Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-18
HamarIl. Of Gov. johnson ON government

A-SSSoSS - " IeuQcUOl OF Inc eXpeuulN
tures Of the Government of the United States which
is in the following words, to wit: 81 invite Con-
gress TO institute rigid scrutiny TO ascertain
whether the expenses in all the departments cannot
be stu further reouced; and promise them all the
AID IN my power In pursuing the investigation" be
referred to the Committee Finance, and that said
committee are hereby instructed after first confer-
ring with, and obtaining all aid " and inforna-
zion OF the President and heads Of the Departments,
as indicated in the Presidents message, 10 report
bill reforming, as far possible, all abuses in
the spplcasiOn Of the appropriations made by Cons
gress for The support Of the various Departments,
and which will reduce the expenditures al honest,
rlgld economical administration of the Government.
Mr.. Hunter. l should like to have that resO-
luton lie over till tomorrow. see that it in
structs the committee
Mr.. johnson, Of Tennessee. / hope the Sem
stor will make no objection to the resolution. 1t
ls merely directed to the committee and instructs
them after obtaining the Information, TO do what
the President himself says can be done. 1t seems
to me this is very suspicious time for such move
meut.
Mr.. Hunter should like TO hear it reid
again. Perhaps may agree to it. l did not catch
il all.
The Secretary read the resolution.
Mr. Hunter l wish to make a suggestion to
| my friend from Tennessee. HIS object is one in
which entirely concur, but he has probably named
the wrong Committee. 1t is the function Of the
Finance Committee to carry out what existing laws
/ require il is therefore the duty OF the Finance
Committee, If too mach is appropriated 10 carry out
| any existing law, TO reduce it to that; but all
changes of he laws uDder which expenditures are
had in the various Departments should proceed reg
ularly from the Committees which raised in ref
| erenee to the Departments Now, | think this
would be a capital proposition if it were divided
into about FIVE resolutions, directed TO the Mil
itary Co nmiltee, one to the Naval Committee, one
! 10 the Post Office Comm tee, and so on. Each
committee, by this division o. labor might matte in
the effort, aud might probably have something
| done; but if the whole matter is referred 10 the
Committee on Finance am afraid that with their
other occupations, they will hardly be able TO do
justice to the subject. l believe | may say for
them, that they would desire most earnestly TO
ry out the object OF the Constitution if they could
do SO, and they will do the test that is in their
power; but 1 think if the Senator wishes anything
practical he would do better to divide it SO that
each committee might take charge of the eXpendi>
lures which flow from the particular Department,
in reference to which it is raised.
Mr.. johnson, Of Tennessee. | am in hopes
that the Senator from Virginia will withdraw his
| opposition to this resolution The House Of Rep
resenatves, under their rules, appoint committees
to investigate and examine the expenditures Of the
respective Executive Departments l served In
that House ten ye rs, and never knew any of those
committees to make a report on the expenditures of
any Of the Departments. If we divide the labor
here between these various committees, appoint
SpeCldl COumlliSS On the Oh Tue faTl
Gus Departments there will never be anything Done
l would prefer have the labor and efforts of the
FiE9nce Committee first, to see if something can
not be dune in the way of retIenching the expendi
lures of thelGoVernmtnt, Indicated by the Pres
| ident of the United States. l think there can be
no objection to this If the Finance Committee
fad it impossible for them to perform the labor,
they can report that fact 10 the Senate. They are
efficient; they are working committee and l
hope the resolution will be referred to them.
While am up, Mr.. President must be permit
! ted TO make one other remark. have been waiting
long time, and looking good while for favora-
! bic opportunity TO commence the work Of retrench-
| ne t. have long been satisfied in my own mind
that it cannot be done unless the movement be head
ed by the Administration of the country. One
member may come into the Senate Chamber, and q
few others into the House of Representatives, and
| they may talk about retrenchment, and introduce
resolutions and propose propositions, and all that
kind Of thing, but 1t results 10 nothing; the effort
fails there is Tetrenchment commenced, and
there is reform brought about. But now W have
favorable opportunity. 1t is in time of peace. A
Democratic President now proposes, in his annual
| message, TO lead in this work of retrencbmeut He
tells in the message that the expenses of some Of
the Departments have been reduced below what they
were last year, and the suggestion is clear that if
Congress will commence this work, the expendi~
lures can be still further reduced The President
almost asks it. The President proposes TO lead in
the work of rerenchment, and why shall VIC not
join him in the effort? 1t never will be done until
this some other Administration places itself in
the lead Of this great work Tbs President it is
true, says in the message, hstt is unreasonable to
| expect that the expenditures of the Cover nment
! can now be as small as they were some years ago
that the business of The country, and the couu-
try itself, increase and become more extensive in
/ everything that pertains to Government we must
expect the expenditures Of the Government TO cor
respondingly Increase. That is reasonable and
right, and in that concur with the President; but
The question is whether the expenditures Of the
| Government are not running far ahead # cores
pending increase Of the population and business of
the country. There are one or two facts that think
will 60 far to show the necessity OF commencing this
| work of retrenchment and reform with the Presi-
! dent at its head.
! In 1870, the population Of the United States was
! fraction less than four millions; and the expen-
ditures, in 1871, 100000. At that time the
! amount required to carry on the Government for
four million Of people was only 81 600 coo In 1853
we find that the population was tweRty eight mil.
lions, and the expenditures of the Government for
the last year were about seventy.fve millions OF dol
lars. At least SIS 900 900 was the estimate; but
the actual expenditures, as we told were
$8l, 100000 and the amount appropriated at the
last Congress S8S 900 000 Confne it 10 the esti
mote made last year, and assume the estimate to be
S15,OOO,OOO. From 1880 up to the present period
of time the population has increased seven fold but
the expenditures Of the Government have increased
thrty-fve fold l ask you if this ratio is not too
great, if the expenditures of the Government have
not gone too far ahead of the population and bust
ness of the country Can we take any better data
to get a. what should be the expenditures Of the Gov,
eanment than the population? There may be other
things which may enable US to reach q correct con-
clusion; but this is enough to show the couu-
try that the expenditures Outrunnin our popula,
ton and business in too great ratio.
Our population has increased seven-fold, while
our expenditures have multiplied thirty live fold
Thus it appears that, from 1890 to the present time
the expenditures Of the Government have gone
twenty eight hundred per cent in advance of the
population. With that ratio going in the future,
how long will it be until the expenditures of the
Government 60 beyond the ability of the people to
pay the expenses oft?
hope this resolution will go to the Committee on
Finance. l think that is the appropriate commit
tee II is the committee that reports all the bills
providing for the expenditures Of the Government
aud 1t is The appropriate committee, l CONCEIVE
that should look into the expenditures and report
to this house whether these expenditures cannot
be reduced. l hope that the resolution will be re.
ferred to the Committee on Finance.
"SoANDALoUs Waste OF THE PUBLIC MONEY
In order tnat idea may be had Of the cost of
the Patient Office fancy picrurers will cite few
of the cases connected with the report of 1856 In
the House edition horse cost Sl0576 so n straw
berry, $40, $40 So sheep, Sl0,576 "a; map, So,
COZ "a For The Senate edition the same picturers |
cost 1919 To-
SIN the face Of these humiliating discosureres. |
which he If oaDoraI