Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-27

600. The expenditure OF the Govern
msnt has been scarcely less than this
enormous sum for IL you will look at
the public debt of the 3lst August 1865,
You will find that it amounted TO $2,757,-
590.57l. and II you look at the last
monthly report, made August ], 1868. you
will find il is stated TO be 81. .633. .588, 900
showing decrease Of $l24. l07, ,2l5. The
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue tells
US that the value Of all the real and person.
oil property in the United States in 1860
the lands, farms, houses town lots, money,
stocks, bonds, railroads, steamboats,, ships
all amounted to only Sl4, ,282, 726, ,0S8. If
the products Of three years Of peace have
made up for the ravsges Of four years OF
war, then the taxation for three years
has amounted to very much more than
one-tenth Of all the property in the
country, while the taxation Of Great
Britain has amounted to one-thirteenth
part. If the taxation for these years
were assessed upon each individual
equally, il would amount in the United
States TO $34 rs, while in France the
taxation for the same time would amount
to $22, and in Austria to less than SIG.
The public debt CT the United States, II
assessed upon each individual, would
amount to $74 Is, the public debt OF
France to $53. and of Prussia to IL.
said to you that i never made q state
ment that could not verify, and hold
in my hand this report from the Repub.
lican Com missioner Of Internal Revenue,
Mr.. Wells. 1t is open to the inspection
dHany gentleman. On the 9th page of
that book, which your member Of Con-
gress can furnish you, for it is o public
document, you will find verified every
word / have said. Our Republican
friends are very much astonished at this
exhibition. Laughter.] Did you ever
know spendthrift when he was brought
face to face with the condition of his
affairs, that was not very much aston
ished indeed. They will turn upon us
with some statements made by this same
commissioner. In his letter to Mr.. Alli-
son, be says that during the three years
of which / have been speaking, the
amount paid on account of the public
debt is $3.50, 900 900, and that ought to
save $l5, ,000.0 900 annually in gold, by
wey of interest. Now, if you look into
that report carefully, you will find the
actual reduction of the public debt is but
$l34, 900, 900, and that the balance is
made up of an estimated surplus in the
Treasury which is not there, if at all, for
the purpose of paying the public de.t,
but for the purpose Of being used for the
ordinary expenses of the Government; !;
and if you look at this $l34 900, 900, you
will find that of this amount ST. ,000, 900
have been reduced by virtue of the con.
traction of the currency and calling in
the greenbacks, which pay no interest at
all and if you will put side by side with
these facts that in three years the increase
of the debt which pay interest in gold, has
amounted to $602, 100000, you will see
how much your burdens have been
lighteued. Then this same Commissioner
tells US that the estimated surplus in the
Treasury, on the first day of July, 1868,
| is $34, 900, 900. Where are they? They
have not been paid on the public debt,
that have shown you. Ilib6se, unfor-
tunately for our Republican brethren, q
list Of the deficiency bills that we're
passed juring the last two or three weeks
Of the last Congress, and the list that l
have, imperfect as 1t is, shows that they
have appropriated ont of this $34, ,000,.
900 the sum of $27, 900 in that way.
hold in my hand this list. l hate to
trouble you so much with the details of
figures, but as this is fair specimen of the
way in which our Republican fellow-citi-
zens. when they get invested with power
in Washington, seek to cover up their
doings, you will excuse me If call
your attention to it for one moment
The way in which these gentlemen man
age is this; They appropriate very much
less each year than they know will be
expended, and, toward the end of the
session of the year for which the appro-
priations have been made, they get up
what they call deficiency bills to
cover the excess. Then they 20 on in
the same session and appropriate for the
next year a very much less amount, and
when that year comes round they pass
" deficiency bills again; but when they
come to tell you what the expenses year
by year are, they say, THAT is all we have
appropriated" "These are our appro-
priations." "See how much we have
curtailed upon last year II They forget
to tell you about these deficiency bills"
daughter Listen to me one mement.
will not detain you long. Deficiency
in expenses Of reconstruction, S657 900
second, appropriation for the same OBJ
ject, $278, 1000; a further deficiency in
the Third District, and $31 900 for desti-
tute people (chiehy negroes) in the Dis
trict of Columbia. Then we come to the
War Department, and we have def
cheney in the War Department of
81, 100000. Then comes the Postmas-
Office and the Quartermas-
ter Generals office and the Postoffice
Department, and we have deficiency
bills in each; and the Treasury
Department, and we have deficiency
bill there; aud coming to the Collectors
of Customs, we have deficiency there
and coming to the construction branch
of the Treasury, and we have two
deficiencies there. Then comes the
Interior Department, and We have de-
fciency there; and then the government
of Territories, and we have deficiency
there. Then comes the Legislative De-
psrtment, and we have deficiency of
$600.0 900 in the Senate, aud $ll5, 900 in
the House. Then we come to q second
legislative deficiency, then Pension Office
deficiency, then two deficiencies in Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds, and lastly
deficiency on the miscellaneous bill
Great laughter.] When next any Of
your members OF Congress tell you how
much money they have appropriated for
next year, ask them to read how much
they appropriated in deficiency bills. /
will not weary you with this detail of
figures any further. might speak to
you an hour on that subject. They