New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-14

the years ED By improved ii ,tbOrs AID River
N,vis .tiop-by cspscious Poet Offices in the great
Cites ard otter needed public e1ifces-by
lo,r s'retch Of iron track leaiiog from the Ms
,ouri toward the Pscifc-aud we shsll never
c,umble. We erudse every dollar paid away in
extra allowances 10 Steamboats, in crooked mile
tee. 10 e1orbitant stifends to Military aud N4v.l
Offctrs, in Pensions or BouDties Of auy SCRIBE
cause. it lie 80 much subtrscted f'on the capacity
Of cur Government to prosecute works Of lasting
Ard general utility AL that goes 70 the Army
and Nsvy-to Congress ard it's subordnateJ-tO
Ships. Forts aud Ordosnce-is gone irrevocablg;
there il no returning tide TO that ever ebbiog
SEES: but every dollar wisely devoted to Rivers
ard Hsrbors-to Csuals and Railroads.&c. No.
really expended but invt sted-is so much addel
to the permanent and productive wealth Of the
country.
Certainly, We would have our Government! irst
honest before il begins 70 be frugal. We would
have every dollar it honestly owes determined
and paid il full, no matter a. what inconvenience.
French spoiia'ions Texas Indemnity, or what.
ever else ma be fairly due-iet the smoInt hon
esty due be adjusted and paid off at once l!
seems very hard that, through tbs inpldent dis
ho1 esty Of sxas sh ,uld be required topay even
more tlan the Ten Millions given her for nothing
By the Compromise Of 1885, but if we are 80 en-
tangled With her tba. we mus. smart for her
inavery let US make no rry ia ,es bu. stir upthe
doie end gulp it down. But paying is one thing
giving quite another; AID We protest .g iins! Con
eress giving away one dollar, il the shape 0fbOunty
or pension or extra allowance or increased saary
10 epy body. There is ample u'e for every dollar
il the Treasury and no danger that 'he surplus
will not be reduced qlite fast enough By legii-
mate end btnefcent appropriations. Letus have
new leaf turned over. new tuchston, ap-
pied. Let each appropriation bill De carefully
aid thoroughly scrutinized, item by ten, and let
no dollar be voted for which the p ,ple do not
receive full confederation. Above az, let Con
gress begin by establishing simple hon-s.y in its
own special dealings with the Treasury, in the
payment Of its members and dependents. Ii there
be men who can't afford to serve in Congress for
Sc per day, let them keep out, for there is no
mpul,ion in the matter, and enough can be found
who will serve faithfully and cipsbly at that rate.
IF S2l per week for men and SO 90 for boys are
lot satisfactory to those who now serve the
Houses as messengers pages, folders, &C., let
them 90 where they can do better and let other.
tobe their places whom such wages rM sai.fy;
but let us have no more extra allowances st the
close of each session. The amount hitherto plum
deIed by means of these allowances, of crooked
Mileage and other small swindles may seem
email: bu. il is al incessant prompter other ex-
tas, jobs and semi-peculations, whereby the ag-
gregste loss TO tie Treasury is swelled to Nd
lions. Let us have all this reformed, and so
many Members about to bid adieu to public
life there can be no more favorable time for the
change than the present. He must be hardened
indeed who is no! moved to penitence on his
deaih-bed, and they can very easily enact re.
tIencbments who know that their consequences
aIe only to fall upon others.