New-York tribune., 1868-01-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
JOHN 5. NEwBERRYs STRUCTURES on SECRETARY
M'CULLoCH's REP0RT-THEIR ERRORS POINT

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such of Mr. Newberrys errors as relate 10 he PeSe u
The fiscal year of the Treasury ends on the 2Oh of June
When the Secretary made his report TO inc presc Nth
gress the quarter ending sept 80 1861 had eioscu' VII"
tie following actual expenditures: .... a.
For Pensions and Indians. loiaiI6 II
For War Department. 3o,o5t,oSo %
For Interest on ihe Public Debt. 3s,5i56lo Al
For the remaining three qua rcr ending June 80 lses
his estimates of expenses are as iolo"s' uhucr ' "'
heads; o-oooooo
Pensions aud Indians ,95 0co G1o
War Department. .luOun'oU
Interest on the Public Deht............ liiocOOo
The estimates for the War Department In the last tape
including l 100000 for the yment of bouhes ior inc
last three-quarters of the year -. -. .rho
Against these estimates, Mr.. Newberry says: Inc
estimate for the civil list seems outrageous ana no rcon
gwen. For the year ending june 1850 was sl2JOoO
aud it has sweed to s5o52,3si! II too great by
Mr. n fails TO distinguish the difference between ciyll
list and civil serrce hence this olunder Ihe sccretaTy
estimate is for civil serrice not cvn list Ihe eyi hst
Includes expenses OF Congress Congressional Printing,
the Executive. Territorial Governments Mint, &c. Inc
civil serrice includes not only the crH hS but the er
penses Of Foreign Intercourse ana what aeteIned ms
cellaneous civil expenses embracing expenses OF the
Coast Survey Public Buildings, Department OF AgIlcul
ture Light Houses Surveys Of Public Lands, collection
of the Revenue Expenses of the District Of Columbia, %e
The actual expenses Of the ty service Tor the year ehu
The sccretary for the civil service for the year ending
June 80 1903 are sJOl52 or nearly O0W tess than
OF 900 more as Mr. Newberry claims. This Will be
accepted as satisfactory disposition of the irst charge
djans" the estimates for which. lac are s7OOo0O
over last year. During the last year there mas Feh
trouble with the Indians on the Plains, and the expenses
of keepnc them under control still continue. In conse-
0uencc the pendure under this head for the quarter
M expendturc for the year would call for s2Oo0O In.
stead OF $2476. the Secretary estimate In we" 9i
th2 rrntrv will pass this item without mpung error to
the Secretary In advance The expenses uoer is eaa
in 1867 show an increase over 'h"' o 1870 u O' '"
The next exception is to the estimates for the War De
partmcnt Mr. Ncwberry says: war Department Gen,
Grant estimates I'm his report SGliOpG the secretary OF
the Treasury, tl305310C- making the secretary cs'F
mate over Gen Grants. So. 10000"
c;cn Grant has made no such estimate. His annual
report estimates the year ending June 90 1902 require
MI yconre over sooOO II is not easy TO see
how Gen Grnnt could make his estimate for 1869 any
hountics his estimate for would be S010oOO
Mr. Newbeuy has probably confused estimates oi appro-
prations rsqred from 1868 with estimates of actual eN
penses These estimates Of appropriation cover what s
needed in addition To the pended appropriations
us see how secretary he arrived at this ssn.,e
ON a. Of his report he states tha u - Aue on & is
months" Will II be claimed that, with the present hos
Congress upon Reconstruction the for the next
nine months will be any less True the Secretary Il
hopeul that Congress will take measures 10 largely rc-
duce cXpendtures In all branches Of tc service but Ia
this branch further Immediate reduction Improbable
The expenses OF the War Department for tho
three months ending Sept 30, 1851 were sjo'jIoJC 80
The gross amount for the Six months preced-
ing vVl'ous we
The average for these six months was... lt96Ol 80
This average, multiplied by II, would he. lJIb2o IL
The Secretary reduces this amount 10 sl30JOO and II
is I'm fact quite small II We may Judge by The expert
ence OF the month just closed December, lsoI during
Which the expenditures OF the War Department were
within u fraction Of $l3.O0ooOO.
The next and final exception Is TO the interest upon the
public debt out Of which an oyercsmatc T. figured Of
sl4OOOOOO This financial triumph u accomplished hrst
by taking the statement Of the debt on the grs ~ y
instead OF the first of Noreabr, 1901 and then by making
round computation at per cent IN one case and some
other rate In other lie has probably forgotten that
when compound interest note patures there Is about
10 per cent Of interest due p6h il Instead Of This de
an The basis Of the estimate OF July l. Between date
and July 1863, there was an amount OF compound IN
tercst notes to mature Of sO0Sloi5o on winch the IN,
terest would 10 sl94G023 A. THIS SUN added 70
the Of s356l26O 20 the interest on $40 notes ana
sSs572O interest on bonds to the Pncihc kroaa hna
branches makes the amount OF currency interest on lnat
basis paid within The present fiscal
instead OF s42OooOoO assumed by nm Ihls al 40 1Ieo oN
plains the alleged overesmate OF tli Oo IN ms l.sn
Perhaps the most ludicrous blunder which Mr. new
berry has made is in relation TO the item OF ss5Oooo,
which Secretary Of the Navy requested the secrc
carry 10 the surplus fund" The writer actually believes
that this item represents much money then paid by
nor appear IN the secetarys report Tor he says that il
Is for sale captured property the sale Of
why 1t does not appear in the Treasury statement.
am 10th to use space IN instrnctns such inioerabc
not aGect he Treasury balance ~ all nor was dollar
added to that bpanSS Gy w pl9n q tn sG seesey Of
and after the service she has performed probably
geyer VIII The explanation OF the whole matter s ,ls
them wOld 20 the accounts Of appropriations for the
Navy Department. heretofore made Under these various
heads appropriations large balances INCREASED by
these additions not needed for current expenditures The
Secretary Of the Navy nsructs the Secretary Of tho
Treasury to carry these balances TO tho surplus fund
This the whole transaction The money received for
these vessels, &C.. undoubtedly carried Into the
Treasury the time II paid and there entered to the
credit OF these appropriations THIS Is the whole story
evident every who has read the report Of the Sec
reIary OF the Navy.
have thus disposed OF the sum Of sl76coo.oco which
Mr. Newberry has saved 10 the country by his striking
letter The manufacturers have solid and unanswerablc
arguments In favor Of the abolition Of the tax upon the
productions Of their industry arguments which Congress
will regard, and which confidently hope Will induce the
Secretary OF the Treasury 10 cooperate In proper eec
tive, and immediate measures for their relief They do
propose weaken their position by falsfying facts
by unfoundcd aspersons Of the motives OF public of
GERS They not responsible for this lccrby Mr. New
berry, and they do not propose by their silence 10 be
charged with such burden. They have ground OF
complaint against the Secretary O the Treasury any
reason suppose that he will refuse 10 recommend any
measure for their relief which Is consistent with the pub
interest These considerations have induced ne Ia re-
pudiae this letter, and to place portion Of IL In ITS
true light before the country c.