
out the Intervention of those checks appertaining
to the liquidation of other accounts, and the pay
ments are not regulated by specific appropriations
made by law, as in other cases. In my opinion,
the expenses incident to the collection of the reve
nue. should be regulated by specific appropriations,
and the payments made subject to the checks ap-
pEcable to the settlement Of other accounts
STbia ,Ixr H.: 4
Legislation Of Congress; but if you think proper to
require the cooperation of this department it will
be cheerfully granted.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. ]. WALKER,
Secretary Of the Treasury.
Hon. JAMES J. MCKAY,
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means
On the 25th OF May, in the same year,
Mr.. WALKER wrote another letter, max
ing some further suggestions in the prem
ises, which it is not important to our pre-
sent purpose to discuss. They have no
bearing on the matter in hand. The reader
will note the date of these letters of Mr..
WALKER. They were written in March
and May, in the year 1916. They may
have been intended in good faith, at the
time, or they may have been merely de-
signed to amuse Mr.. McKAx, who was
great economist. in treasury candle-ends
and cheese-parings; who would waste
week in discussing the propriety of cutting
down watchman's or clerks salary fifty
dollars year, and vote away millions on
millions without winking, in the safe line
Of party appropriations.
Mr.. WALKER made the recommended
ion in question early in 1916. We do
not know that he ever renewed it. Mr..
BAYLY says that the recommendation was
9 subsequently renewed" He does not
ell us how or when. Mr.. WALKER GER
ainly never renewed it in any of his pub
ished reports. We are not furnished
with any private letter to Mr.. Mckay re-
;ommendingit, ofany date later than May, |
1916. We are inclined, therefore, to be-
ieve that General BAYLY is mistaken. |
We have no doubt that he is mistaken,
md we ask special attention to the grounds
m which we found this opinion.
In December, 1847, in the annual re-
'ort of Mr.. WALKER on the finances, we
nd passage which is all important in its
caring on the pending controversy. 1t
roves conclusively that the Bitter End
rs now seek to compel the dismissal of
'ublc officers, and withhold from Mr..
MEREDITH the necessary appropriations,
or the perry purpose Of iyuring the public
ervice, IN the hope that this injury wiH
eacf upon the administration, and tend TO
hov that President TAYLOR does not pos
ess the necessary qualifications for carry
ng on the Executes government
In the report to which we refer, Mr..
WALKER informed Congress that at that
Tine December 1847) the charges of col
Getting the revenue from customs had
'een carefully examined, AND EVERY RE-
MADE COMPATIBLE WITH THE
'UBIc INTEREST. He informed them in
he next place that the saving thus effected |
mounted to nearly S5O0,000 per annum.
This saving he stated had been effected |
" DISPENSING WITH EVERY OFFICER OR
AGENT NOT ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED FOR
THE PUBLIC SERVICE.
That there may be no mistake about
his, and that we may not rest as Mr..
3AYLY does on general allegations, we
quote from Executive Document No. 6,
If the House Of Representatives, at the
irsf session Of the thirtieM Congress-be-
ng the letterof the Secretary of the Trea-
'ury transmitting his annual report on the |
state of the finances, bearing date De-
,ember 9, 1847. From the seventh page
If that document we quote the following
Illuminating expenses being one Of the best |
means of improving the finances, the charges OF |
collecting the revenue from customs have been |
carefully examined, and every retrenchmcnt made
compatible with the public interest The saving |
thus effected, Notwithstanding the vast increase