The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-03-01

lSsIppl as % the Executive department q.
this Government 10 determine that ques-
ton. have been contendinc, since have
been member of the Senate. against what
have regarded as the u~urpations of the
Executive department Of this Government
IN undertaking TO raise armies The pow
cr to raise armies ana nayics Is expressly
delegated to Congress by tn, Constitution:
and we know, or ought to know, how large
an army and how large n navy We require:
and We ought to be capable of deciding
whether the navy is not larger than It ought
to be. Ii Is presumed that the members
of Congress can judge, without any iufo--
nation from the Departments. whether the
one hundred naval officers Of tie hiehes;
grade on shore are necessary. II Is tc be
presumed that Congress cau jlisc whether
1t Is necessary to have al army Of three
thousand men stationed In the rocky noun
tains and in tab during the winter. Ii is
to be presumed that Congress can Judge
whether the President has any authority to
march an army into Utah as an escort to
the Governor, under the name of posse
cOmttaeps. deny that authority.
But | wish to call the attention of the
Senator from Mississippi for q moment TO
the expenses of the army. In lS5J, there
Were $4,000, ,00O; in 1891, they were Sl9,-
100000. They had mere than doubled in
seven years. | know the Senator from
Massachusetts tells Us that our country has
extended, and be undertakes to make an
apology for this enormous expenditure of
money. will tell the Senator from Mas
sachusetts that our country has not been
extended since the expenses have been
doubled. Is our country any larger than
1t was IN 1880! Do We require any larger
army now than We did then, Why should
Its expenses have swallowed from S9000,-
600 TO Sl9,0OO,000. In 1850, the expen-
Sc of the army reached 4 larger sum than
1t ever had before, on the peace establish
ment. from 1880 to 1910, the average
expenditures of the army were S4.000.000
year. In 1850. they reached S9000,-
600 i think Congress may Judge, with
these evidences before it, that there is no
occasion for SO large an army, and | think
We may Judge with regard to the navy
| Need | tell the Senator from Mississippi
that vessels which We have built at an ex-
pense of millions Of dollars, have been suf-
fered 10 rot upon the stocks, and have new
er been Of any service to the country
Where is your great ship Pennsylvania,
that was built at Philadelphia at an iul-
mense expense, Did she ever 20 TO sea-
| believe she has been used as store ship.
| think if Congress is the proper depart
ment to Judge as to whether those expen-
ses should not be reduced, and We want 10
details about it. am ready TO cut them
down one-half l believe that, if $4,000
900 was sufficient sum Of money to sup
port an army to defend the country III
1850, it is sufficient today The naval
establishment cost, in 1850. S7.000,000;
in 1857. S12,000,000; aud believe it is
estimated to cost more than that now
thirteen or fourteen, or perhaps fifteen mil
lion dollars j there any reason ior this
Increase! ! know Of none, and therefore
the proposition which made is specific
proposition, and | think it comes from the
right department Of the Government, for
We are to Judge how irrge an army Is nee
esSary, and how large a naly, and when
We see that our army Is so largc, that hun
,!reds and Thousands Of TT, Us are employ
cd for ilicgitimatc purposes, employed, rs
| insist, without author ty Of law, | think il
is time we should reduce that army
When We all know, from Information which
every man possesses. that We have feet,
sailing upon trips Of pleasure in distant
quarters Of the globe, merely to make {
display, thinl; we may vel consent - r
ducc the expenses Of the navy. When VI
know that large majority OF car naval Of
fcers are on land, and not at sea, thinl
We may well, without inquirug oS the IA
" department., introduce 4 proposition t,
reduce the expenses oHe-half when 10
one-half our officers are employed
Mr. Wilson said
Let US require that the Executive DE
partmcnt5 of the Government MIKE up tn
estimates upon the basis Of $50,009,0 5000
. Mr. Calhoun said, in ISL, when the cx
, pendtures Of this Government were on3'
about thirty million dollars, that if refoll
and retrcnchment were inaugurated. the
I must come from the executive branches {
: the Government; and without their co-opc
I ration, without their lead, rctrcnchmer:
9 cannot take place. ] agree = that dol
Z, trinc; and | SAP here t. day, that in thcs
], extravagant expenditures the ezocutiv
: branches Of this Government have take
: the lead, bo'h in their re concentrations I
: Congress, and, above all. in their practic
! in carrying on and administering tie Cox
{ crnment The evidence now being t.ke
: before q committee Of the other brancl
: when it shall 90 out TO the country, wi
r show the extravaganza, if not corruption,
e the administration of the Navy Depar,men
O in a way which wi! astonish the nation
= The Senator from Tennessee says hi
!, the Secretary Of War, one Of the most {:
!, ;rcvagant men that ever administered ar
II Department Of this Government, one of Il
it loosest men that ever administered any u
> partmen, Of this Government Secrcfll
!, that, in my Judgment, has administered Il
D. War Department dr-ing the pest two yea
he in way that has reflected no credit ,
L. himself or the Administrat;on-tells
c. that, If he can have our cooperation,
can make large reduction. Sir. he sh;