Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-01-04
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER:
THE TREASURY REPo RT.

nnual Treasury Report, and the Puerhe onJecuons
which it has put forth against It, inougn' carried
With them their own refutation, and therefore re-
iuired no answer, it did not seem possible that
they could make any serious impression upon the
minds Of intelligent readers. As, however, ex-
tracts have been published from them elsewhere,
by those who are willing to sing the same tune, al
low one of your subscribers to make short exami-
nation of the comments which the Union has Offer
ed upon the above able and correct document.
The writer in the Union commences his assault
on the Report by saying that il indicates profuse
expenditure and that Mr.. CoRwIN attempts to cover
up this extravaganza by magnifying the expenses
which have been entailed by the Mexican war.
The charge Of extravaganza, even admitting il were
well founded, comes with very i'll grace from the
political opponents of the present Administration,
and is particularly amusing in the case before u.s.
when the report explains in such simple and clear
language, the causes to which these heavy extra
expenditures are to be attributed. The writings
and contortions which the report has produced IA
certain quarters and which are SO evidently exhibit
ed through the columns of the Union, are probably
the best evidence of the truth of its statements and
Of their telling effect.
The Union commences its statements by giving
Mr.. WALKER's estimates of receipts and exPendi-
lures for the year ending 30th June, l649 and says
that the appropriations were "greater than'what ne
are more than were required for the public service,
and it is by no means the first time that Mr.. WAL
KER has under-estimated the expenditures. In
his annual estimates for the fiscal year ending
Goth June, lS4S, during the Mexican war, every
one exclaimed at the comparative smallness OF the
amount, and the impossibility of conducting the
war with such limited means, and some were SO
malicious as to intimate that it was done with de-
sign, as he was afraid it would startle the people
L. u ot fproo ho
full amount which would be required for theprose.
cuton of the war, and that he preferred coming
again to Congress and requesting the passage Of
what in the British Parliament is called "a de-
fciency BILL" Such bill, or rather bills, were
actually passed before Congress adjourned, appro-
priating the neat little additional sum of only about
sixteen millions to cover the short estimates laid
before it at the commencement of the session! Mr..
CoRwIN, however, has not thought proper to follow
any example of this kind, but informs Congress at
once of the whole amount which the service of the
country will require. In SO doing he commits the
heinous sin Of explaining by very simple process,
how much of the amount would have been required
for the usual and ordinary wants Of the nation, as
they existed previous to the incoming of Mr..
Folks administration, and how much these wants
have been increased and the payment of them rem
dered unavoidable by the acts of that Admnistra-
ton whilst in power. "The head and front of his
offence has this intent, no more
Let us now look little into this charge of extra
vagance against the present Administration before
we take up the other points of attack.
The expenditures for the year ending; 80th June,
l849, all OF which were based upon Mr.. Walkers
own arrangements and eight months of the year un-
der his actual management were exclusive of trea-
sury notes funded) 6798, 667 80; and in his last
annual report he estimates the expenditures for
the ensuing year, ending 30th June, 1850, at
1928, 1878. Both of these were years of
peace, but the former were his own expenditures,
and the latter were those he estimated for the gov
eminent Of his Whig successor.
But even the above does not show the full differ
ence: for, previous to lst July, l649, all the ex-
penses for collecting the revenue, paying bounties,
drawbacks, duties returned, &C., were first deduct
ed, and the nett revenue only came into the Trea-
sury; whereas now the gross receipts are paid in,
and all the above items figure as portion of the
annual expenditure. These items, as stated in
M. CoRwINs late report, including the expenses on
land sales, &C., amount to 1885,, $500; which,
adosd to the preceding amount would make Mr..
Walkers expenditure for the last year of his adj
ministration Of the finances $50, Ass, S42.s6.
vi the preceding estimate of $33,2I3, 1928,
made by Mr.. Walker for the expenditure of the
year ending 10th June, 1850, there was for interest
of debt $3199,lO2 ls
lnstalment of Mexican indemnity 3,540OOO 90
ordinary expenses 25,s74050 SO
comparing this estimate with his own actual ex-
Peditures for the preceding year, and deducting
Iron the latter the above items for interest and
Mex:an indemnity. there would remain $43. i ID
Sao.6s for ordinary expenses" actually expended
Ior the year ending 30th June, lS49, against
SIo's74a5O.55, which Mr.. Walker generously
SAID was uficientfor his Wing successor!
ane Onon then naively remarks:
oucn wereMr. Walkers estimates for the fiscal years
ending June 30, s49 and June 80, 1850; and they nd
Ca,e an economical administration solcous to reduce the
PuDLc expenditure within the of the Government,
anu eave baanceto be applied to the exngushmelt Of the
PUBIC deos Had the economical views Of Mr.. Folks ad
nsraloR been adhered the balance of
Penaltue would already have provided the Of extn
saisnine large per cenage of the national debt"
1t is decidedly rich to see the economical views
Economical views y of Mr.. Folks administration
mus la1ded, and Mr.. Walker making an estimate
nearly eighteen millions less than what he himself
mad found necessary, and had actually expended
Like hnger-post he pointed to road which he
lever travelled HIMSELF and that too after his own
acts and those of the Administration of which he
was SO prominent member hsd rendered the road
entirely impracticable.
The Union proceeds, and says:
Mr. Corwln presents three statements Of expenditure,
exclusive OF payments Of trustunds and public
oe0 collecting the from customs lands
0c. those statements make the following exhibit
!. Tears ending June So ls43-<5 avge S2l 277 901 "a
=. " June 80, ls46-7-s, g 4l,733, 672 81 |
.. June 80, '49-5O-5l, !" 3s,s74,o5s 81