New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-24
FROM WASHINGTON.
INFRINGEMENT AND REFORM.
,..r,1 tr.eA II Thes " TrbSnA

| and pArssit;cally 0fold themselves around the
| often outweiehs the blessing. Notwithstanding
the efficient aids which our Government has in
times past afforded 10 Nc Development of new
branches Of domestic ndu 'try likewise presents
signi6c cant example n Show that the less Govern
uept has 10 do with the ctiZ en- the more Z sbstans
| from Legislation touching his rights or interests
the purer is administration anu the more abOued-
ing is individual pr, 'perity.
We should rather seek to rest-i;h the abuses n
Government than to look TO it & confer benefits
The most effective mode OF doing tas is 10 iwt Its
functions in the greatest possible degree. Govern
nent should be reduced 20 shell. Its powers
should be limited and confined on every side. Ia.
stead Of being constituted and administered with
the purpose Of seeing how much it csrdo for the
citizen, it should be established and administered
with the view Of seeing how little IT can get alorg
with performing. For in every sbrldgmeut OF
furctiOn We cure an sbuse In Government OF
large revenues and expenditure, its administration
il principal scat and source of national demorall-
zatiOn. Governments have ever been great cancers
pIeyiug alike upon the morals sud the substance OF
the people 1t Vas IN view of this eternal fact that
the poet wrote;
For form. q Gove-nneu, let fools coute.'.
That which !. b.,t lduinsereii' best
A statement bv no mesns true in the Abstract. but
lamentabv true IN the experience OF MANKIND
Coed "a our National Government ia, AZ compared
with all others, il is ycs bad enough. And It would
be wise maxim for our legislators to adopt a. this
stag. of our country's career. Leave nothing To
Legislation and to public administrations that can
- be kept out Of ,thcial hards.' AID II we had
but one rule to lay down for the guidance OF every
new legislator coming 70 Congress during his urst
period of service, il would De this: Say No To
"every proposition on which you are called 10 vote
tipo hat Of sdi ar "A I "A
slant and almost universally safe rule for legsla
tor 10 do nothing. 1t is the acts Of commission aud
not Of omission, his part that usually require for
giyeDess.
The career our Government ia running lends
force 10 these reflections The tendency on every
hand is TO enlarge lis sphere and increase its ex-
penditures. And il is not only running into eK-
travaeance and prodgality, but il is running iatO
corruption. Happily thus far. We believe We may
say that the executive branch has been free from
this faint. But if corruption is once allowed to
attach itself TO another department of the Govern
ment, how long shall We be able 10 boast of exemp-
ton in that :
II il not the worst of bad acts that they are bad
in themselves Their evils lie quite as much in
their demoralizing influence. Their injurious
effects telling on the characters of coordinate as
well as subsidiary forces in the Government, aud
upon the morals of the whole people are equally
10 be depIored with the acts themselves.
II is thus becoming eminently practical ia.
quiry what ought to be done to arrest the spread
Of great and growing evil 10 the National legsla
ton We believe the answer is TO be found in this:
reduce the income under the tariff aud shut down the
gate If land alienation and morey approrriatonfo for
unnecessary objects. Let us have retrenchment and
reform in earnest We have gone far enough,
quite to far, in giving away lands for impossible
railroads At the rate We have been going on five
wears more would suffice for doing up all the busi-
ness of the COnfederacy in the way OF preparing
facilities for the accommodation OF our growing
population in all time to come. Now 1t is not well
10 be behind hand; but neither ia 1t wise to CONSIDER
that il is our particular ard immediate duty to pro-
vide for all the generations OF pOsery We had better
attend to our own business and trust postefty with
it's own concerns. We are undoubtedly an uncom-
monty smart generation but those who are to come
after us may not be ready to ADMIT as we are TO
claim, that when the men Of this day die the world
will cone TO nOught for the want OF their wisdom
According to Mr. Secretary McClslland we have
sold tbirty-one millions Of acres within the last four
wears. and given away siIty-three millions more,
within the same period. 1t would thus seem tina
we might afford to hold up a little. We might a
least stop and take breath, and have no fear tina
uopulatlon in the West would be treading on toes
for want of standing room, for short period at
least. We have just about arrived at the CLIMAX
of absurdity in bounty land aud railroad grants.
When the Minnesota sweep shall be made, II VIII
A. 10 money grants they have been as loose and
liberal AZ the land slides. As fast as the money
has come into the Treasury 1t has been voted out
OF the more useless kinds of this expenditure, the
expepsiye custCm-hOuses lately scattered with
lavish hand all over the Mississippi Valley, IN she
most absurd locations, are conspicuous example
OF the more extraysgant are the appropriate IS Tor
steam mail lines up aud down the eastern aud
western coasts of the continent, and over the At
lsntic 70 sustain which is paid out an annual sum
for trans porting mails of millions upon millons
over and above the revenues derived tneretrou'
Then come all manner OF relief bills, the latest eA-
ample of which being bill to relieve the Ireasury
Of ttIee or four millions now, and ten mllIiOhs
hereafter. for the benefit Of the heirs I'd assigns OF
those who nay get it. II came under the title OF
| Revolutionary claim bill, and was barely stopped
| in the Senate last week by q majority OF 4 sng'e
vote. after having been swashed through the House
| by a vote of more than two to one
Can any body doubt that Reform IS needed Aud
in hat Hay is il to be reached but by going back
and Standing upon the most rigid maIims of govern
mont and administration The Plethora conclNpl
of the public pure has plunged us into haoltS ~
nrodgality. We are in al era of ex.r3Yagaace 80
proAjgscy. If our GOTernuest could to-day e'IaD'
| ii,b and fix the terms Of dispOsng Of me Puolc
lands so that not an acre could hereafter Oe ailen
ated except 10 bona fde settlers, and then only III
limited quantities. it would be a restrcuon ior
b,cb po,trity would bless It's authors. II Il could
90 further and limit the point which the nauonsl
revenues should never exceed, nor us TAReut-
iturps psss the country could well aHoru I'd
foreoo The aids afforded by the Appropriation
Of surplus revenues, in the benefits accrang rom
forced economy Of expenditure. Almost anything
il preferable 10 having our legislative virtue red
a. sorely q. it SOW il by the control Of an Immep'e
aud higily-yaluable public domain, which specula-
Cs OF every grade and nue. .s ARE coDs.pi .oecace
bstore their ewes ola stuffed swollen aud bursting