Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-03-23

the proposition to the committee be incorporated in the
tariff bill proposed put the public money at bis command
by standing and permanent indefinite appropriation and
would had become law, have armed the Secretary OF the
Treasury with absolute power He might have abolished coll
econ Districts down all allowances provided for by law,
and scattered the whole collection system to the WINDS ne
had been disposed The tariff bill became law; but is
scarcely necessary add that this proposition not engra
ed upon il The Secretary have imagined that the
new tariff law would in way, cause great reduction IN
the expenses Of collection but he does not explain how ihe
tariff law went into operation the LIST December, 1876
In bis annual report to Congress, made in that moah ne
to have passed the subject of the reduction OF the
expenses of collecting the under the new tariff with
out notice. The act had become law but few days before
and of he had not had time 10 make those savings
which he have thought could be effected under the
tariff Having got the law into operation, the Sec
rotary applied himself the business OF reducing the
Of collection. have doubt he sincerely DESTROYS OF
year passed away, during which time ne had
ample opportunity study and understand the working Of his
avore system Of ad yaoem duties and to apply to all the
retrenchmen OF expense which was practicable n bis an
nua report the state OF the finances presented IL Deem
be lS47 he made the following important TO
Congress, which beg leave call the particular attention
OF the committee. He says:
Diminishing expenses being of the best of i'm
proving the finances the charges Of collecting the revenue from
made compatible with the public interest The saving thus
effected notwithstanding the increase of business Will
amount is believed, nearly $500 900 per not by
reducing reasonable compensation but BY dispensing
with every officer agent absolutely required for the pub
by introducing rigid and perfect system Of account
ability by classify the expenditures and arranging them in
tables under distinct heads and above all by suecng them
the checks under the supervision OF the accounting
officers Treasury apply appropriations made by
law in regard to which Congress will doubt guided by
that wise and important at this time TO
the maintenance of the public credit"
Now, this is communication to Congress of what he
proposed TO do but statement! Of what be had actually done
that he had made etsnchmen compatible with the pub
lie interest," by dispensing with every officer agent not alb
souey required for the public service by curtang the
penses of the mane &c. This report referred
TO the Committee Of Ways and Means. Afterwards, bill
was referred by the House to the Committee of Ways and
Means, on the motion OF gentleman not now member vi
the House, Mr.. MckAr,) then member OF the committee,
and which provided that the gross should paid into
the Treasury and the expenses of collection paid for out of
specific appropriations founded estimates be furnished by
the Secretary Of the Treasury, and limited the expenditures TO
the maximum of fifteen hundred and sixty thousand dol
lars This was arrived a, by deduc,ng half million of
dollars from the expenses of collection 10 the previous fiscal
The statement Of the Secretary of what he had done
IN the way of reenchment received and acted upon by
the committee fact officially verified. The bill passed
the House about the middle of March, ls47 and remained in
the Senate I'll, the middle of August when, the adjourn
ment Of Congress, was left 10 that body amongis unfnsh-
ed business II remained in that body till the last day ct the
last session, when it passed there with amendments
of dates adapt to the year that had expired since it left
the House These amendments agreed to, in the
and haste that always attend the close OF the session.
without attracting any particular attention. Certain Is that
mind that Mr. Secretary Walker made this report to Congress
the last mouth Of the second quarter of the fiscal year which
ended the Both of June l84s When, at the end of that
the expenses of collection be footed up, turn
ed out that notwithstanding every retrenchment had been
made by him compatible with the public interest," and every
officer and agent dispensed with absolutely required for
the public service instead Of educ ion Of half million, the
actual Of that year beyond those of the proceed
ing year some seventy thousand dollars.
The design and policy of this law require that all
the moneys collected for the Government should be paid into
the treasury and accounted and that should be paid
out without the of Congress specially given is,
as have already said wise law, and ought have been
passed long ago. But the facts which have stated prove
concuvely that the limitation the expenditures to the
sum of 1850 600 per annum incorporated into the
bill in consequence Of mistake into which the Secretary had
fallen in assuming that he had made reduction the
pense of collection, which the sequel showed be had
made, and could not make. have not gone through with
this detail OF facts for the purpose Of assang the late Sece
ary very far from that but for the purpose vndcang
myself as one of the Committee of Ways and Means who
agreed to this limitation, from any mputaon Of having
acted in the matter without reliable information stand upon
To say nnuae here that Mr. Walker had communicated
20 Congress officially fact which he knew be untrue,
would be to charge him with high crime and isdemeano
50 far from that believe he sincerely devoted the
public service, and have doubt he honestly believed this
statement in his report to be correct When he stated he
had made this great reduction of half million, he did
not intend TO deceive Congress- but himself deceived
the result of his attempt at retrenchmen..
have gone through with this narratives Also for the pur
pose OF showing the true circumstances which the present
Secretary took OF this branch the public
From which must be apparent that every charge brought
agans; the present incumbent for not eecng reductions will
reco with equal and greater force his predecessor
But the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means
comments IN pretty strong the supposed extraord
nary expenditures of the present Secretary in the first half
OF the present fiscal year past expenses.
admit Mr. Chairman, that the facts in the possession of
that gentleman, at The time ne made bis Speech justified him
saying that the expenses Of this branch of the had
been increased in the first half of the year. AT the same
ime trust 1t is IN my to show that fact there has
been no real increase of expense but only nominal increase
growing out of the system of keeping the accounts at
the Treasury 10 adapt them to the change made the very
law we now have under consideration Under the old STEM
all moneys collected by the Government officers for storage
carriage &c., paid again by the collector without be-
ing paid into the Treasury. The deficiency only that is TO
say such sum only the receipts from storage carriage &C.
fell short OF paying for this head OF SERVICE was paid out of
the Treasury And the deficiency paid the Treasury was
all OF the expense which the Treasury accounts showed TO have
been incurred for this purpose.
Since toe act of the Sd OF March last wen, into effect and
Tor the FIRST halt Of the present year, all the money received
by the collector for storage carriage, &c. is paid into
the Treasury, and the h0e pay is drawn Of the Ttea-
sury to meet these expenses. Now informed that the
Of storage, carriage, &C. is very large some two
hundred and fifty three hundred thousand dollars All that
paid fJr these Objects have already said, now appears
The Treasury accounts exp but to get the
comparison of expense between this year aud the preceding
year. the received into the Treasury the present year
must lie deducted from the charge against the item Taking
out TIA. and the supposed increase Of waehousng expenses
and the estimated expenses for California add the expenses
collection this year far greater and probably less than
last On the morning after the joint resolution had
passed the Senate ard the House. the Secretary Of the
Treasury had directed The clerk having charge of this branch
Of the expenditures to furnish him with statement Of the
farfir tha b-lf. r.