The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-11-12
The surplu. Fund In the Treasury.


The Surplus Fund In the Treasury
"Tng LOBBY MEMBERS AND THEIR SCHEMES Ar WAsnlso
ros--The overpus of twenty five thirty millions in the
United States is looked upon splendid prize
Nv all tho political gamblers about the county, and dos
perae attempt will be made the session OF Congress
10 Get hold the money in some specons form or Other
mscsled improvement public good. letter from
Washington says
'There Is every appearance Of Prodigous accession
Conv,ess The hos, Of ex-members of Congress- and of
disappointed oce-seekers from all parts Of the are
coming ss
introduced both houses The mail steamers, the Pa
outlay Of yas sums OF money will be before Congress-
and win be pressed outside a. the lobby by various men,
beers Of that respectable body.
We quote the foregoing paragraphs from the BALTIMORE
Sua no, specially to endorse to conirovcr the state
mens but as indication Of the dangers to correct
legislation which are spprehended by influential public
journals We cannot bat suppose that these apprchen.
sons are coored with exasgeaiion and yet they too
sgafcan, not TO operate useful warning. surplus
revenue has at all times proved serious evil, and
know OF nothing in The present prevailing tone OF polit
cal morality to make il less evil now than in former
times The Secretary of the Treasury has adopted the
only policy within his power 10 diminish the evil, by ap
plying the surplus fast possible to the redemption
Of the public securities In this policy Mr. Guthrie has
found an approving response from the whole country.
But this remedy has only afforded partial relief, and the
duty will still devove Congress TO adopt such adj
dional measures as may avoid the Of the
evil in future.
That speculative ingenuity will be on the alert 10 de-
wise schemes of absorbing the surplus cannot be doubt
ed 1t woud be a melancholy commentary on free gov
eromen however il the system Of expressions Swallowed
TIM fnYovning shpnld he
are not prepared TO concede that the representatives Of
the people are 10 be seduced from their high duties into
oose and immoral system OF legislation through the
appliances of schenng spectators and their interested
representatives in the lobby We have heretofore
garded the triumphant election Of General Pierce
strong re5uke Of that spirit Of political decentralization
which manifested itself too prominently during the late
administration The rigid adherence of the democratic
candidate for the presidency, during his whole political
lie the plain requirements Of the constitution, in the
management OF the public revenues one amongst his
highest recommendations to The people. They elected
hin with an eye to radical reforms in official conduct
aud the results have far proved eorey satisfactory
the country How then, it be possible that the
people who have chosen President for his known
purity and integrity of Official morality have chosen
a Congress which can be swerved from hearty and
faithful concurrence with him in carrying out their clear
lyexpressed will We conclude that those who look
forward with much apprehension 10 the lobby infa
in the next Congress must have kven little
sderalion 10 Of The leading features in the late
presidential eecon-we allude its universal warfare
upon every species of Gaphinsm. We think but rea
sonabe to anticipate that the members Of Congress will
bring the capital the aggregate popular sentiment
which Embodied in the election of the President
and that the Two departments will be found heartily CO,
operating in maintaining the utmost fidelity and devotion
to the public interests regard to the public revenue
1t would be most humilating spectacle to see he
halls OF Congress bssieged by an army OF cormorans
seeking giut their avarcious propenstes upon The
surplus in the treasury. II would be still more humilia-
ting suppose that the representatives OF the people in
Congress. any portion OF then, could be far i'm
pressed or Influenced by such appliances forget the
constitutional obligations Of their positions We feel fully
justified, therefore, in repudating the suggestion that the
will Of the people is 10 be paalyzed defeated by the
lobby influence so graphically described the foregoing
paragraphs
Willis, we repose mistaken confidence in the purity
and integrity of the democratic portions OF both houses
OF Congress. still how their action may be
seriously embarrassed by homes, differences OF opinion
to proposed TO remedy the evils of present
surplus in the treasury. We very readily credit the
suggestion that shire wd schemes and genee punderers
may exert all their ngenuityto devise plans Of disrbu-
ting the surplus that will put money into their pockets
bu, we have abiding faith in the intelligence and in
iey OF the democratic Congressmen, which assures US
that all such schemes sot sanctioned by sound policy
will be signally and Indignantly rebuked. We presume
that there viii be ready concurrence in the sentiment
that ehectual remedy should be applied agans, iu
ture plethora in the treasury. !, is sound democratic
pr'ncple that money should be collected from the
people than is needed for the economical wants OF the
government This principle distinctly embraces the plain
duty OF the Congressman, both as 10 rigid economy in
the expenditures and to the adaptation OF the coec
tons 10 the disbursement OF the revenue On this sub
jsct we apprehend that the only difficulty which can
srse will grow out of details in the arrangement OF pro-
posed II is TO this point that the sugges
tons 10 lobby Influence is particularly looking But
the treasury is now suffering from plethora, aad the
public creditors willing absorb the surplus in
the satisfaction OF their claims the government This
lsaves twenty to thirty millions, which are TO be.
come. the apprehension OF some sort OF general
rupon fund in the next Congress We are aware tina,
there IL inherent evil in superabundance OF public
money. threatening at all times wild schemes OF ex,rava-
xancs and coroption and il exactly because know
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