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

lolp INC dulouuO VI COIudSc III Tue mint,
branch mints, and assay Office IN. W
was only S6,8l9, 807 From 1913 to
1858 it was S512, 23S, 1874, Take into
consideration, then, the population, ex-
tent, and wealth of the country now, the
wages of labor, and the cost Of subsist-
ance, the consequent increase of the sal
aries of all the officers and employees of
every department Of the Government,
and compare them with that of 1900
and you will find that the Government
is as economically administered in 1859
as it was at the former period.
Thus far | have spoken Of the progress
Of the country and of the causes Of in
creased expenditure generally I will
now notice separately the three depart
ments Of Government upon which ex-
trayagance is mostly CHARGED. / wish
my time would allow me to discuss them
fully, but it will not
And, first. the War Department Our
army, when filed up, consists of oigh-
teen thousand one hundred aud sixty
five men. There are in actual service
seventeen thousand four hundred and
ninety-eight men. Upon these troops
deyolve the protection of our whole from
tier Almost every fertilization in the
East has been abandoned the troops
have gone to the West. The necessities
Of the service have demanded it. They
went there for the purpose Of protecting
our settlers upon the frontiers and to
quell formidable rebellion which oc-
cured in the Territory of Utah
know that the expenses Of the army
have increased, but why have they in
creased The cost Of the army is we'll
defined when it is stationary, because the
pay Of The men is fixed by law, their ra-
tons are fixed by Law, and almost every
item Of expenditure is regulated by law
for the maintenance of the army when
not in motion. But, sir, the great item
of the increased expenditure Of our army
is that for transportation. That increase
has gone up within the last two years,
millions Of dollars. Previous to that
time we had, it is true, some hostile In
dams upon the frontier, but a large por-
ton Of the army was then in our bar
racks along the Atlantic coast Upon
the breaking out Of Indian hostilties in
Oregon, in Washington, in New Mexi-
co, and in Texas, a large portion Of our
army was ordered there. More than a
year ago a formidable and dangerous re-
b6llon threatened Is in Utah, which
took the whole body Of our troops 10 the
plains, except as many as were required
to take care Of the Government property
at the deserted barracks.
In supporting this army every gentle
man who is at oil acquainted with that
country knows the difficulties that had to
be encountered. You have to haul the
entire subsistence a thousand miles You
had to keep your army in the Businesses
Of the Rocky Mountains in the winter,
in order to be ready for the spring cam
paicn. 1t must be supplied from the
settlements There are now in active
service on the plains about eleven thou
sand men, the subsistence for which has
10 be brought either from tho Pacific or
from the Mississippi valley This trans
portation costs large sums Of money. 4
little over year ago the army was Or
dercd TO Utah, without a dollar Of money
in the Quartermaster's or in the Com
missary's chest. Congress was in session
for three months before they furnished
the Secretary Of War with the necessary
means for transportation Under these
circumstances, provisions and transpor-
tation naturally cost higher than if they
had had the money in hand. But, after
The passage Of the deficiency biz, ven
tUre to say, there has not a contract been
made for subsistence Of transportation or
for any expense in the Quartermosters's
department that would not, 60 far as
prices are concerned. command the APP
proyal Of every member Of this House.
Thus, sir, however mnch the march Of
the army to this wilderness country may
have increased the expenditures, it did
not cost too much; it did not cost more
than was necessary. We have now In
dian hostiltcs from the British posses
sous on the Pacific to Texas. and even
extending 10 the peninsula Of Florida
This army is scattered all along the from
tier to protect our people. a large por-
ton Of the troops have remained in the
rebellious Territory Of Utah, to suppress
instruction in that Territory if it shall
again break out The War Department
and the Government laborod under great
endorsements in reference 10 the diff
culties in Utah fer want 0f means, which
Congress for some time denied them. It
was important that the resurrection should
be stopped promptly. But for the prompt
action Of the Government that rebellion
would have been now in existence, and
have continued for years to come. It
has, however, been ended but it is not
prudent, nor is it safe, to Withdraw The
troops IF you were 70 Withdraw them
now the rebellion would again break out
in perhaps a more threatening aspect
than it did before
! say there has not been ono dollar too
much money expended by the War De-
partment. know there are many things
included under the head Of appropria-
tions for the War Department which do
not properly belong to it, and in that way
the expenditures Of that branch Of the
service are swelled up beyond what L.
ultimately belongs 10 it, For instance,
the construction Of the aqueduct, for
bringing water into the city Of wash
ington, which will cost SO, 900, 900, has
nothing to do with the army; and yet it
is placed to the charge Of the War De-
partmcnt The items Of expense for the
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