The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-22
The Late Congress-The Administration and
the SpDlas,

estimated, be equal to draft of two hundred
millions of acres. These gratuities will un-
questionably be selected by the spectators
from the choicest pickings of the public do
main, so that we may safely set down their
cash value at the minimum Of two hundred
and fifty millions of dollars. Thus, the spoils
of the last session will stand -
In drafts upon the Treasury, $4,000 600
In drafts upon the public lands, at Csc. 1000 900
Total. ...............S 1926, 600 coo
This is pretty good work. To be sure, forty
or fifty millions were lost to the spoilsmea in the
defeat of several millionaire patent monopolies;
and at least two hundred millions Charge
able perhaps, to the greediness Of Forney in
amending certain land bill, after its passage,)
were lost in various railroad land schemes; the
French spoliations, five millions, were lost by
veto; and various schemes, large and small,
went by the board on account of the confusion
of parties, the pressure Of business, and the
shortness of the session. But, for three months
work, grand haul OF three hundred and
twenty five millions of the pablo plumber, in
cash and real estate, is pretty good
The sum total of the drafts upon the treasu-
ry for the preceding session, of all kinds, paid
and to be paid, will not, we presume, fall short
Of seventy. five millions. The extras of that
session were small, being generally put of for
the closing scenes of this last session. Throw
ing them into the general account aforesaid, the
spoils bills of both sessions foot up as fol-
lows
First or long session. .SI5, 600 600
ahnrfa Aac tnn
Total for Thirty third Congress $500 900
Four hundred millions of dollars in two
years, for regular government expenses, def
ciencies, extras, engagements Of pay, contracts
claims, gratuities, monopolies, speculations and
land bounties This is the "retrenchment and
reform" of our New Hampshire economist. In
the modest days of President John Quincy
Adams, the total regular expenses of the GO
vernmeut amounted to thirteen millions Of dol
lars. The democracy were shocked by such
extravaganza, and Old Hickory was brought in
TO retrench. His regular expenses starting at
thirteen, ran up at the close OF his last
term to thirty millions OF dollars. Martin
Van Buren's averaged about thirty-two mil
lions year; Harrisen's and Tyler's administra-
tion averaged about twenty-five millions
year, a manifest Improvement Mr.. Folks term
averaged some fifty millions, including the
expenses of the Mexican war; and Taylor and
Fillmore kept it up pretty well to that mark
Now mark what follows.
Under our New Hampshire retrencher aud
economist, originally supposed to be the most
hide-bound and straightlaced in the United
States, not excepting Cave johnson, the annual
expenses of the government have run up to
the enormous sum Of seventy-fve millions Of
dollars. These, too, are the expenses Of the
peace establishment Of Mr.. Pierce, including
some annual payments upeR trihing public
debt remaining over from his predecessors, the
purchase of the Gadsden country, the Texas
bill and other contingencies. With these data
before us CT the first two years Of Mr.. Pierce,
can anybody tell what will be the cash cx-
penses Of the last two, provided that he stun.
bles into war with Spain, England and
France?
Among the items OF the regular bills of this
last session, three millions have been appro-
priated fer the six war frigates, for which three
millions were appropriated ut the last session.
This will be round million for each vessel, dou-
BILE the cost Of the Collins steamers while these
war frigates are TO be Of smaller size,
doubtless inferior in every respect to the Col
Inns ships. We have no assurance, neither, that
million apiece will 6uish these six war fiji
gates at the navy yards. Very likely a def
cheney bill Of two or three millions more will
be required to put them aaoat And yet our
executive and his organs and toadies. in and
OUT Of Congress, were Mortified at their con-
tract appropriation to the Collins line. II was
actually vetoed at first, though finally secured
by Congress, in view of The manifest national
expediency Of supporting this line against the
rivalry Of England.
There is another item among the incidental
appropriations Of this last session worthy of
notce-the item of S250, 900 to the Know No
thing gunboat mud scow, or floating light
house OF hospital, which il being built at Ho-
boken. II is enclosed with a high board fence,
ike a meDagcrie; by contract with the late
Secretary Of the Navy, Mr.. Mason ss we IN
derstand 1t, the government itself is excluded
from inspecting this curiosity. All that 20.
vernment has to do is to appropriate the mo-
ney-two or three hundred thousand years
long as necessary. We believe this Know No
thing sea monster was sop to Commodore
Stockton, and II ought TO have secured the vote
Of New Jersey for Mr.. Pierce at least to the
year 1856. But the Commodore and the State
have both deserted the administration, and still
this floating marine hospital continues under
pay.
We have also had some good jobs for the