The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-10

branches OF the pubc service by which greater economy
and equal efficiency may be secured IN their adj
The democrats had large majority in this body
Nevertheless these resolutions calling for the data upon
resistance The vote upon their passage was nearly
strict party vote Every wing who votet except three,
voted against them and every democrat for them Their
motive for opposition the law OF March last was differ
emf then in part from what is They had all pre-
dicted with great confidence that the tariff act OF 4o
would yield enough TO support the govern
make good their prophecy. The call thus made was an
swered by Mr. Walker in detailed estimates. The ex-
pendaures in the year is46 had been $2,ooe,o4a lie
proposed curaiment OF 100000. In his letter accom-
panying the estimates, he said;
at IL believed by the department that these great
forms may be carried into full effect and, with the coope
10 the public service. To effect this object the department.
sSs ha amount should Be reduced from sssoS1
under hs head = !, Of and IL asaa Of
revenue boats from % $4,000 under head
Of revenue cutters from s4S7 1856 on under
81 sssd and aa S Ssi s% est
6s entirely con ;, a. IL saaF G sa sn
Of S526, 367 compared with the year preceding"
The Committee Of Ways aud Means took him at his
word, and deducted $500,000 from the expenditures OF
S46, and thus arrived at the sum appropriated by the act
OF the sd of March last, viz the sum OF ~ $50 900.
And here the answer given 10 the assertion that the law
in question was passed in haste and without estimates
On the contrary, based upon the most carefully pre-
pared estimates The bill passed this House the 10Th OF
March, ls4s In the Senate il suggested that il re.
ns % doubt On subject
was the only amendment proposed at that me except one
insert the words together with such sums as, under
labor and storage" The bill was not reached in the SEN
ate that AT the next session again came up
II suggested that the passage OF the law as stood
would vacate the bonds OF all the collectors 10 obviae
this objection Mr.. HUNTER proposed an amendment also
one concerning deposng goods in warehouses not al
feeling the main object Of the bill, and another altering
the dates which the lapse OF time made proper The bill,
amended, came TO this House, passed, and became
law During all this time, in neither House Of Congress
small IL" or any amendment offered except the one o Mr.
ATHERroN. concerning carriage, Nc, to increase the
amount Thus that the law was predicated upon
Congress And in its passage. we have the deliberate
expression OF opinion by Congress- that the spent in
1916 was half million too much.
Before quitting this subject, must do gentleman
Gen. Mckay justice who has been assailed, think,
in most uncalled for by the gentleman from
South Carolina Mr. Ho5MEs He compared re, him to
blind in the light Of day; And who IS the man thus p
chairman Of its most mporian. committee In the Oh,
gave way under them. He did more TO carry the tariff
Of ls4e through this House than any other member
at pessa ns s o.
sive than the tariff Of 1885, which they resisted to the
point of notification He carried that act through this
II
spreading prosperity through the land. And in doing
this, he sometimes had not the aid OF the genleman's
| presence. He is now reposng from his labors
upon his hard-earned fame, in unambitious retirement
And this is the who is compared by the gentleman
from South Carolina lMr. HoLMEs] with an owl Com.
mon gratitude i nothing else ought to have restrained
him. heard the gentleman with pain, and have no
doubt when in less dspassonate moment he reads his
own words, he will regret they were uttered.
return from this DEPRESSION The gentleman from Ohlo'
ls4s not TOO great maintains that the appropriation
now proposed is less II excludes the sums paid for
carriage storage, and labor and therefore much loo small
But i includes what Is received under those heads
The government rstpays the carriage labor and storage
but in many is refunded by the merchant What
the precise difference is he does not inform as most
surely he ought considering his position and his relations
the Secretary OF the Treasury In the absence OF SPECIFIC
information which the Secretary in his letter. Informing me
OF the errors OF his estimate upon which my hrs speech
based, does give, precise calculation cannot be
made. But the gentleman from Ohio supposes what is
paid may be S25oooo or 100000 but he does not in
form what is received back In this in that of
his about the British expenditure, he deducs from
side when suits him, without making the proper
deductions from the other, He make. no reduc
saved by the repeal OF the debenure SYSTEM for
the expense entaed upon the service, in
quence of using The cutters vessels of for
the reduction made by Mr. Meredith in June last in that
branch OF the service He reduced ths force then
third. presume he made his reductions in the most
costly branches III the reduction in money
than third But put il at one-third and here is
saving OF ninety odd thousand dollars Then the gentle
leaves out all received for carriage labor and storage
which the proposition before us appropraies These items
altogether must greatly exceed the TO which the gen.
teman refers Include these and the reduction which
ought 10 be made upon the Atlantic, and the Secretary
will have more than enough, with proper economy, for
greatly exaggeraie the difficulties there They
sist principally the high price OF rents and labor The
leading officers, presume, satisfied with the salaries
as fixed by law understand there great compe-
tlon for those situations
With the inspectors, there will be difficulty, as
the limit OF the law is small for the rate of wages
that country at present But very few inspectors will be
| required There is but one port OF entry-San Francis
coand the high price Of everything reduces the duty to
such small per centage upon the California value as 10
bold out no nducement for smuggling Asto labor carriage
criterion OF what shall be refunded by the merchant
The gentleman from Ohio conirovers my position as
to the legal effect oil the law OF March last In reference
TO IT, said IN my opening remarks that when II passed.
requiring the Treasury Department TO reduce the ex-
penses OF collecting the revenue to 81 $50 900, neces
sary gave the Secretary the authority dot His dsce
ton 10 the mode oil reduction unlimited Suppose the
salaries OF all OF the officers Of the customs bad been fixed
by law, prior 10 the act OF the Sd OF March, s49, could Il
be said that therefore il imperative THAT the last law
would be controlled and nulifed by those which had
rules OF construction to be found certainly in none
with which am acquainted.
In reply TO this the gentleman asks the Secretary
then abolish the custom houses in the southern States
He informs that OF those from the Potomac TO
New Orleans charges upon the treasury, and by
striking them of the deficiency OF would be made
up at once II 80 happens that have a constitution,
which the supreme law OF the land that not only de-
prives the Secretary Of the Treasury Of authority to do
- I.aH- ..--lE l. ~ - -. -