The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-10-30

try is obedience to God command? We look
donablc ira itors. Having no chance to sell their
country, they put up their conscience for the
loudcst bid Of popular applause.
Expenditurcs.--SsO ,o0G. 900 for one Year.
1t is said that the amount Of money appropri-
atcd at the last session Of Congress reaches the
enormous sum of eighty millions of dollars We
have not had an opportunity of calculating the
amount appropriations ourselves, but the state
veracity we rely, that the amount above named
is about the aggregate. Taking It for granted
that such is the fact, it is proper to reflect upon
the consequences to which such lavish cxpcndi-
tur"s must ultimately lead. 1t is equally prop
er to ask ourselves what portion Of this vast a.
mount must be paid by our own State, and what
benefit will accrue to from its expenditure.
One of the consequences which must follow
from this expenditure, is that basis has been
laid for further and more cxtravawant appropra-
tions Much of the present appropriations is
made Of Items Of from $I0,OOO to 81, 900, for
laying the foundation Of new and unnecessary
works on The Atlantic scaboard, or for repairing
forts and bnilding barracks for soldiers where
they are not needed, and where the expenditure
Of the money is made to satisfy this or that mem
Der Of Congress-, or some cngin|cr, or army of
ticcr, whose whole study is to survey and con-
| struct fOrtlficaions The interest of millions of
western folks may be left to the mercy Of Pro-
violence the river current; but every little sall
boat that scarcely ventures from the eastern shore
to gather clans or oysters, fish for hcrrings,
has a brcakwater to protect it from the waves, Il
light house, or buoy to guide it into a safe and
sheltered harbor
We have said that basis is laid for future
expenditures, and we might have added, and we
do add, that these expenditures must increase
year by year, while the present system is contin-
ned; and we will say further, that very little
OF the money is put to good use, and none at
all is laid out for our benefit. None at all. nay,
not one single dollar Of the eighty millions is
spent for the benefit Of Iowa. There may be
in the State a few individuals who have lost a
! leg or an arm in some Of the Mexican battlcs
and whose pension Will be Increased a few dol
lars MONTH but what is this: Nothing is Civ
en- to the public or for the public good.
The Congress Of the United States is fast as.
su'ning TO itself the right Of giving away the
public money, and another Of the consequences
Of this Legislative generosity will result in Pen
SION LIST, similar to that under which the people
OF Great Britain and ether European powers
! NOW groan, and bend, and travail. Already the
all! ouut Of indirect tax which this expenditure
imposes upon every individual in the Union is
nearly two dollars. which will impose upon lo-
va alone nearly, %!,,0,GDO. And what is the
benefit accruing to Iowa from this expenditure
Nothing; absolutely nothing. She has the poor
| privilege Of having U. S. Land offices loca-
ted within her borders, in which hale dozen
individuals receive salary Of a few thousands
yearly; but what is-donc with the remainder? |,
goes into the U. s. Treasury to be drawn there
from for the benefit of eastern commercial inter
csts-tor the support Of hord Of army and ma
Wy otiiccrs-tor the repair of dilapidacd fortili.
cations, whose walls have crumblcd without be-
mo struck by bullet or a ball. and for the cree
ton Of others, where an enemy will never dare
to place his foot while the Union has a govern
mcnt There many other leaks, from which
drains arc opened for the benefit of various 9TH
cr Improbable objects, while the interests of a
large body of deserving contributors are left un-
cared for and unprovidcd.
Every little town and hamlet that claims a wa
ter communication with the Atlantic, has it's har-
Dor, brcakwatcr light house, arsenal, navy yard,
marine hospital, while the great Mississippi is
left to roll on, and float its way over RATS and
snags, rapids and islands, and those whose ne
cessities obligc them to trust its current, must
look to Providence and steamboat hands for the
protection ofther lives and property. The mo.
ney mastcd By Congress upon useless objects, or
| extravagant decorations, in one year, would be
more than sufficient to make the navigation of
the Mississippi safe and expeditions. Why then
is it not done? Why do not western members IN
sist that it be done? Is there not way to COM
pei Congress to be just, instead Of being extra
vagant' The humblest citizen knows there is
way. Let western members refuse to lend their
countenance to other matters, until Justice is
done their constituents, and it will soon be done
1t is strange that members Of Congress will not
do in the House and Senate what they would
when near home in the hearing of their consti
tucnts. Our doctrine would be this. If Con.
grcss should refuse to do our constituents ius-
ticc we would vote against the appropriation of a
single dollars until this justice was first rendered.
and the execution for its fufillmcnt was in the
hands of the proper officer. Until decided and
determined position be taken upon this subject,
Congress will do nothing, and our State, with
portions Of our sister States, and the Territory of
Minnesota, will be left far behind the lieht of
progrcss which is guiding our more fortunate
to the pinnacle Of prosperity.
tz37 Our ncghbors of the Galena Gazette are
shouting Justify to the Galphinites OF their Con-
gressional district to come forward and defeat
The popular and able Thompson Campbell, but
The signs Of the times Indicate very clearly that
their cries will not be heard amid the storm of|
applause which greets Campbell wherever there
lre freemen's voices to welcome him to the llust-