The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-03-01
Facts, Figures. and Specifications OF Dem
oSratic Extravaganza.

From the running DEBATE in the Senate
February Il, upon the resolutions of Nr
johnson, Of Tennessee, proposing 4 com
mittec to inquire into the possibility Of re
trenchmcnt, We make the subjoined extracts
from the Republic.
Mr. Trumbull said
The discussions that have taken place In
this body, and in the other end Of the Cap
itol, have generally been upon small ap-
ProPriations; on propositions. perhaps, to
strike out $4,000 for publishing the Con-
greSSi0s,ai GioJe; or to strike of the
mllage Of members of Congress-smsll
matters. The great expenses of this Gov
ernment are for its army and navy There
is where your millions 60, and there is the
place to make reduction that will amount
to something. The Post Office is bad
benough; but the army and navy, | think
are worse. They are covered up. We
can understand the little expense Of siO,-
600 here for the Congressional GI0Jc..
every one can see that; but the twenty odd
million that go into this Whirlpool for the
army is sunk, and nobody knows where it
goes-three or four million for transporta-
ton, &c
| propose to offer as an amendment to
10 the pending resolution a proposition in
structing the committee TO whom this reso-
luton goes, which trust will be the Com
mlttee on Finance, to report bill reduc-
ing the expenses Of the army and navy one
half; if the Senate is in favor, as gentle
men say they are, of reducing the expen-
ses of the army and navy one-half. You
say that existing laws will not allow it
Repeal existing laws What are We here
for but to make laws. and abolish those
laws which ought not to exist, Cut down
your army of twenty thousand men to ten
thousand, if necessary; discharge the off,
GERS Of the navy who are sailing up the
Mediterranean with fine fleet, and stop
ping at Rome, and at Constantinople, to
feast the Sultan and the Pope
Mr Hale. And getting extra compen-
sation when they come home
Mr.. Trumbull And getting extra COM
pcnsation, as my friend from New Hamp-
shire says, when they come home, for the
wine they purchase to feast those dignina.
reS Why, sir, We want no navy except
a few revenue vessels to protect our com
mcrcc against smuggling and against pi-
rates, If there are any. A great portion OF
the army is worse than useless to the coun-
try. | offer this az an amendment 10 the
pending resolutions:
And that said committee be instructed
to report bills reducing the expenses Of the
army and navy fifty per cent. on the csti-
mates furnished by the Departments"
Mr. Chandler said
Mr.. President, the Senator from Missis-
ippi says that Senators should bring no
charges until they are prepared to place
their hands upon the spot. Now. sir. am
prepared, not only to place my hand upon
the spot Of extravaganza, but Of crime, in
the Departments. have q right, even IN
der his dictation, to charge extravaganza
and crime. lie says that we merely make
general charges, that we do not place our
hands upon the spot where retrenchment
can be affected Sir, | held in my hand
an official document Of the Secretary Of the
Navy, in which he says he has one hundred
and one captains of the navy, Of whom
eighteen arc Oh sea service, and yet there
is no place for rctrenchmcnt lie says he
has one hundred and th;rty-thrce comman-
ders, Of whom only twenty-five are on sea
service. The average salary of these one
hundred aud one captains is $4,000 per an
mum, and you are paying $500, 900 per an
mum for eighteen captains on the ocean
= The average pay Of the commanders is g,
: 000 per annum, and you are paying S266.
600 year to keep twenty-five Of them OF
the ocean. True, a few of the others arl
engaged on short service; but it is perfect
y well understood shat you can get bette
service from civilians for short duty thar
| you can get from your antiquated naval of
: icors. The object of the Departmen
t seems to be t) find places to increase tn
: pay of these captains and commanders.
+ DO not know that the expenses of the arm
/ and navy can be reduced one-half; bu
4 taking this official document, | believe the,
t can be reduced more than one-half, an'
v render your navy more efficient
e How is it with the army-that grca
gulf in which your revenue has been swal
lowed up! Look at the official record O.
that, and you will see that there must b
s place to apply the pruning knife. see
C by another official document in my hani
:, that the whole expenditures for your mil
l. tary services were: in lSjl-'52, :S,0Gl
n 436 IS; and in lS5G-'51 they were SIS
1t 614,394 10; and it viii be remembers
.e by every Senator on this floor, that one
i. the first acts of the Senate, last winter, ";
e. to pass deficiency bill, granting $500
n 900 for the army. And yet the Senate
r. from Mississippi declares that what v
say is all generalities; that there is I
le chance, 10 possibility, Of retrenchmcnt.-
re lie informs US that he has introduced a biI
No reducing these expenses 100000 VIII
or sir, il is picking up pebbles from a gre
m pile Of rocks. Instead Of 100000,
e. ought TO be Sl0o00,000; and believe, t
It. day, an efficient committee can point o
be the way and the place to reduce the expe
ut ses Sl0,000,U00, without diminishing d
IS efficiency Of the army. These are no &c
D. eralities They are facts from official re
al ords