Georgetown weekly news., 1855-04-12
NO. 26.

listen to me, and you will soon be rid of it,
and so be will, TO a dead certainty. And
so the great army of beggars and borers at
Washington is constantly Swelled by new
recruits, as greedy as the veterans and
scarcely less impudent, beseeching Congress
for PENSIONS bounties, increase OF salaries,
extra allowances, and what is facetiously
termed relief over gofa-plunder-more
gold
Now we detest niggardly Government
as we do a skinhint in private life. We
should not object to Federal expenditure
of Fifty Millions per annum, provided the
People receive fair value for it. Let us see
half the sum represented at the years end
by improved Harbors and River Naviga-
tion--by capacious Post Offices in the great
Cities, and other needed public edifces-by
a long stretch of iron track leading from the
Missouri toward the Pacifc-and we shall
never grumble. We grudge every dollar
paid away IN extra allowances to Steam
boats, in crooked mileage in exorbitant
stlpends to Military and Naval Officers, in
Pensions or Bounties Of any sort-because,
it is so much subtracted from the capacity
of our Government to prosecute works of
lasting and general utility. All that goes
to the Army and Navy-to Congress and
its subordinateS- Ships, Forts and Ord
nance-is gone irrevOcally there is no "re-
turning tide to that ever-ebhing sea; but
every dollar wisely devoted to Rivers and
Harbors-to Canals and Railroads. not
really expended, but invested-is so much
added to the permanent and productive
wealth Of the country.
Certainly, we would have our Govern
ment first honest before it begins to be au-
gal. We would have every dollar it honest
ly owes determined and paid i'll full, no mat
ter at what inconvenience. French Spolia-
tions, Texas Indemnity, or whatever else
may te fairly due-let the amount honestly
due be adjusted and paid off at once.
But paying is one thing, giving quite an
other; and we protest against Congress CIV
ing away one dollar, in the shape Of bounty
or pension or extra allowance or incrl ased
salary, to any body. There is ample use fer
every dollar in the Treasury and no danger
that the surplus viii BOT be reduced quite
fast enough by legitimate and beneGcent
appropriations. Let US have new leaf
turned over-a new touchst0ne applied
Let each appropriation bin be carefully and
thoroughly scrutinized, item by itena and
let no dollar be voted for which the People
do not receive a full consideration. Above
all, let Congress begin by establishing SIM
pie honesty in its own special dealings with
the Treasury, in the payment Oh lis members
and dependents. If there be men who can't
afford to serve in Congress for IS per dav.
let them keep out, for there is no cOmpulslCn
in the matter, and enough can be found who
will serve faithfully and capahly at that rate.
If $2l per week for men and $1,000 for
boys are not satisfactory to those who now
serve the Houses as messengers, pages.
folders, &c, let them go where they can do
better and let others take their places whom
such wages riH satisfy: but let us have no
more extra allowances at the close of each
session. The amount hitherto plundered
by means Of these allowances. OF crooked
mileage and other small swindIes, may seem
small; ;but it is an incess n pio per of Other
extras, jobs and sem.-peculations, whereby
the aggregate loss to the Treasury is sweled
to millions Let us have all this reformed.
and, so many Members are about to bid
adieu to pnblc life, there can be no more
favorable time for the change than the pres
ent. He must be hardened indeed who is
not moved to penitence Oh his death-bed,
and they can very easily enact retrench-
mentS who know that their consequences are
only to fall upon others.