Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-02-04
Washington Matters.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-The Secretary of
the Treasury sent to the House, to-day, re-
ply to the resolution calling for the actual and
probable receipts from the CUSTOMS public
lands, and other sources, for this and the next
fiscal year, and for his opinion whether said re-
ceipts will be adequate to meet the public ex-
penditures. He says that the receipts during
the first quarter of the present fiscal year, end
ing September l, were $40, 231 900, Including
the loan) as stated in his annual report. The
receipts for the remaining three quarters
were estimated at $30 800, 600, of which sum,
S37 100000 were estimated from the customs.
1t was believed that the quarter ending Dec.
would yield $l0,000,000 the present quarter,
ending March 81, $l5000,000 and the next
quarter, ending June 80, S12000,000. All the
information which has since been received con-
firms the correctness Of the estimates. He is,
therefore, of the opinion that the result will
show, that actual receipts will not vary mate
rally from the estimates already submitted to
Congress.
Entertaining these opinions, he is compelled
to say that the receipts WiW not be adequete to the
necessity Of the public erigency, unless the ex-
penditures should be reduced below the
amount estimated. For he has seen no indica-
ton that would induce the opinion that such a
result can be reasonably anticipated. On the
contrary, should the bills which had been pass
ed, by either branch of Congress, be finally
passed by both, and become laws, the expen-
ditures would be very large and permanently
increased.
He has already submitted to Congress pro-
posed notifications of the revenue laws, which
would greatly facilitate the operations of the
Treasury Department, and reduce the expen-
ses of collecting the revenue. These requiring
the building of custom houses where they are
not required. The repeal of these laws or the
postponement of their execution would relieve
the Treasury of that amount of expenditures.
The recommendation to abolish the franking
privilege and to raise the letter rate to five cents
will, if carried out, greatly relieve the Treasu-
ry. In other departments, reductions might
also be made. But deficiency will still exist,
which must be provided for.
1t is estimated that the Pension BILL which
has passed the House, will, alone, add several
million to the annual expenses. Other bills,
also, which have either passed the Senate or
the House, will largely swell the expenditures
Either the expenditures must be reduced to the
estimated receipts, or other means Of revenue
must be provided.
He calls attention to the outstanding Treasury
notes. In his estimates of receipts and expend-
itures, the redemption of them as they may
fall due, has not been contemplated All the
calculations having been made upon the basis
of their continuing their redemption, as a mat
ter of course must increase the estimated def
cheney, unless authority be given for their re-
issue. Since February last, there have been
redeemed S543, 700. BY the 30th of June next
the sum of $1z 10000 will fall due, at which
time they must be met. Should Congress ad-
Journ without legislating on the subject, it
would be impossible, from ordinary sources,
for the Department to meet the public labili-
ties, until another Congress could be convened.