The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-05

q ResoUsd That the President the United States the
Senate, and the House Of Representatives each be fur
nshed with copy thereof.
The Expense Bill.
The Republic insists that the Of 81 100000 is
all that was allowed by the act of Sd March, is49.
for the expense of collecting the revenue This is
mistake The language Of the Isl Provided that the
expense Of collecting the from customs shall not
thereafter exceed the Of million five hundred and
sixty thousand dollars per annum, together with such
under the law paid into the treasury for
dayage, carriage, labor, and storage, and in proportion
for less time"
The Secretary then has, first, the sum Of 81 500 900
second and in addition such shall be paid into
the treasury for dayage carriage, labor, and storage"
And this is Mr.. Meredths own construction of the law
This act Mr. Meredith has interpreted TO 60 into effect on
the LIST Of January 1850 and for the twelve months
ceedng, this additional sum, for dayage carriage labor
and storage" will amount to at least $1,000 bringing
the amount up to 81 100000, instead Of si,5ooooo as
enormously supposed by the Republic. Now. the Re-
public states the expenses Of collecting the for
the year ending the 3Oh June, ls4s, at 900 This
the gross sum- and very largely exceeds the sum
expended net charge upon the But stating
itat ~, l32, 900
ls49 100000
Difference $ss2,OOo
Now, the repeal of the debenure system by the act Of
March 8. ls49, estimated by the report Of the custom
house officers in ls4s, makes saving of from $40 900 to
S4oOoO"say 1872 O0o-and it reduces the difference TO
saooooo but nearly the whole Of this disappears the
difference between the expenses that year Qs47s) for
revenue cutters, and the sum Mr. Meredith will now
want for that purpose leaving Mr. Meredith, in fact,
very nearly the same sum expended in Is4s But the
year Is474s year requiring extraordinary expen
dures That year The imports and exports the
pcedented Of 5000 o49 and the gross revenue to
about s34 100000 being in beth cases about one third
of increased business for the custom houses compared
with the tariff Of 1912. Did not then, the various meas
Of Mr. Walker duce the proporonafs expenses OF
collecting the revenue, estimated by him, "nearly
100000 per annum" Mr.. Walker, by various circulars
brought the expenses OF collecting onethrd more reve
and OF additional aggregate OF nearly one hundred
millions Of dollars OF imports and exports dswn to the ex-
penses under the tariff Of is42. Was there no saving
here or could Mr. Walker, without great retrenchment
have transacted, for the expense. additional bust
in imports and exports passing through the custom
houses OF nearly hundred millions OF dollas n the
expenses had increased in the same proportion they
would have exceeded by s7ooooo the sum actually ex-
pended by Mr.. Walker.
But there two other causes, increasing the ex-
penses several hundred thousand dollars that year. to
which Mr. Meredith is not nop subject II was the vast
sum-still then. in part unpad-under contracts made
by Mr. Walkers predecessors for building steam revenue
cutters Tn addition to all this, these steamers. under the
authority Of the President used incidentally in aid
n % H. Calf II
several Of them were in some OF the naval conflicts in
the Gulf manned. equipped. and worked at great expense
as war vessels, by revenue officers and revenue crews
and all constituting part Of these very expenses charged
sgsins, Mr.. Walker. We have. then, a. enaging the
expenditures Of the year (s474s) three l. An
increase Of nearly onethird Of imports and exports that
year; The war and, The expenses Of building rev.
cutters &C., growing out Of the contracts OF his pre-
decessor We say them under all the circumstances that
for this half year equal in proportion TO that expend
ed by Mr. Walker in is4s is LIBERAL and for the next fiscal
year be reduced under special appropriations allow
ing additional item for California We shall hereafter
publish in the Union the various circulars Of Mr. Walker
reducing the expenses Of collecting the revenue and es.
pscially his circular Of December T. s47 subjectng all
these expenses, classified under twenyfour distinct
heads, before dollar could be expended. "o the prior
supervision Of the accounting officers Of the treasury"
thus introducing and most important check This
reform TO be made by Congress Of limiting the expenses
Of collecting the revenue and subiectng them to specific
appropriations made by law, originated with Mr.
Walker II grew, in the first instance, among 9TH
or reasons, Of his great desre TO increase the net
revenue under the tariff Of 1916. accompanied that BILL
when sent by him to Congress item Of The ssissts
and was urged upon the committee to make part Of
that BILL in Official recorded letters from him, in February
March, and May, 1916, and subsequently, recommend
ed BY him, also Al several succeeding sessions and the
only al which he did not voiunfsr recommend
alton in its favor was at the session Of is4s49 when
i 4 passed. il could only operate upon his successor Az
the session Of 1919. Mr. Walker was confined to his
house. and was too unwe to act Secretary until nearly
three months after the bill passed the House On return
ing 70 the treasury. he did again recommend iis passage
and was defeated At tina, session by delays created BY
IN erroneous apprehension, the part o. several gsne