M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-07-22

The Expenses Of the Govern
neutrality-suspicious. NIisrepre-
SenIatiOn.
The Republican press still continue
TO harp upon the subject of the ex-
penditures of the National Govern
ment, charging the Administration
with extravaganza and corruption
Their assurance and impudence in this
matter is astonishing. Every intelli-
gent man is we'll aware that it is Con-
gress and not the Administration
which holds the purse strings of the
Government, and that not a dollar
can be spent by the latter which is
not authorized by the former. 1t is
also known fact that the Republican
members of Congress habitually vote
for larger and more liberal expendi.
tures than the, Democrats; that the
grants to steamship companies, for
private claims, building of custom
houses and postofices all over the
country, extensive appropriate ons for
rivers and harborS, grants of land to
railroad companies, to agricultural
colleges and for the District of Co.
lumbia are made mainly by the votes
of that party. The Democrats have
suffered not a little odium because
their ideas of economy and strict
construction Of the Constitution would
not allow them to support these
schemes; to take money out of the
National Treasury for the benefit OF
spectators and interested localities.
When such questionable appropria.
tions have been made it has been gen.
orally by the almost solid vote of tie
opposition, united with few Demo
cratic members.
Democratic Presidents have vetoed,
time and again, omnibus bills filled
with all kinds of illegitimate sppro-
prlations for rivers and harbors. They
have vetoed French spoliation bills
and others, designed to rob the ma
tional domain for the benefit of spec
ulators, and have been assailed fierce
ly by the Republicans for SO doing,
as narrow.minded and illiberal. No
body ever heard of a Republican ris-
ing in Congress and proposing a plan
by which the national expenditures
could be reduced. On the contrary,
they generally follow the lead of Mr..
Seward, whom the New York 1Tib-
Nne, their great organ, says was never
known to vote against any bill taking
money from the National Treasury.
1t is altogether a new idea for this
party to put on the airs and assume
the bearing of an organization favor
able to economy in the national ex-
penditures. When it does so it falSi-
fies its history and all its distinctive
principles. But the Republican press,
with a mendacity that almost, by its
magnitude, challenges admiration,
continues to assert that the expendi-
lures are a hundred millions Of dol.
lars a year, after the official facts and
figures have been published, showing
it to be but sixty-eight millions, OF
which fifteen millions went to pay de-
ficiencies and debts contracted before
Mr. Buchanan came into Office. The
real expenditures are, therefore, but
a little over fifty-three millions of dol
lars, which is considerably less than
theywere under General Pierce.
But it is made a ground of serious
accusation that Mr.. Buchanan's Ad.
ministration has been obliged to ask
Congress for Q loan and for Treasury.
notes, amounting, in the aggregate
to some thirty.fve millions Of dollars,
in order to meet past liabilities and
defray current expenditures. This ac-
cusatlon is an insult even to the most
ordinary intelligence. The probabil-
ity is that no loan nor Treasury-noteS