The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-24
APPOINTMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Thomas f. Massey Of Minnesota register Of the land
Office at Forest City. Minnesota vice Abner O. Smith.
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.


GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.
We are more amused than instructed by the com
ments of our neighbors of the Iteligeneer upon
article relative to the public expenditures, and we
find nothing in them to rebut the facts and figures
we felt it our duty to give the public. The object
of our article was to show the annual wants of the
government MS indicated by the annual estimates
from the executive departments, and assume all re-
sponsibiity that legitimately attached thereto, at
the same time letting the country see wherein the
Legislative department of the government
sponsibe for appropriations not asked for, both in
the 34th and lst session Of the 35th Congresses
Not only the careful, but the Careless reader"
could easily understand our object, and appre-
cate the successful manner in which we presented
the question.
The extraordinary appropriations arising from
certain contingencies such the transportation of
an army to Utah to put down threatened rebellion
the building of steam vessels superinduced by mem
acing difficulties with foreign nations, the payment
Of liabilities incurred for printing growing out Of
the extravaganza of preceding Congresses, one of
which was in the hands of the opposition in the
popular branch, and other objects of appropria-
tions Of temporary character were not considered
legitimate subject Of statistical inquiry in connex-
ion with the object we had in view. We, however,
referred to them that the country might not be mis-
led upon the general subject of public expenditures
We looked upon them temporary and not there
fore chargeable annual outlay for which no
party could be held responsible as some of the
causes that created their necessity were not within
the control Of human sagacity or power.
Every administration is more or less liable to
these extraordinary expenditures, and none we be-
lieve, have ever been exempt For example, the
Intslhgenesr might, with much propriety, hold the
administration responsible for extravaganza in send
ing the Africans lately captured back to their native
land, as for sending an army to put down rebellion
and subdue hostile Indians, to places not contem-
plated, and for purposes which could not have been
anticipated. Yet our neighbors, in the figures they
have presented make no distinction between these
extraordinary expenditures and the regular estimates
for which administration is legitimately RESPONSE
bic. Upon this view of tho subject, we therefore
opine that neighbors cannot find fault with our
statement, aud we have no idea that any figures or
facts they may be able to present can throw the
least suspicion upon the correctness of our state
ments or deductions.
But what are We to think of the unsairness and
errors of our neghbors We might attribute their
bunders to worse motive than misconceptions but
we prefer to give them the benefit of not being ac-
quainted with the subject upon which they have as
sumed to comment. As said before, we were
discussing in our article of Wednesday only the sub
ject of estimates and expenditures They have, how
,,}r -.
cepts, for the purpose of showing the inability of
the government to meet all the liabilities incurred
by the appropriations,
In their issue Of the Sd August they committed a
similar error as to the amount appropriated by the
first session of the 35th Congress- which terminated
IN June last as now. Taken in connection with there-
ceps, their statement exhibits this remarkable fact
the appropriations are made to appear larger than
the law authorizes and the sources Of revenue are
limited to customs, lands and miscellaneous. In
other words, they charge upon the government
which heretofore has never been done, all the ex-
pense Of the Post Office Department as public ex-
pendture and at the same time refuse to give the
revenue arising from postage as one of the means
to meet the appropriations. If this omission was
by design charge of unfarness lcgitimately at
taches; if it was made in ignorance we then sub
init to our neghbors, whether upon this subject of
public expenditures they capable of giving that
instruction which the country desires and demands
The appropriations for the fiscal year ending the
3Oth of june 1859, and including extraordinary APP
preparations, of which we have spoken, are given
in the National Integencer of the Sd of August as
follows
Legislative, executive judicial civil and
miscellaneous -$l2, 796, GAG AZ |
Diplomatic and consular -------------- 9l2, l20 90
Indian Department, revolutionary in
valid and other pensions - 3,4O7, 1856 IS |
Army proper fortifcations Military Acad
envy, military roads, &c-------- 25, $50, 6l0 46 I
Naval service ------------------ Ia, sos, 1854 20 /
Post Office Department. 1904, 456 90 |
Ocean steam mail service l,46O,750 90
Collection of tho revenue 5000, 900 90
Treaty With the King OF Denmark ----- 40S,73I A
Is
~ 8l,s24,8 1925 90 |
Those werc the appropriations made at the ses-
sion of Congress which ended in June last and in
order to ascertain the annual wants of tho govern
ment for the first fiscal year terminating June 80,
1859, they should be reduced as follows
DRcienccs for printing ------------ $341, 18s So
General deficiency bill --------- 9,704, 200 80 /
Deficiency for armores- $50, 900 90