Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-06-25

The House being in Committee of the
Whole on the Army bill, Mr.. Sherman, Of
Ohio, said
| wish to state my reasons for opposing this
bill, and also the bill authorizing a loan OF
$4,000, 900 1t is with some reluctance
that, trespass upon the time of the House at
this period of its session; and | will make
my remarks as brief as possible. do not
know that any other opportunity will occur,
and shall therefore embrace the present,
PRESENT CONDITION OF TREASURY.
On the first day of July last there was a
surplus of Sl7,7lO, II IN the treasury. This
surplus has been reduced to the shadow of Il
shade The Secretary of the Treasury in
| December last, in Il message calling for an
issue of so. .000, ,0O0 of Treasury notes, told
us that in all probability but small part, if
any, of the amount would be needed at an
early day; yet, now, we have another mes
sage from that same officer, in which he tells
us that
"This 500, ,OOOO 900 loan of Treasury notes, au-
thorized by the act of December "a, 1857, will be
exhausted in supplying the deficiencies in the
Treasury for the present fiscal year
"Wc shall commence the next fiscal year depcn-
dent entirely upon the current receipts into the
Treasury to meet all demands from it,
So, for the first year of this Administra-
ton, we have, in addition to the current re-
venue, an old balance of S11 900 900 and
10000 900 of Treasury notes already cx-
pended and gone. We have deficiency of
S3l 900 900 in single year and we are
now called on by the Admin niet-o.ion fop an
other loan of SIS, 100000. And sir, we
are told that this loan will not meet the ex-
igency-itis is only partial remedy, homeo-
pathic dose. The Secretary gives us fair
notice that he will want further loans during
the next fiscal year. | will call the atten-
tion of the Committee to this clause of his
letter
:" have confined this inquiry to the two first
quarters of the next fiscal year, as Congress will
reasscmble before the close of the second quarter,
and it will be time enough then, should it become
necessary to provide for future contingencies that
cannot now be tortsten.'
Future contingencies that cannot now be
foreseen - Is the Secretary, like Micawber,
waiting for " something to turn up?" Sir,
these future contingencies can be foreseen.
| can demonstrate to any sensible man
that the Secretary of the Treasury will be
compelled to call on Congress for 81 000,-
fiscal year. To that will have to be
ing Treasury notes and interest, which run
but for one year, so that there will be an ad-
dition to the national debt of S63 900 GOO in
two years.
Under these circumstances, loan bill is
proposed to the House, and 1t is not accom-
panied by any measure of revenue, or of re-
tren, hment and reform. No proposition is
made to increase the tariff, no measure to
enlarge the revenue. AS the first fruits of
| the Administration, we are embarked in q
permanent system of loans to support the
| Government.
| UTAH WAR.
desire, for II moment, to call the atten-
ton of the committee to another remarkable
paragraph of the Secretary's letter. He says
that since the meeting of Congress, "the de-
mands upon the Treasury for the present fis-
cal year have been incroasod by legislation to
an amount not far below ten million dol
lars"
would like to know by what legislation
we have increased the burden thrown upon
the Treasury? Has the Committee OF Ways
and Means introduced measures into this
House appropriating s 10000, 600 not sane
toned by the Executive? Has any act been
approved by the House which appropriates
| Nlu,h'b,UDb uOl Cuiitu lOT bN lnc lNtcTtldTN
of the Treasury? If Congress has thrown an
additional burden upon the Executive Depart
ment, would like to know by what law and
for what purpose it has been done. have
no knowledge of any bill which has not been
demanded and urged upon us by the Execu-
tive. Certainly Congress has proposed no
new expenditure. But the Secretary SAYS
this has been done BY LEGISLATION. We did
pass deficiency bill, and that | suppose is
the legislation referred to. But at whose
demand? We all know how urgently these
Executive officers, who now seek to charge
that Congress has thrown upon the Treasury
an additional burden, begged us to pass the
deficiency bill. And what was this defcien-
cy for? To carry on the Utah purely
Executive war--a war made and carried on
without the assent of Congress. An impro,
vident war-a war as feeble in its conception
as it is likely to be ridiculous in its termina,
ton. With great eclN, and at great ex
pense, the Administration gathered together
an army in the Territory of Kansas to over
awe that people, and retain it there until {
period too late to march to Utah before thu
approaching winter. With utter disregard
of either policy or economy, the President
then ordered forward our gallant army, t.
spend the winter in the Rocky Mountains
Iie ulu NOT wall llll NOHpress COulu De Gun
suited. Instead of sending peace commits
. sioners to reason with the rebellious people
r and negotiate terms of peace, he posted thi
army in the mountains, and compelled then
to be supported there with -four at fifty dol
1 lars barrel, and other provisions at al
equally enormous rate. After millions hav
thus been wasted, he discovers for the frs
time that negotiation might prevent the war
and then with ridiculous haste, commission
ers are dispatched to overtake the army
, Recent advices indicate that private citizel
has accomplished what the Administrator
too late attempted, and thus the Treasur
has been burdened by the useless expenditur
ofmillons Of treasure by an unauthorize
act of Executive power.
n EXPENDITURES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
Mr.. Chairman, | now desire To submit
= the Committee some remarks in regard to tn
. expenditures of our Government; and
b show their increase, and where We are drift
n ed TO. The expenditures of the last iscs
7 year, according to the documents which "
: have before us, were S7l ,072,2l inclusi'
of payments on the public debt and $65
OS2 $50, exclusive Of the public debt. Tn
It is several millions more than was expende
Z for any year during the Mexican war