The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-01
The Army Bill.

The House of Representatives have reduced
the appropriations for the War Department
considerably below the estimates. These esti-
mates are prepared with great care by the
heads of bureaus and, in the present case,
these officers were eDjoined by the Secretary Of
War to reduce them as low as possible. The
Committee on Military Affairs Of the House,
who are much more competent to Judge of what
is sufficient than the Committee of Ways
and Means were Of opinion that they were not
excessive and Mr.. BURT, the chairman Of the
former committee, who has devoted more time
and attention to the retrenchment of army ex-
penditures, at the present session of Congress,
than Mr.. BAYLY ever did, challenged him, or
any other member, "to put his finger on a
single estimate of any of the bureaus which
he will say can be wisely and safely dimin-
ished;" and yet, in the face Of this decla-
ration Of the chairman Of the Committee
on Military Affairs, majority of the Commit
tee of Ways and Means, have recommended a
large reduction Of the estimates, and the House
yesterday adopted their recommendation.
We believe that no instance has ever before
occurred in which this course has been pur-
sued. The committee acknowledged, too, that
they have, in the language of Mr.. BAYLY,
"struck in the dark; that is, that this reduction
has been made not only without sufficient infor-
nation to enable them to determine how far it was
possible to reduce the expenditures within the
proposed limits, but in opposition to the views
and opinions of those who professed to know,
and did know, something on the subject.
Mr.. BAYLY says what everybody will admit
to be true, without the necessity of quoting
the venerable authority of Mr.. Macon, that
"no reduction OF expenditures could ever be
made without tho thorough and hearty coop
Grafton of the Legislative and executive depart
ments Of the Government" and he insinuates
that the present Administration do not cooperate
with Mr.. BAYLY in his laudable efforts at
economy.
Now, need we inform the chairman Of Ways
and Means that there is no economy in reducing
Estimates of expenditure without reducing objects
of expenditure Need we remind him that dur.
ing every year of Mr.. PoLK's administra-
ton, as well as during the last two years, the
expenditures overrun the estimates, and that
the excess had to be provided for by deficiency
bills?
No, economy consists not in reduction of
Estimates, but in reduction of erpenses And
we will venture to assert, without fear of con.
tradiction, that moro strenuous efforts have
been made to reduce the expenditure of
the army by the present Administration, than
had been made in all the preceding administra-
tons for the last fifteen years. Mr. Burr
(who, as chairman of the Committee Of Ways
and Means, has had ample opportunities Of in
forming himself on this subjecD frankly admits
"that the present SECRETARY OF WAR has
devoted himself earnestly and diligently to this
subject. He has issued orders and adopted
a policy which is intended TO reduce and
must, reduce the expenditures? What right,
then, has Mr.. BAYLY, who knows no more
about what is doing in that Department than
any other gentleman who occasionally reads
the newspapers, to insnuate, for he does not
assert, that the present head Of that Department
does not cooperate with the Committee of
Ways and Means in their efforts to re-
duce the expenditures Of the army2 His.
mode Of reducing expenditures does not con
sist, however, in estimating those expendi
lures far below what he knows, and what any
man who has taken the trouble to investigate
the matter knows they must eventually be,
but in reforming abuses, and in prescribing
regulations and modes of administration by
which money will be saved to the Govern
ment. This we know he has done, and is now
doing; and yet after all to maintain an army on
remote frontier where the country produces lit
tie of what is absolutely necessary for its sup
port Is very expensive business; and Mr..
BAYLr may therefore very safely predict, as he
does, that "the result will be that Congress
will have to supply large deficiency at the
next session Of Congress"