Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-08-10
expenditures of Government.

The expenditures of the United States Gov
eminent have been a subject of newspaper dis
cpssion tor some time past, and as yet the par
ties to the controversy have come to no mutually
satisfactory conclusion. Three points have been
debated: first, SIS to the amount appropriated
for the use Of the Government second, wheth-
ar the amount is extrayagant; and third, who
is responsible. In regard to the first, Mr.. Crit
tenden stated in his speech at CoVington, Nell
tuckv, that the Government would spend during
the present fiscal year, about one hundred MIL
lions of dollars. The friends of tho Adminis'ra
lion denied the correctness OF tins stsEenien''
and referred to 8 speech delivered in Congress
by Mr.. Letcher, to prove that the sum OF sixty
one millions was nearer the mark. The appro-
pristions of the recent Congress are now, how
over, matters of record, and any one equally
competent can figure up the amount as well as
Mr.. Crittenden or Mr.. Letcher. The Baltimore
Patriot publishes tabular statement OF the aP-
propristions and shows from it that the expen-
sss for 1859 will be 1854, 20l.04. The Ma
tional Intelligencer also publishes full state
ment, which occupies nearly twenty-five COL
umns of that paper, and educes from 1t that the
total appropriations for the fiscal year are SlO4,
911,4l3. Tho editors suggest, however, that
If the Secretary of the Treasury will do this,
or If he win not do that the amount ex-
pended; may be considerably reduced. In
addition to this newspaper testimony, we may
mention that Senator Hunter, IN his speech
ON the fifteen million loan bill, estimated the
expenditure for the present year at SS4, 96S 600,
This loan bill was subsequently passed, so that
BY Mr.. Hunters own showing the aggregate Is
in the neighborhood of one hundred millions
The cause of the discrepancy between the va
rious calculators is that they are not agreed IN
reference to all the items which should be inoiu-
ded in the estimate; but they agree sufficiently to
show that Mr.. Crittenden's statement was as
nearly correct as man could be at arough guess
Upon the next point we shall merely intro
duce the testimony of a reliable Democratic Wit
ness. Let Senator Hunter say whether there
is extravaganza on the part of the Government
The following is an extract from his speech de-
liyered in the United States Senate:
"Why should we expend more than we ex-
pended in the last year of General Pieree's ad-
ministration7 Why should We expend more
than was expended the last fiscal year, which
was only S64,0000002 and believe that the
resources OF the country would soon enable Us
TO meet an expenditure even to that amount
For myself believe, If there acer6 proper econo'
mn. the expenses OF this Government tor some
time to come ought to be reduced even below
sixty millions year.
In the last place, as to responsibility. vice
President Breckiuride, and the party press be-
fore him, has sought to throw the blame upon the
Opposition majority in the House OF Representa-
tiyes during the last year Of the Pierce Admins
tratiou. We dismiss this with the remark, that a
the President and Senate were Democratic
the Opposition are liable for only one-third
the responsibility, at most; and submit the ties
rimony of another uuimpeachabie witness. Dir
Garrett in a speech made just before Congress
adjourned said
I'VE have by committees OF Conference an'
other means, agreed to appropriation after ap
propration, extravaganza after extravaganza
Tho House will bear me witness that ther
las been no bona ,fde effort made thts sessaol
to reduce the pgJlie Expenditures. Asa membe
of the Democratic party, OF that party which
will be held, and which ought TO be heIF, res
ponsible 10 the country for the expenditures
the Government, hope the House will redue
them