Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-30


So the ordinary expenses of the War De-
partmeut have far more than doubled in seven
years. In that time there was an addition to
the army of some three or four thousand men
say four thousand; ii having amounted. in Mr..
FillmOre's time to some $500 men. The ex-
penses. as we have shown, of the entire Depdrt-
lnentf during Mr.. rs administration averaged
S9500,000. The expenses of the officers and
men. Tor the army prOper.) including pay,
clothing, supplies of all sorts for men aud
horses, transportation, &C., &C., amounted to
81 900, 900 per year. The number of officers
was about 1000, at an average pay of (say)
$1,000, the pay of a 2nd lieutenant This
gives S1.200.000, which deducted from 81.
100000, leaves less than $4,000 900. as the
sum expended in 1888 for $500 private
soldiers. There having been an addition since
then, to the rank and file of 1000. or AZ per
cent. it il just to expect an increase in the
expenses On the army of AZ per cent. on So
900 THIS is $500 600; so that, allowing
for the increase Of the army, the expenses in
1878, a; Mr.. FilImore's rate of expenditure,
ought to have been Sl2.000.00O. What has
become of the other SII 100000? Who has
got it? There has also been an increase in
the pay Of the army. amounting to S48 per
year. amounting to the gross increase OF S672,-
600. Well, allow that. There remains the
enormous sum of $ll,000.000 unaccounted
fOr-an increase in five years of considerably
over 100 per cent.
We have struck out 50 800, 900 on account
of the Washington Acqueduct, the Post Office.
and the extravagant doings abOut the Capitol.
We have struck ont this-we have allowed for
the Increase in the number and pay of the
Army-and now we ask the Democratic cleo
tor in this District. where is that l1,000,0 009
Who has got it? From nearly 100000 land
tIotT than oh 10, how To
$50 900 600 in seven years!
We do not kIlO1c where this money has gone
to; but straw will show which way TIE wind
blows. On account of the recent Indian dis
turbances in Oregon. debt, according to the
Government agents, of S6,000.000 bad been
contracted. The War Dcpartment-this War
Department whose eXtravagances we are now
arraigning, recommended it to be paid. Re
commended az 10 be paid. And how much is it
supposed they charged poor old Uncle Sam for
a rausket? SIPS. How much for oats? SIS per
bushel. S55 for pistol-Sl20 a ton for hay,
&c, &c.
"POpgoes the ioedsel
And thdtS the I0dy the money gOeS'
The Committee on Military Affairs reduce
this precious claim to 81 800, 900.
This one fact opens up the whole subject
The people are plundered. We pay for our
handsomely dressed, well fed, and drinks his
cheap wine at Sl20 per year.
FORT SMELLING.
We might refer also TO the Fort SneLlinq sale
in 1857, where some 5000 acres of public
land, for i0h'ch there Cds an offer IN the War De
partmenf at Washington of SIS per acre, was sold
Secretly--not by auction-and tothOm advertising.
at SII per acre-to certain parties, Zone OF
them political friend of the Secretary who
learned in Washington from the Secretary OF
Wart that the sale would take place. and
who travelled from Washington To Fort SMELL
ing (some of them) in company with the Com
missoners of sale-and WhO, except said Com
mssioners, as far as appears, were the only
persons who knew of the intended sale-the
people living on the spot. some of whom wan
ted 20 buy. not hearing of the matter for q
month after the sale was madel The whole
reservation brought 100000. The partner OF
Mr.. Steele, Zone of the purchasers soon after
the sale, offered detailed account of the
value of the lands to Matthew johnson, U. S
Marshall for the Northern District of Ohio, al
the large figure of Sl,400,000. One section Of
$40 acres was actually sold for $500 900. But
we must pass on: Let US see
HOW THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY MAKES THE
MONEY FLY.
The following is a statement of the expen-
ditures OF the Navy for the years given:
Under Mr. buchanan, 1878, exclud-
ing Steam Mail Service, $l3 ,09l 00C
Under Mr. Fillmore excluding Steam
Madl Service, Tor lSI9-50, 7,735 ,0OC
For IS50-5l, 1885 ,0OC
For 1872, ,gs4 ,0OC
For lS22-3, 9,327 ,00C
Average under Mr. Fillmore, s.I92,oOC
In 1850 there were II ships in the Navy
with 1870 guns; in 1853, rs ships with 2,23l
gums. co tt,a4 tho Navv ic atbar StoaIiar noun
than it was then. and yet Mr. Buchanan in six
years manages to swell The expenditures from
$4,000 900 To SI3.0O0,000.
Dove make any misrepresentation? Look
to the testimony OF Senator Pugh. democrat
on pa ge 273S ot the Congressional Globe foI
1878. Said
Senator Pugh.-"There must be abuses in
the Navy; there must be shameful profigdcy al
some place. if SIS 900, 600 cannot give us navy
that docs not even rise above the dignity OF q
sham"
Hear another Democratic Senator. (Cling
man, of North Carolina.) See same reference
Senator Clingman.-" Democratic member
of Congress from the State of New York, in
reply to a remark of mine about the large ex-
pcnditure and small return. told me that. in
his opinion, in one of the navy yards, shall
not specify which, tsoo-thirds Of the money sca,
scdSted."
Mr.. Pugh.-''I think that is very probable
for il is my experience. that ttOo-thrds Of th,
money Sre 1Ote for any purpose is scdSted."
Said Senator Toombs, during the same de
bate:
Mr.. Toombs.-"The budget for the French
Navy is 100000 900 francs, 1924 000, 900, J
ours eighty $4,000 ,000,) two-thirds of what
theirs is The French Navy is represented to
contain some 400 or 500 ships ours so or co.
Mr.. Toombs said on another occasion -
Thatthe gravest suspicious existed in refer
ence to the management of the Navy yards
and as God was his Judge, he feared there
was something in it,"
That is portion OF the Democratic testi-
mony to which we might more largely refer
throughout the whole Of this article, but
space fUrbids.
liz is no wonder that there is extravagance
in the Navy after the shameful exposure oi
the Presidents own endorsation on that IA
nous letter from Col. Patterson. of Philadei,
phia. touching that contract of Merrick 4
Sons In that case there was a downright
purchase of rotes with Navy money 10y the Presi
dent and Secretary 81 the Nary, tor the purpose
of eiecting Democratic member from Phila-
delphia.
now THE Posi- MISTER GENERAL MAKES THE
MONEY FLY.
In 1928. the expenditures Of the Depart
ment were 1882; in 1878. they were sl2,
1922; the sstimates of 1859 are Sl4, T76. 900
aud Tor lsS9-60 the enormous sum of SIT.
100000. The receipts Of 1899 8 were $1,000,
900, ground numbers;) In ls57-S, they wer,
S7.4sO,0O0 the q. aol in 1890 will be SONS
81. 000, 900.
So that next year the post Office is to cos
as mach AS the War Department. Yet mrm
hers Of Congress will uot give nm their frank
ing privilege estimated to cost 81 SOC, 900
Bat they wish 10 raiss ths Posieye. livery let
tsrin England costs two cents; ours eosi
three--and they want TO make il FIRE.
Says. the Postmaster General, IN his las
report: ''in times OF rational, as we'll a,
State elections, the post Office conveyance,
are literally loaded down with partisan doc
uments.o
ia a single instance, y be says, s.the trans