Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-06-09
Speech Of MIR. Sherman--PaOts and
Figures.

ing the lavish expenditures and bad man.
agement Of national affairs under the late
and present Administration. His array Of
facts and figures Is sppalling,sud show that
the expenses ofthis year will not fall short
ofs85, ,OOO, ,OO0, exclusive Of River and Har-
Dor Improvements, Forti6cstions and the
Utah War. The amount appropriated by
the regular army bill is $l6,400,0OO.-
The speech attracted great attention on
both sides of the House, and the facts and
figures presented should be conned and
remembered by the people who will pass
judgement on the acts Of their public ser.
wants. They are thus condensed in the
telegraph report Of Mr.. SHERMAN's speech
10 the New York press.
This was the second loan bill demanded
by the Administration this session. While
be was willing to take all proper measures
to preserve the public faith be would not
vote for this bill. It should be accompa.
MED by some Iadical measure ofreform, -
The expenditures for this fiscal year exceed
ed the revenue s37 100000, and for next
year would exceed tho revenue S43, ,00O,-
600. or over ssn,O00,OO in two years.
The $40, 100000, of Treasury notes and
the balance of $l7 900, 900, in the Treas
ury in July last are exhausted. The fnan.
cial result OF the two first years of this Ad.
ministration would be an empty Treasury
and permanent debt Of $54, 100000
Instead ofproposing means ofretrenchment
and reform, they demand loans and Treas.
ury notes, and defeat every effort of the
opposition TO lessen the expenditures. He
then in detail stated the expenses for this
year to be eighty-three millions, and con-
tras.ed the expenses in different periods Of
the Government with the expenses Of the
present and last Administrations. The ex.
peuses of President Pierce's Administra-
ton were sixty millions more than the en-
tire expenses Of the Government prior to
1915, exclusive of payments on the public
debt, The first year Of this Administra-
tion cost the nation five millions more than
the expenses of the Government prior to
the close Of Jefferson's Admiristration-a
period of twenty years. Already bills bad
been introduced appropriating over $685..
900, 900, and other propositions are pres
sed upon US requiring many millions more.
While population has increased since 1890
Seven-fold expenditures have increased for
ty.fold. From forty cents an inhabitant,
it is now three dollars, or thirty dollars for
each family, and twenty three for each vo.
ter. When the comparison is carried in.
10 details It is found that the great proper
tion of the increase is in contingencies, mis-
cellaneous incidentals, and BY an army Of
useless officers. The miscellaneous expen-
ses have arisen, since 1910, from 81. $780,
600 to $4,000, 900 ,covering.a multitude
of jobs and contracts. The tbirty,third
Congress, famous for repeating the Mis-,
souri, Compromise expended over $4,000,
900 for printing or over $4,000 for each
member. The expenses Of tho Military
establishment for this year are near $685.
GOO. 900. Under these circumstances,while
loan bills may be necessary to preserve
the public faith, they should be accompa.
MED by proper measu res of retrenchment
and reform. The House alone can apply
the remedy by reducing the appropriations.
The Constitution has conferred upon the
House full and exclusive power over the
public purse, but this power has been prac-
ticalIy usurped by the Executlve.b by trans
ferring appropriations made for one pur.
pose to different one, by using money
appropriated for one fiscal year to another,
and by contracts made in advance of ap.
preparations, thus compelling the House to
sanction reckless expenditure, or violate
the public faith, and by direct usur-
patton. OF each Of these abuses, he gave
examples. An earnest effort to prevent
them is met with opposition and denunci-
alton by the friends Of this Administration.
We condemed the habit of the Senate load
ing down the Appropriation bill with a.
mendments once rejected by the House,and
Of introducing revenue bills in violation of
the express provisions of the Constitution.
The House has long enough neglected its
constitutional powers. 1t has thrown too
much on a single COMMITTEES of Ways and
Means, which, by being burdeDed with
too much business, has become mere trans.
cribing clerks Of the Departments. We ig.
more the principle of grievances before sub
sidies," and vote money recklessIy, and
then do not look after its expenditure
We have several Committees on Expend-
iture, 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 followed bJ an impeach-
ment or bill of indemnity. When these
reforms are completed, loan bills will be
no longer needed, and expenditures will be
reduced within the revenue. He had no
confidence that this House as now compo.
sed would accomplish anything. Thepow.
er and influence Of the Executive has been
too felt. He hoped the next House would
be opposed to the Administration, and that
it will learn from the example sci by tue
last House how thankless task it is to
yield to the urgent demands for money by \
an Administration. An opportunity will
then be offered to check the Usurpatons of
the Executive and Senate, and confne
them within their constitutional powers.
~.~4~~~~~~NON~~~~N
Eg A Western editor, IN noticing a
new and splendid hearse, thinks at will af.