Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-08-31
NATIONAL A1sRIoRrEs.

| J. Faulkner, the member OF Congress from this
District, will prove of great interest TO those
who are in any wise connected with the United
States Armory at Harpers Ferry:
WASHINGTON, August 10, 1852.
JOHN C. UNsELD, Esq.-Dear Sir: received
last night your letter of yesterday morning, in
which you inform me that you have been request.
ed by the Armorers to call upon me for some ex.
| PLANTATION, why, in the recent army appropriation
bill which passed the House OF Representatives
the sum for the manufacture of small arms at the
| National Armories was reduced to $3.50, ,0OO, that
being $4,000 less than The amount granted for
the same purpose The previous year? Although
| quite unwell, and suffering from the same com
plant which has debilitatedme so frequently this
summer will proceed to answer your enquiry
as satisfactorily as can.
Estimates for all appropriations are now, un-
der law of January, l846, made out and print.
ed before the commencement of the session of
Congress. So that we are furnished with them
in detail on the first day of the session.
You will permit me then in the first place to
say, that il the Government has erred in its esi-
mates for the National Armotes, and that error
was one that could have been corrected, you
have at Harpers Ferry been very remiss in call
ing nv attention 10 the subject. For you will
remember that early in Dec "mber, | sent TO you
the document, containing all the estimates for
the National Armories aud took the precaution
2I0, where these estimates were to be seen, in
order 10 call the attention Of all persons inte-
rested to them. From that day until the receipt
of your last letter, and until after the passage of
the bill in the House, have never heard one
syllable from Harpers Ferry on the subject,
You will thus perceive by reference TO that do
cument that the bill which has recently passed
the House has not reduced the appropriation for
the National Armories, either in the items for
the manufacture OF guns, or for repairs, &c, one
cent below the estimates made out by the Ord
nance department on the 28th Of October, 85l, ,
and approved by the Secretary of War. This
very satisfactorily dIsposes of one suggestion
made by some very sagacious persons at your
place, TO wit: That the appropriations were
duced at the National Armories because of the
movement 10 abolish the Military system. The
estimates were in fact made out before my cleo
tion to Congress, and have yet, besides, 40 learn
that there is any feeling Of hostility in The War
Department to the reform which proposed. The
Secretary of War, with great good sense, consi-
ders it a subject proper for the action of Con-
gress, and to that tribunal is lie disposed to sub
nit il, without any interference on his part
Now as 10 the reasons which have caused the
War Depa rtment 10 recommend a reduction of
the estimates. These can only give you so far
as they may be inferred from known events and
so far as they are disclosed in the official papers
from the Department.
lst. A practice has grown up of late years and
which ! am sorrow to perceive is acquiring
strength every day in the usages of Congress, of
cutting down the appropriations far below the es-
Inmates of the proper Executive departments,
and thus forcing the continual necessity for De-
fciency bills. | recognise in lis fullest extent
the right of the Committee of Ways and Means,
and of Congress, to institute the most rigid ex-
animation into all the estimates of the EXecu-
tive department, and to reject every expenditure
which public policy and public necessity do not
require. But the practice extends far beyond
p H. k..e..
propriatOns capriciously and without any salts.
factory reason for doing so, under general idea
that what is not then appropriated may be sup
piled by future deficiency bill. Iregard this
a bad practice. deficiency bill should never
be introduced except to meet some contingent
and unexpected demand upon the treasury. And
vet they are of annual introduction to meet the
ordinary and clearly anticipated wants of the go.
vernment. Last year the appropriations for the
War Department were cut down fifty per cent.
below the estimates-from six millions of dollars
TO three millions-and that three millions, after
very considerable loss to the government from
the necessity of resortiDg to credit instead OF
cash, we had to supply this winter by deficien-
cy bill. During the present session The appro.
priatons have been reduced below The estimates
in all of the departments, for the next year, four
and a half millions Of dollars. The appropria.
tions for the War Department alone have been
reduced nearly Too millions below the estimates.
] think this policy unwise, because it relieves
the Executive department of a responsibility
which should rest upon it. mean the respon-
sibility of accurate estimates. 1t has tendency
to generate carelessness, for no respect seems TO
be paid to their estimates when made. think
it unwise in another aspect; as it stimulates the
departments, under the Legislative lash thus an
nually applied to them, to cut down their esti-
mates frequently below the amount which the
public service actually requires. And incline
TO think that the assaults annually made upon
| - g. . To.f FnFTR hn
expenditures for which branch of The service
have been very great, but not greater than our
vastly increased territory seems to require, have
been one of the causes which has stimulated that
depa rtment to reduce its estimates for the Ma
! tional Armories.
But really, with the practice which has now
become SO common of ekeing out BY deficiency
bills what the regular appropriation bills fail to
supply. it would seem no very material matter
whether the appropriation for the manufacture
of guns was $25O,0o0 or 100000. For whe-
| ther it be one sum or the other the whole opera
! tions of those manufactures are under the con-
troll of the War Department-and he will give
more or less vigor to its operations according TO
| his Judgment of the public necessities, without
| apy especial reference to the sum appropriated
| for the object.
reduction of the estimates for the manufacture
| of arms. is the large stock on hand. On the 18Th
| of Auril last, a prominent and influential mem
her Of the House, came to my seat 10 give me
notice that he intended, when the bill came up,
to move to have the appropriations for the Ma
| tional Armories cut down TO the lowest sum that
would keen the machinery in operation, and he
assianed as his reason for so intending, con.
versation which he had recently held with the
late Adiutant General Roger Jones, who had, as
he stared. informed him that such was the true
policy of the government and that we now bad
on hand muskets enough TO last for the next nifty
Ives 10 learn the accuracy of this conversation
and Also to procure an official statement Of the
number of guns on hand Twas happy to learn
~ rsniv thai Gen. Jones had not been fairly un.
derstood and the member to whom / refer upon
beinp shown his reply abandoned his purpose to
Detns' - -, he hill .7ssas