Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-28
SPEECH OF Mr.. GARNETT,
OF VIRGINIA,
DIV TIE TARIFF AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURES

HoUss OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEBRUARY a. 1857.
The House being in Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union and having under consideration the
bill to reduce the duty on imports and for other pur
poses
Mr.. GARNET said: The most philosophlc of British
statesmen has said that the is the Government
and when regard the multitude of interests that it
draws along in its train when consider the magnitude
of the questions involved its collection and distrbution
feel disposed agree with him. 1t is no light thing
year after year and generation after generation, to take
portion of the earnings of class section of the
community to bestow upon another yet, when this IS
done in the economical administration of the fair and
legitimate functions of Government it is but the price
paid and proaby paid for the advantages of that qua
ranse and safeguard of social organization and of ndi
ydual freedom Let your Government transcend these
duties let it not properly belonging to IT.
let it undertake to dictate the empoymenss OF capital
and labor and foster branch of industry at the
pense of the other let it expand its in reck
less extraEagances in supporting OF ohcal de-
pendants and making fortunes for Every needy pohca
adyenturer then sir this annual Collection and dis
bursement of becomes the robbery OF the taxay
ers by the tax and the outrage almost TOO
heavy be borne. greatly fear that this Government
approaches has not already reached that point IN
its fsal operations. The eloquent gentleman from Ma
rylsnd Mr. DAVIS said that Congress had never been
guilty of sectional injustice in its legislation and was
stonished at the boldness of this assertion when your
statute book is black with the grossest inequalities be-
tween North and South in the revenue system, as |
shall to some extent show before have done.
First sir look your expenditures and the frightfui
rate at which they have increased need not go back
to Mr. Van urens Presidency when the whole country
was eonvulsed with indignation at expenditure of
$4,000 o00 to $50 O00 900 per annum Nor viii re-
1872 when Mr. Clay estimated that the Govern
ment could be fairly administered for 500 600 co., while
Mr.. Calhoun put it down to ,0O0- Nor will l
dwell on 1S45-46, the first year of Mr. Folks admins
tration when the expenditures, exclusive of payments
on account of public debt and Mexican hosties were
In Rut WI q
Mexican Bar-sinse the empire of the Pacific added
to our dominons, and within this present Adminstra-
tion-and find that in the fiscal years 1S5354 the
tire expenditures, exclusive Of public debt and the in
stalment due to Mexico $44 018, 249 while this
last year. IS55356, they have suddenly sweled up to
$57172 4O1 being DAB 300 more than they were IN
the height of the Mexican when our forces rested
on either ocean, and flag not only protected our
own domain but waved in triumph in every province of
Mexico
How demand has this nonstrous result been attain
cd By any just expansion of our functions by any far
exercise of constitutional power? No, sir, no
It was maxim with the fathers of the Republic that
the post Office establishment should support itself Those
who received the benefit to pay the expense; for
Government might well undertake the gratuitous
transportation of any other goods wares and merchan
disc newspapers and letters But the ancient land
marks have been eaced and the post office has become
eleenosynary institution, for whose support we an
nually appropriate three millions of taxes.
Look next your nsvynot the expenses of navy
proper though they have increased but under the
specious of naval defence and steam mail service
you pay million and half of money in bounties to
few favored individuals to compete with legitimate pri-
vste enterprise. The effect is not only to waste the
venues but actually to discourage the increase of
steam tonnage the ocean; for what private capital
venture to compete with men who are sustained and
guaranteed by your oyerfowing Treasury
The army budget repeats the extrayagant tale.
When Mr. Calhoun was at the head Of the War Depart
ment the expense per of the army was $751; last
year 1t was 1902 Sir in the food tide of Mexican hos
yxhp me
under in far distant and foreign territory, the
expense per head only dollars more than it
is in time of profound peace
And here in your own halls in the province peculiarly
under your own supervision Congressional extravaganza
has become fragrant to the world. The Constitution de-
cares that money shall be drawn from the Treasury
-hut of apprQpriations made by law and
it WAS principle with the old Jeersonian Republicans
that all appropriations should be for specific purposes
But under the of contingent fund for each House.
the exclusive control of whose amount and expenditure
is protected by the jealous seoye Of either body you
have enabled House of Congress to do at its own
pleasure what the Constitution provides shall require the
consent of both Houses and the President The conse-
uuence is that whenever either body wishes to make
expenditure which win not bear the constitutional ordeal
Of legislation is crowded into this omnibus contingent
fund.- which is steadily growing into one OF the chief
heads of expenditure Consider, sir, your printing ex
penses They do profess to be confined to what
is needed for the public business to be kept down by
strict economy, but you print that members may
have books to give away and eectioneer with that party
favores may have fat jobs to make fortunes and it
is plainly avowed that whether it cost or less your
printing be given to editor other in order
to support organ for the Executive and the party,
though newspaper organ of the legitimate OBJ
jects which the Constitution allows to raise taxes
In 1910 the expenditure for printing not quite
hundred thousand dollars. What is it now The bills
for printing paper engraving &C. between and
two millions. 1t was but the other day, believe, that
the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means told
us there would be deficiency to provide for of two
three hundred thousand dollars on this head
Thus you see sir that these expenditures grow and
mount up every side they are an overwhelming tide
that knows ebb. How shall they be curailed? How
shall this exuberant extravaganza be stopped Can Con-
press apply the remedy by arresng reducing appro
pristions? Why sir, your Committee of Ways and Means
is little more than registration office for the estimates
of the Departments. do not impugn the fidelity and
ability of It's members; they but submit to they
cannot resist The Departments send in their estimates
so much they say needed for such branch of the
public service The committee cannot examine all the
evidence that supports each item they cut down the
estimates the only effect is that next year the Depart
ments report deficiencies They say we have incurred
and entered upon operations authorized by law
here are the bills you did not appropriate enough be-
FORE and you must the deficiency or forfeit the
public faith And these deficiencies usually the
whole gnaf estimates and add large per centags be-
sides.
II Congress is thus weak to such evils is the Ex
ecutivs more efficient? It may do much but we must
remember that the President and the Departments like
Congress are prosecuted by the vast army militant of
iobbers and spectators and spoilsmen. Enormous is
the pressure upon them multiply offices and employ
ments and jobs for the reward Of political friends and
the qualification that portion of the public which lives
upon the taxes and which, small it comparatively is
vet makes all the clamor and agitation of what is called
political life. The toiling tax-paying
quiet except in those crises that make epochs in the
life of nation. You must recoect also the extreme
difficulty with which central Executive controls the