The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-03

s SPEECH OF HON. q. A. SMITH.
50.. 5ssfsra ie rkSssssEE . q
b DE House 81 Representatives.. Jaraqyg a. 1859, 90
The Committee Of the Whole the state Of the Union
resumed Its session at o. clock. p m.lttiislsis b9E
Mr.. SMITH, of Tennessee. Mr.. Chairman, an empty
treasury always bcgets discussion ia reference % the
penditures of the government and the mode of missing
revenue; aud the various opinions entertained upon
these subjects by the peoples arc amusing
we'll instructive, The serutinizing gentleman iron
Alabama Mr., CunRrl wants poor government my
worthy colleague Mr. JoSEs weeps over the empty ax
oaeluer, and, doubt, thinks government asss
while the senior gentleman from Alabama Mr. HoiSEoN
is houied at the idea of paying bountios to the cod
fishermen Of the Fast But SIR IL reserved to the
gentleman from Ohio Mr. SnEnaAS TO make himself the
Os of the House and to carry back Ia Imagination to
the days when gold spoons and forks, and looking
glasses as big poor man pantaon, were the most
effective arguments for change IN the administration o.
the government ssts a1s IA IS iif stpet
That discussion upon the subjects to which have al
luded legitimate win deny and that it Is
profitable 20 the country when properly conducted no
will question. When, however 1t Ia resortcd to for
marty it degcnentcs into sided state
false predctions-it is calculated 20 mislsad aDse
mind and to do great inuace to every department OF
the the legislative as well az the executive
Such is the character of the speech of the gentleman
from Ohio delivered in this House the z6th day OF
May last and but little more than month bsore che
close of the fiscal year 1851 As that gentleman har
taken the lead in this matter both at the Inst aud the
present session of Congress- propose to examine briefly
OF hi calculations and predictions, that this House
and the country judge 10 the reliance to be laced
upon M figures in reference to the expenditures Of the
government In the speech to which have referred,
after adverng to the 600 of treasury notes pre-
vously issued and the 900 loan afterwards
raised to $50 00O asked for by the Secretary Of the
Treasury, the gentleman said :: ~ ialst etf e2
can demonstrates Secretary tho
Treasury wiz ae compelled g call on ot az 600 % ssp
s 900 600 70 redeem e outstanding treasury notes and n'srs,
national debt Of $50, 900 900 in two years" e7h "
The first paragraph have read would make the i'm
pcsson if not intended, that the Secretary Of the
Treasury would be compelled to call for S42 000 10
addition to what had already been called for TO supply
deficiencies in the tor the present fiscal year
Put however, the best construction upon for the gen
tleman from Ohio and include in the ~, 900 900 the
600 previously asked for and subsequently grant
ed and he makes mistake of S2I 600 900 In estimating
the deficiencies in the for single fiscal year
Sir not dollar has been asked for at this session Of
Congress to supply deficiencies in the revenue for the
present year Nor will there be dollar asked for for
any such purpose have before tho report Of the
Secretary OF the Treasury to the present eson Of Con-
gess and fr from stating any deficiency in the means
of the government for this year. he statcs ION page -
that there will be balance in the Treasury the LIST day
Of July 1885, Of 81 0632 29s ST. Such gross mistake
this throw suspicion all the gentleman figures
But this is not all After satisfying himself With his es
Inmates of deficiencies in the rame he next tries his
hand in estimating the deficiencies in appropriations for the
present fiscal year, He says
BY The estimate Secretary Treasury le
eInde many items which viii paid for certainty
as the Presidents salary. Some are as falowss Fe
regiments I@ 81 yssa 6i'
Probable Post ONCE deGcenees, amount appropr L
Public buildings 4. , .. 1.T0oo0t
bills estimated. I, l,ooe 900
Army easioncy ESTIMATED year, sOooooo
Total .... .. 4. n. IS s,ossSI7
Based upon these figures the gentleman estimates that
the expenses Of the government for the present fiscal
year will, Sin all human probability he from ninety to
hundred million dollar" " SIR deficiency bill has
yet been introduced has any been called for by
the Secretary Of the Treasury except for the Post Office
Department can also state, from information derived
from the proper source, that much less than million
will cover all the deficiencies in appropriations for the
present fiscal year. except in the of the depart
ment before referred to. Here again. then, the gentle
is equally unfortunate in his first calculation.
He makes mistake of $I4 900 In deficiencies in APP
propriaons for single fiscal year. These statements
have gone TO the country and it proper that their fall
lacy should also go to the country here dismiss the
gentleman from Ohio with the remark that he had better
study thoroughly the rule of " position before he
again attempts to figure up expenditures for democratic
administration. tstIdsq gtkaf ~
The embarrassed condition of the treasury is fault
of the present past administration. 1t has been
before and the which producedjt then have pro-
duced like results now. In 1885, when the country
prosperous, and business trade and speculation had
reached their eliminating point the imports from for
eign countries, from which derive most of
nue., were in value SlS9, $50, OBS This furnished
ample amount of to defy the expenses of the
government, and leave surplus in the treasury. In
1887 the country visited by monetary crisis which
caused the mporations to fall off s49 900 900 in that
year and in 1888 the imports were s76 236 631 less
than in 1885, As the imports decreased did the
enue. lhe treasury depleted, and the government
was compelled to borrow money to carry it's opera
tions, similar state Of things now exists When the
present administration came into power there
plus in the treasury, TO reduce which Congress- few
days BEFORE had reduced the tariff Trade and speculs-
ton had again reached their highest point Another
financial revulsion came upon the country business
was to great extent suspended large number of the
banks broke, and the balance stoppe payment Under
those circumstances the imports from foreign countries
fell off in single year s7S, 99l The surplus in the
treasury disappeared under the double effect of
reduced tariff and largely reduced mporations and again
the government under the necessity of borrowing
money to defray its legitimate expenses. What states
man say this the fault of the administration
The tariff reduced before it had existence and no
human power could have prevented the reduction of inn
ports into the country. fsNtttflff tMs
Economy in the public expenditures has of late days
become avore hobby with certain politician
in this country and, in majority of cases. those who
talk economy most practise t least Invidous compas
sons have been instituted between us and fathers
this subject and between the expendtres of the gov
ernment and in the early days the republic Sir
while am in favor OF strict economy and accountability
in every department of the government, yet would
strike down of the public service, chat might
go home and tell my constituents that Il had, by my
vote, saved much of the ,'e<'s money. There
branch of the public service that be dispensed with
neither do expect TO bc able tosupport grown up