Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-04-01
Goprrnugcnt Affoirs.


The House Of Representatives, Janu-
airy 3ist, 1852 being in Committee of
the Whole on the State of the Union
Mr.. SMITH said: Mr. Chairman, an
empty Treasury always begets discussion
in reference to the expenditures Of the
Government and the mode Of raising
revenue; and the various opinions enter
tanned upon these subjects by the peoples
Representatives, are amusing as well as
instructive. The scrutinizng gentleman
from Alabama (Mr Curry) wants a poor
Government; my worthy colleague (Air
Joncs) wetPs over an empty eXchequer,
and no doubt thinks our Government
failure; while the senior gentleman from
Alabama Mr. Houston) is Mortified at
the idea Of paying bounties to the cod
fishermen Of the East But, sir, it was
reserved to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Sherman) to make himself the
Ogle Of the House, and to carry us back
in Imagination to the days when gold
spoons and forks and Cooking glasses as
big as poor mans plantation we're the
most effective arguments for a change in
the administration Of the Government
That discussion upon the subjects to
which | have alluded is legitimate no
one will deny; and that it is profitable
to the country, when properly conducted,
10 ono will question. When, however,
it is resorted to for party purposes, when
It dcgenerates into one-sided statements
bold assertions egregious miscalcp!ations,
and false predictions, il is calculated to
mislead the public mind and TO DO great
injustice to every department. Of the Go
vornment-tho Legislative as well as the
executive Such is the character Of the
speech of the gentleman from Ohio de-
liyercd in this House on the 2Gth day of
May last, and hut little more than u
month before the close Of the fiscal year
1857. As that gentleman has taken the
lead in this matter, both at the last and
the present session Of Congress, ] pro-
pose to examine briefly some Of his cal
culations and predictions, that this House
aud the country may judge as to the re-
lance to be placed upon his figures in
reference to the expenditures Of the Go
vcrnmout. In the speech to which !
have referred, after advcrting to the
$50, GEO, coo Of Treasury notes previ-
ously issued, and the Sl5, 600, 600 loaa
afterwards raised to 800 coo GOO ask
ed fer by the Secretary Of the Treasury,
the gentleman said:
81 can demonstrate TO any sensible man that
the Secretary Of the Treasury win be compelled
TO call on Congress for S42 0o0 0G0 TO supply
deficiencies in the next fiscal car To that
will have to be added S2l 900, 600 TO redeem
the outstanding Treasury notes and interest,
which run for but one year. So that there
win lie an addition to the national debt Of
S63 100, COO in two years.
The first paragraph have read would
make the impression, if not SO intended,
that the Secretary Of the Treasury would
be compelled to call for &I2, G00 600. In
addition to what had already been called
for, to supply deficiencies in the revenue
for the present fiscal gear Put, how
ever, the best construction upon it for
the gentleman from Ohio. and include in
the S42 600, 600 the 500 600, goo pre-
yiousy asked for aud subsequently grant
Cd, and be makes a mistake Of S21 600,
o. in estimating the Deficiencies in the
revenue for single fiscal wear. Sir,
not one dollar has been asked for at this
session Of Congress, 70 supply dcfcien-
cies in the revenue for the present year.
Nor will there be a dollar asked for any
such purpose. have before me the re-
port of tic Secretary Of the Treasury to
the present session Of Congress; and so
far from stating any deficiency in the
means Of the Government for this year.
be states, on page 3, that there win be a
balance in the Treasury on the lst day
of July. 1889, Of 1853. 299. Such
gross mistakes as this throw suspicion
over all the gentleman's figures. But
this is not ALL After satisfying himself
with his estimates Of Deficiencies in the
revenue. he next tries his hand in csti
mating deficiencies in appropriations for
the present fiscal year. lie says:
"By the annual estimate Of the Secretary Of
The Treasury the expenditures for that year
would be e74 0Gl I5j But this does not in
cludc many items, most Of which viii have 90
be paid tor as certainly as the President sala-
~. Some are as follows:
Three new regiments ........,..........S4. $50 SAT
Probable Posi- Office deficiencies over
amount appropriated ............... ., 500. 600
Public bindings. 100000
Private bills, ESTIMATED .............. 900 600
Printing deficiency. COO, 600
Army dchcicucr, ESTIMATED to be
the same as last ycar.............., 3, 900, 600
g. 089, 54l
Based upon these figures, the gentle
man estimates that the expenses Of. the
Government for the present fiscal year
will, lin all human probability, be from
ninety to one hundred million dollars.
Sir, no deficiency bill has as yet been in
troduced, nor 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
oue million will cover all the deficiencies
In appropriations for the present fiscal
year, except 10 the revenue Of the De-
partmcnt before referred to. Here again,
then, the gentleman is equally as unfor-
tuuate rs in his first calculations. lie
makes a mistake Of Sl4, SOC, 600 in de-
fciencies in appropriations for a single
fiscal year These statements have gone
TO the country, and it is proper that their
fallacy should also 90 10 the country !
here dismiss the gentleman from Ohio,