Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-25
The Public Finauce.-Appropriatious.

The Washington Union puts down the aPpro-
priations of the session Of Congress just closed
at s6s, ,OOO, 600, though il does not claim entire
accuracy in its figures. 1t, however, as the or
Gan of the Administration, proceeds to glOrify
Mr.. Buchanan for the ECONOMY of its govern
mentl" Of the appropriations fourteen and a
half millions are for the Navy; seventeen mill
ions for the Army; and three and half millions
| for the Post Office Department
The Washington Republic puts down the ap-
propriations for the next fiscal year at $50, ,O00,
600; but says that the indefniteness of many of
/ them, however, renders exact accuracy imPos-
sible. The following facts touching the aPpro-
priations, finances, and action of the Admins
tratioD, should be pOndered by the people. We
quote from the Republic: .l-s.t
The appropriations, as whole, fall consider
ABLY short of the specific estimates OF the Exec
utiTe Departments, and very much short OF the
| amount which would have been called for, II
the leading measures recommended in the Pres
ident's annual message had been cOncurred in by
Congress.
extension OF Illc OdplbO. AliS dgpiopAiatiohs eAS
reduced below the Executive estimates and re-
commendations. upwards of million dollars
For the Navy, Congress granted only seven
of the ten steam sloops of war called for by the
Secretary of the Navy. and refused altogether
the 6fty gunboats for which the Presidents or
gan, the Union whined so plteously in bshali
of the contractors and hangers on, who eunsti-
tpte the Swiss guard Of the Administration.
The darling measure Of MF buchanan was
tie increase Of the army, and IN that be failed
altogether. His five regiments, which would
have constituted permanent charge upon the
| country of between seven and eight millions Of
dollars, were killed outright, and the three
regiments Of volunteers have been quietly aban-
doned.
Ferty millions Of debt have been contracted,
or authorized, and authority for ten millions
more will be needed before the first day of next
February, if we may rely upaa the carefully
considered estimates Of Mr.. Howard, of Mlchi-
gan, Of the Committee of Ways and Means
The financial result ef two years of Mr.. Bu-
chanan's Administration viii thsretoTe be, the
using up Of surplus of twenty-four millions OF
dollars, and the creation of a debt Of fifty mil
lions. with no possibility Of shifting the respon-
sibiIity upon Congress, which hGs kept far
within the recomme endatiOns of the Executive.
And if even the responsibility could be so shift
ed, it would only be tbs transfer of blame from
President TO bis party. The friends of the
President controlled both branches OF Congress,
aud especially the Senate. which distinguished
\ itself By the enormous loads which 1t threw
upon the general appropriation bills in The shape
of amendments
Amid all this prOfusion of expenditure, which
brings patronage and plunder with it, the party
in power set itself in studied array from first to
last, and under the disguised prnmPtings of the
! President ana Cabinet, against the payment of
all claims upon the Government The whole
aggregate allowed in private bills is "a mere bag
atelle A -t
From the beginning to the end, not a single
reform, OF economy, has been recommended by
the President, CT attempted by his party No
salaries have been curtliled, no establishments
have been reduced.
On the side of the revenue, not only has
nothing been done to increase it, but the Ad-
ministraton has actually interfered to prevent
any increase. The President, in his annual
message, expressly advised against any alteTa-
ton Of the tariff of 1857, and down to within a
month of the adjournment of Congress, this ad-
vice was reiterated 10y the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Upon a view of the whole case, the financial
management of the Administration seems TO be
characterized by absolute fatuity. They wholly
misunderstood the nature Of the monetary crisis
which mo upon the country last summer and
fall, and they seem, even now, to be blind TO
the duty which it imposes. .....