Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-02-16
The Tariff and the Treasuarv.

l AS the following letter which we clip from tn,
r Pensytranian, contains CONDENSED but very in
terestins statement of the facts bearing on tn,
subject. we lay it before our readers, and rec
} ommend it to to their perusal. 1t will be seer
, that Secretary Cobb recommends o. modification
of the Tariff, as one of the means of increasin,
the revenue. If this is done in the mariner rec
commended by the President in his annual mes
sage we have no doubt sufficient revenue will
be obtained to meet the expenditures of the gov.
ernment The Tariff on Coal and Iron, should
certainly be Immediately increased We hardly
feel prepared to endorse the Recommendation
that the rate of postage should be increased We
think it is high enough at present. The Tariff
in our opinion is the ''great matter" and should
at once command the serious attention of Con-
gress. But We fear nothing will be done during
the preeent session.
! -. ..-. " NAsHINGToN, Feb. 8, 1859.
The Secretary of the Treasuary sent to the
House, to-day, reply to the resolution passed
by that body, calling for the actual and proba-
Die receipts flom customs public lands and other
sources, for this and the next fiscal year, and for
his opinion whether the said receipts will be ade
quate to meet the public expenditures
lie says the receipts for the first quarter Of the
| present fiscal year. ending Septembes w were
nearly twenty-five millions two hupfred and
thirty-one thousand dollars, ($25 ,23L L,O0O) as
stated In his Annual Report The receipts for
! the remaining three quarters were estimated at
thirty-eght millions, FIVE hundred thousand
! ($39 500 ,OoO,) of which sum thirty seven mil
lions (37O ,000,) were estimated to be derived
from the Customs. It believed that the
! quarter ending December last would Weld ten
millions, ($1O ZOO, ,OOO) the present quarter end.
ing 3lst of March fifteen millions, ($ rs ,O0O, ,OOO)
| and the next quarter ending the 3Oth of June
twelve millions (Sl2, ,OOO, ,O0O).
| In reference not only 70 customs but to the
| public lands and other sources of revenue all the
| information which has been received at the De-
partment since his annual report, confirms the
correctness of the estimate of the probable receipt
| Tor the present and the next fiscal year. He is
therefore OF the opinion that the result will show
that the actual receipts for the remaining quar-.
tiers OF the present and for the next fiscal year,
will not vary materially from the estimates al
ready submitted to Congress. In supp,-H of THE
eplnlon, he submits comparison Of the receipts
for the same quarters Of the two preceding years.
During the fiscal year ondng the both of June
1897, the lmportatons were very heavy, amount
ing IN dutlaee goods, exclusive of those exported
to over two hundred and ninety-four millions of
dollars, (294 900 ,OO0,) and the receipts from the
customs Tor that year were sixty-three millions
three hundred and forty eight thousand dollars.
(S63, ,34S ,000) In the fiscal year ending June
1858, the importations were much reduced,
amounting In dutiable goods, exclusive of those
exported to two hundred and two millions dol
lars (S2O2, 900 ,0O0,) ard the receipts from the
customs Tor that year, were forty-two millions
and forty six thousand dollars. (42 046 ,0GO) } To
realize his estimates. the importation of dutible
goods ior the present fiscal year must reach two
hundred and fifty millions, $3.50 900 OOOl besides
those exported, and for the next fiscal year. the
sum OF two hundred and eighty millions, (2S0,-
900 900.
Comparing the foregoing statement Of receipts.
and looking to favorable and he5httl reaction
In business, he should regard it As uasafe and
unwse to calculate upon larger importation
than the present estimates contemplate: and en-
tertalnlnS these opinions, he is compelled to say
that the receipts will not be adequate to the
necessity Of public exigencies, unless the expep-
dltures should be reduced below the amount
estimated for. He has seen no indications that
would induce the opinion that such result can
be reasonably anticipated. On the contrary
should the bills which have been passed by either
the one the other branch of Congress be finally
passed by both, and become laws, the expendi-
lures would be very largely and permanently in
creased. 1t is estimated that the Pension bill
alone, which has passed the House, would add
several millions to the annual expenses of the
government, and even a larger amount for the
next fiscal year. Other bills which have rassej
either the Senate or the House, would in large
measure, swell the amount Of expenditures
Ihnse are contingencies towards which the at.
tention OF Congress should be directed in consider
ing the probable recei pts and expenditures Of the
government. Either the expenditures must be |
reduced to the estimated receipts, or some other
means OF revenue be provided. If the first REM
edy can be effected, it is certainly the most des;. |
rable. l---.'~
lie has already submitted to Congress the plan |
for codifying the revenue laws and for the re-or-
ganization of the election districts, which. if |
sanctioned and passed into laws, would greatly |
facilitate the operations of the Treasury Depart
mpc md re5uc larU Ic tho
ting the revenue.
The recommendation to abolish the frauking |
privilege and raising the letter rate to five cents
with the view of bringing the Post Office Depart
ment as near as possible to its former self-sus-
tanning position, will, if carried out. greatly |
relieve the Treasury. In the other departments |
deductions might also, in all probability be made
he only speaks of those which have been bro't |
to the attention of Congress, and commends them |
to their favorable consideration. If, however, the
Appropriations made at the present. session Shall |
reach the amount estimated for in, she Scrcts.y's
report, deficiency will exist which must be pro
vided for by additional legislation, and to the |
extent that the appropriations shall exceed the |
estimates, will that deficiency be necessarily in
creased.
He says he has already expressed the opinion,
that the public Cebt ought not to be increased by
an additional loan. That opinion remains un-
changed. The present tariff should be SO modi- |
hed as to supply such deficiency as may exist, !
and he recommends his views on the subject, |
expressed in his annual report, to favorable con
slderaton. There stands on the statute books |
laws requiring the building Of Custom, Houses, |
Post Offices and Court Houses at places where
the public service does not require them at this
time. A repeal of these laws or the postpone
ment Of their execution to period of greater
prosperity and less embarrassment would relieve
the Treasury of that amount of expenditure
He calls attention to the outstanding Treasury
notes. In the estimates of receipts and expendi-
lures, the permanent redemption of them as they
may fall Cue, has not been contemplated. All
the calculations have been made upon the basis
OF continuing them in circulation, and, as n at
ter of course, the redemntian e tha whole or of !