The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-06-24
A Good SDeech.

A Good Speech.
The Hon. John Sherman, Member Of Con-
gress from Ohio, made very able speech, a
short time since, on public exit avegance, which
will repay careful perusal. We commend
The following brief sketch. Read it.
Mn. SHERMAN.-,rhis was the second loan
bill demanded by the Administration this .es-
sion. While he was willing to take all proper
measures to preserve .he public faith, he
would not vote for this bill. II should be ac-
companied by some radical measure OF reform.
The expenditures for this fiscal year exceed
ed the revenue s37. Oo0, 900, and for next year
would exceed the revenue $43, 600, 900, or over
$50, 900 600 in two years. The $50 900, OOG Of
Treasury notes and the balance Of SIT 900 900
in the Treasury in July last are exhausted -
The financial result Of the first two years of
this Administration would be an empty Treas
ury and permanent debt Of $64 ,OOO, 900. In
stead Of proposing means of retrenchment and
reform, they demand loans and Treasury notes
and defeat every effort Of the Opposition to
lessen the expenditures. He then in detail
stated the expenses Tor this year to be $50,
100000, and estimated them for next year at
$S2, 600 900, and contrasted expenses in diff
fe.ent periods Of the Government with the
expenses Of the present and the last Admins
tration. The expenses Of President Pierce's
Administration were $6O.cOO, 900, more than
the:entire expenses Of the Government prior
to 1915, exclusive Of payment on the public
debts. The first year OF this Administr alton
cost the nation 81, 600, 900 more than the ex-
penses Of the Government prior to tie close
Of Jeferson's Administrations period Of
twenty years. Already bills had been intro
duced appropria:ing SOS, O0O, 900, and other
propositions are pressed upon US requiring
many millions more. While population has
increased since 1890 sevenfold, expenditures
have increased forty-eightfold. From 40
cents an inhabitant it Is now 50, or 30 for
each family and $23 Tor each voter. When
the comparison is carried into details, it is
found that the great proportion Of the increase
is in contingencies, miscellaneous incidentals,
and an army of useless officers. The mscel-
laueeus expenses have arisen since 1910 from
81. 5o0, 900 to II, 1000, 900 covering multituds
Of jobs and contracts. The Thirty-third Con-
gress, famous for repeating the Missouri Com
promise, expended s., OOO, 900 for printing; or
over $4,000 for each roe mber. The expen.
ses of the Military establi shment for this
year are near $40 100000 Under these cir
cumstances, while loan bills may be necessary
to preserve the public faith, they should be
accompanied by proper measures of retr.nch.
ment and reform. The Hou.. alone can ap-
ply the remedy by reducing the appropria-
tons. The Constitution has conferred upon
the House full and exclusive powe. over the
public purse, but this power has been practi-
cally usurped by the Executive, by transfer
ring appropriations made for one purpose to
a different one, by using money appropriated
for one fiscal year for another. and by con-
tracts made in advance Of appropriations
thus compelling the House to sanction reck-
less expenditure or violate the public faith;
aad, BY direct usnrpation Of each of these
abuses he gave examples. An earnest effort
to prevent them is met with opposition and
denunciation b. the friends of this Admins
tration. He condemned the habit Of the Sen.
ate loading down the appropriation bills with
amendments once rejected by the House, and
OF introducing revenue bill. in violation Of the
express proviso S of the Constitution The
House has long enough neglected its constitu.
tional powers. It has thrown too much on
single Committee Of Ways and Means, which
by being burdeEed with too much business,
has become mere TRANSFERRING clerk of the
Departments. We ignore the principle Of
grievances before subsidies" and vote money
recklessly. and then do not look after its ex-
penditure. We have seen Committees on ex-
penditu-e, and none of them ever meet. They
were entirely ignored by the Chairman Of the
Committee Of Ways and Means in the reference
Of the Presidents Message. We also neglect
the power Of impeachment. Every violation
Of law by an Executive officer should be fol.
lowed by impeachment, or bill of indemni-
ty. When these reforms are completed, loa n
bills will be no longer needed and expenditures
will be reduced within the revenue. He had
no confidence thar this House, as now COM
posed would accomplish anything. The pow.
er and influence Of the Executive has been too
recently felt. He hoped the next House
would be opposed to the Administration, and
that it will learn from the example set BY the
las: House how thankless task it is to yield
to the urgent deman ds for money by an Ad-
ministration. An opportunity will then be Of
fered to check the usurpations Of the Execu-
tive and Senate, and con6ne them within their
Constitutional powers.
A French paper states that by an
accident charcoal has been discovered
to be cure for burns. BY laying a
piece of cold charcoal upon the burn,
the pain subsidies Immediately. By
leaving the charcoal on one hour, Che
\ n