The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEFERRED DEBATE.
MONDAY. MAY 81, 1852. :
[coNcLuDED.l
SENATE.

Maryland Mr. PfARcEl has done me the honor 10 notice
some Of the remarks which made here the other day,
must respond very briefly 10 two points He de-
MED the charge which made. that this administration
had expended money. Or which is the thing, had
incurred Liabilities without authority OF law, which We
are called upon 10 pay repeat the charge, and
say the legislative records of Congress sustain the chage
and think The honorable senator from MARYLAND yirtu.
ally admitted il. As said the other day, il is no an
wer 10 the charge to say that these expenditures were
necessary and proper The action OF Congress may have
teea wrong-msy have been unwse; but repeat
what said Thursday lastbat constitutes no excuse
for the action OF the Executive 81
Mr. PEARCE II the senator will be kind enough to
specify particular instance in which moneys have been
improperly expended, contracts Improperly made, we
can tell something about The matter All present, the
ator's charges vague and Indefinite He gives no
specifications stated before that uhder the act OF 1870
without any appropriation Oelng made. III the
will be good 10 refer me 10 the cases Oh an i'm.
proper exercise OF this power will be much obliged
Mr. BoRLAND. What said was this, and The sena.
tor cannot deny it. that the Executive in the estimates
sent the last Congress, asking for appropriations 10
administer this government asked Tor larger amount by
the OF about 50 100000 than Congress granted The
Executive now comes before Congress, and asks that
shall, in the form OF deficiency bill, appropriate tnat
very OF money which Congress then refused In dis
regard OF the refusal OF Congress last year, the Execu
live has gone and conducted the affairs of The govern
ment al an expense greater than the aci OF Congress
warranted. lnat Is what said And think both the
senator from Virginia and the from California
specified instances enough where these expenditures
wasteu and exiravagant beyond parallel in the
history OF this government But, repeat it is answer
to The charge TO say that Congress acted unwisey and
acted wrongly IN not making the appropriations that
the public service in the judgment OF the President Of
the United States required that these expenditures should
be made. stated the fact that the constitution makes
Congress alone the keeper OF the public money and
qures that money shall be expended unless by appo
piaton made by Congress. Whether Congress acts
wisely or unWisely It constitutes no excuse Tor The Pres
ldent oil the United Sates-siyes validity 10 his ale
CATION that the public interests required that he should
20 on in defiance OF this refusal OF Congress
The senator then takes up the comparative expendi-
lures OF the different administrations. My object in in
shutting that comparison not much 10 charge
ayagance upon the present administration for the
general purpose OF showing the tendency in our govern
nent TO increase lis expenditures beyond what right
and proper and lar greater than the increase
IN our territory or The increase OF popuaton lhe
business OF country, requires showed, the other
day. by statistics which accessible 10 every senator.
that population bad increased, from 1890 10 1850,
little less than six hundred per cent. that territory
during that time had increased not quite two hundred
per cent but that expenditures, commencing with
1871, and coming down 10 last year, had increased two
thousand per cent. Our territory had not increased
two-iod, our population had no. increased six-fod,
and our expenditures have gone far 10 increase
twenty.fold. 1 assumed II position, which /
think cannot be successfully con.rovered that the
necessary expenses of had not increased
even in the ratio with The increase OF population
and the increase OF territory. | assumed that II was
absurd IN iseli-that II a monstrous pfoposi-
ton--to say that The expenditures should increase,
not only pr,i pIssu with The extent Of territory and
population bat should exceed that ratio by three four
that would be not only monstrous but ruinous IN the
end II we went on 10 the ratio; by calling the
attention of the Senate 10 the fact that we have
psnditure OF $4,000 900 this yearhat the ratio OF
crease since IS2S has been hundred per every
twelve years. and according that ratio, in 1864
pendures will be Sl0i 900 COOS and in lS76-iust bun.
dfed years since our birth naon-;hey will amount
10 S20s, 900 000-an expenditure which every will
admit cannot be borne By The government, and It's exist
eDce maintained. These the general purposes for
which instituted a comparison between the expendi.
lures OF period of existence and another But in
making that without reference 10 the present admins
ration, found this Tact that every federal wing ad
mnlsatlon that this government has had, from the be-
gnning down 10 the present day has increased the ex
pendures OF the government and that the substitution
0 democratic administrations 10 their place has gcnetal
y had the effect OF reducing them under similar crcum
stances. From this fact drew The conclusion, and
serted that the democratic republican administrations o
ths government had been economical in their expendi
lures, and compared them with what showed 10 be
the exavagaut expenditures OF federal whg admin
slrations.
The senator takes up what charged as the expendi.
lures OF the present administration for last year Now,
lhe senator ought 10 have included, as did, the whole
three years OF the administration and il he had taken the
average did, he would have found that il is strictly
true, as stated, that the average expenditures OF this
administration for three years. exceed the average
Pendilues OF the administration OF Mr. Polk, during the
whole iour years OF his continuance in Office, by about
Si,oOO,elO ayear-ibe average OF MIR. Polks admins
uaon oeing about S6 900 000 and the average oil tbs
administration about $40 900 900 year. can assure
lhe senator tbal made proper deduction for the items
70 winch he aludcsi and say notwithstanding, that
uhs the tnfee years oil The administration OF Mt Polk,
When we Were engaged IN expensive war with Mex
co requiring The toll Of the navy and very large
increase OF the army, when the carried in a
ioegn country and at an extraordinary expense his ex
pndures did not equal the expenditures OF the present
Administration by about 81 ,000, 900 year
win regard to the public debt and the amount neces-
afy 70 pay the lnsalmenis upon the indemnify to Mex-
co, under the treaty of Guadalupe Hdago, 1 deducted
lhem from the estimate. So far our common public
ebt s concerned. showed, by the record that during
M Folks administration larger amount OF il bad been
pad than during the present administration. So let the
senator take the question IN any aspect he pleases either
ihe average, as presented IT, in the detail for each
one Of the years, and he will find that the result will
tome out substantially stated IT, There may be some
100000 or 100000 difference year from what
ualed, one way the other; but assume here with
onhdence and the position cannot be success
ay controverted, that he will lind that in stating the
comparative expenditures OF the administrations Of Mr.
Folk and Mr.. Fillmore will not have been found TO
vary from the exact truth, the figures upon close cx
anlnauon will show, by much hall million OF dot
as The figures will show that the administration OF
Nj Fillmore during time profound peace, deducng
Eete incurred during the administration OF Mr PolS
mas expended St,00O,000 year ihan the admins
liaton of Mr. Polk
Mt GWlN. | will not deian the Senate more than
Eo minutes. In the FIRST place, wish to state that in
ny comment on the information produced by the senator
Tom Maryland Mr. PsARcE] 10 regard to the expense OF
@ escorts that accompanied the Indian commissioners in
California, stated the exact facts they occurred
ped to General Jesup for the cost OF these and
vas informed that the returns not all in. After
Yards, when the senator from Maryland made his appli
a'on, they bad been received and furnished to
am was not informed OF this fact when replied to
Il ne senator and hence DREW the vorv