The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-21

new vessels and in giving additional strength this
arm Of the public defence. There is not individ
ual throughout the country who does not feel that
the number and efficiency of the navy is wholly dis
proportonase 10 our commercial interests and
tional importance. Let those who desire a smaller
and less efficient navy complain of these expendi-
lures We venture the prediction that there is not
congressional district in the Union that would sus-
tain it's representative in reducing the force and
weakening the efficiency of small but gallant
navy.
Sd. The increased expenses of the Post Office De-
partment. Two have produced this result, to
wit the reduction of postage and the increased
mail facilities afforded to the country. If those who
complain Of the expenditures Of The gouernme,i as eai
mated for by e administration desire retrenchment
and reform in this department the remedy is plain
one--either increase the postage or reduce the mail
facilities But long Congress refuses to do the
one or the other, the country must look for the in
creased expense rendered necessary by The law,
which requires the department to furnish the facili
ties and refuses to provide for the expense. The
abolition of the franling privilege would be meas
ure of retrenchment here.
We have referred to these causes of increased ex-
penditures in the appropriations for the purpose Of
exhibiting to the country the fact that, notwith-
standing these increased expenses mostly Of a tenn
porary characer--yet the estimates of the present
administration do not exceed those of its most eco
estimates those of an extraordinary character such as
4 4 - 1 Al
of our history has an administration set out with
thorough spirit of economy than the present.
In this respect its and policy challenge the
closest scrutiny and investigation.
There is other point upon which we esre to
give the facts and we shall have done; Much has
been said of late by senators and the press relative
to the specific item of expenditure known as " ex-
pense of collecting the from customs and
tie present Secretary of the Treasury has been
charged with requiring more for this purpose than
his predecessors. This is not true, as the facts will
show, which these: Prior to the last session of
Congress the expense of collecting the revenue from
customs" was composed of apermanent annual appro
pration of 250 900, together with such sums in
addition as may be received from storage, carriage,
drayage, and labor. This appropriation, by law was
confined to the expense Of collecting the revenue
upon the Atlantic coast and the Gulf The expenses
on the Pacific coast by law, paid out of tho col
lections directly and the net amount only paid into
the treasury. The present Secretary of the Treas
ury thought that If the system for the Atlantic coast
was proper, the should be applied to the Pa
cifc, and hence he recommended to Congress that all
collection districts in the United States should be
placed on the same footing regards the mode of
defrayng the expenses of collecting the revenue from
customs, and ho consequently obtained from Con-
gress an appropriation for that purpose amounting
to S3,6OOO0O which will embrace the expenses of
all the collection districts of the United States He
fixed upon that amount in accordance with the data
furnished by the actual disbursements under his pre-
decessors for series of years past will fully
appear by the statement given below:
erhibng the Customs
from 1852 1857 inciu and the expended
letting the same for The same period.