Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-01-04

Thus, the public lands while yielding nothing for sixteen
years. will require expenditure Of nearly three quarters of
million per annun out of the public treasury, to defay the
expenses Of their administration during all that imeamoun
ing in the whole to nearly twelve millions of dollars The
whole expenditure of the Government then, including the
management of the public lands, will fall upon the customs
and let what these expenditures to be- The
estimated expenditures according to the report of the SecTe
tary to be S46 100000; and as Congress always og
mates millions of appropriations and above the es
mates, which always granted in full the total expend
ture for the ensuing fiscal year may safely be set down
5OOO0000 And this enormous sum includes nothing for
sinking fundnothng for the gradual extinction Of the
public debt-nohng to to the principal Of the debt The
interest only included, and to meet these fifty Millions the
sum of fory6ve millions estimated from the custom
houses If these forty millions were realized it would
still leave deficit of five millions; but they not TO be
counted uponat least for succeeding years. The Secretary
shows that this product from customs unusual amount
flowing from exuberant mportatons, the fruit of temporary
circumstances and he shows further that these temporary
circumstances must cease and with that cessation must
adimnuon Of imports and of duties
In all this concur with the Secretary fully that adopt
his words in the part of his report which relates to this
point, and make them my The Secretary says:
"We overlook the fact in estimates Of future
revenue the last three have been exceptional
that indebted for large part
the famine the revolutions and the broken down markets of
Earope The with which the low duties under the
of 1876 may be reduced still lower by successful frauds and
undaryauaons combined with the Just stated have
induced large of importation But the markets of
Europe recovering their the effects OF the famine
passing away country filed it is believed
with foreign goods and it would be contrary all reasonable
expectation look for continuance of these large mpor-
tations."
continuance Of this large income-fory- five millions
from the custom housess then be expected Inade
quae II now Is by five millions to the current ex-
penses Of the Government and the interest Of the pub
lie debt it is to be So how much one can now
tell but enough, beyond doubt increase largely the deficit
which exists This deporabe result faced by the Sc
creary He faces the deficit and shows il to us but do
think he faces the remedy and shows that He looks
to the CUSTOMS and expects TO make their adequate
by alteration Of the laws which would increase the duties
and diminish the frauds resulting from the universal ad vao
system adopted in ls46 agree with the Secretary in
part and disagree with him in parts Of this recon-
mendation, and to do him justice, will give him the benefit
Of his own words. He says
This state Of things imposes upon Congress the duty OF
determining whether the laws existing with the rates of
duties imposed by them on foreign merchandise will produce
lures OF the Government and punctuay the interest on
the public debt The ability Of the country to discharge every
obligation upon it. if aided by wise and timely legislation
unouestonabie ample provision shall be made for the
faith, as it has been hitherto, will be maintained and the pub
lie credit continued such as to ensure an
and speedy extinguishment Of the public debt.
The provisions OF the act Of july l8i6 have been found
The which they have been carried aud the degree
in which they have been rendered and complete
have been highly detrimental the revenue The Depart
long given the subject Of these frauds its most
and detection but they still Of such magnitude de-
morsIing in their effects to demand the immediate inter-
position OF Congress-
And he recommends
I change the present ad valorem system which should
impose specific duties upon all articles to which such duties