Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-04-22
Government affairs.
THE EXPENDITURES OF TUE
GOVERNMENT.

Iron the Washington States
The idea is widely prevalent-we even
entertained it ourselves that the expen-
ditures Of the Federal Governments are
increasing every year at an alarming
rae, and that they now amount to nearly
a hundred million of dollars per anuum.
The fact is far different; as we have as
certained on investigation, and are pre-
pared to prove. The expenditures of the
government fall an immense margin short
Of hundred million. and are rapidly
decreasing, instead Of increasing, each
year.
We shall make statement of the facts
of the subject, which will be very brief
and perfectly conclusive
The payments of the treasury during
the fiscal year of 1878 were larger
than during any preceding year of peace.
These payments were ordered and appro-
priated for by the Thirty Fourth Con-
gross, at the session of 1867; the
popular branch of which was controlled
by the Opposition, and was presided over
by Black Republican Speaker.
The total payments out of the treasury
during the fiscal year 1878 (Report on
Finance for 1873, p. 30, were ISL, =
5S5, G6S.76; of which aggregate the sum
of 50 1854, 537 90 was paid in redcmp-
ton of the public debt-lcaving as paid
on account of expenditures, ST. ,90t, -
1919. This sum, however, docs not
represent the expenditures of the year
alone, but embraces sundry items Of de-
ficiencies which were appropriated by
the Congress of 1878 to discharge
debts incurred in the preceding years. -
One Of these was for deficiencies in print
ing of $341 1873; another was for def
ciencies in the army service, incurred
during several preceding years amount
ing to 81 220, 600, which constituted an
item in the deficiency bill of 1878,
generally known as the Utah deficiency
bill. A large portion of the expendi-
hwc Of the Utah expedition was paid
during this year, to wit, about S., 500, =
$50, which was an extraordinary and not
a regular expenditure.
Then there was the stipend paid to
Denmark for her release of the Sound
dues, amounting to S408,7 31. All these
aud other similar items make an aggrc-
| gate of seven or eight millions Of dollars
paid in the year 1878, not properly
chargeable to the ordinary expenditures
Of government for that year, but which
helped to swell the actual payments oui
Of the treasury during the year to the
sum of 81 ,901 1919, as we have alroad y
stated. This explanation will account
for the fact that the actual payments Of
the year were larger than during any
/ preceding year of peace Notwithstand-
ing, however, that they were thus swol-
len, it is plain that the expenditures Of
the government during that year were
far short of the fabulous sum Of hun
bred millions, charged by the Black Re-
publicans
We come now to the fiscal year Of
1859, the year in which we now are
and will expire on the 30th Of june next
The appropriations for this year were
made by the Congress of 1878. We
cannot yet tell what the actual payments
out of the treasury for the year will be,
but the appropriations made for i afford
a safe approximation to the amount
The appropriations for the year, as stated
officially by the Clerk Of the House Com
mittcc Of Ways and Means, and publish
ed shortly after the close Of the session
Of 1878, are as follows:
REGULAR APPROPRIATIONS FOR TIE SERVICE
..u1L a