The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-08-13
Mr.. Weiss Report.

Certain Democratic journals
have lately labOrod hard 10 induce
tho belief that our National expen-
ses are enormous, that the public
debt is being increased instead Of
diminished, that taxation is more
onerous, and that the Republican
party, having two.thirds MAORI
ty in both Houses, is responsible
therefor. In answer to certain in
quiries CT the Hon. Wm. B.Allison
of Iowa, Special Commissioner
Wells has written a letter, contain
ing the following specifications:
Il That the National receipts
Of revenue from all sources, for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1868,
were substantially s4O6,3O0,OOO,
and the aggregate expenses S371,-
$50, ,225, of which Sl41 ,635 551 13
was on account of interest on the
Public Debt (nearly slS,OOO,0OO Of
this being due mainly to payments
on accoHnt OF accumulated inter-
est on the Compound Interest
Notes, and which will not appear
in future interest disbursements J
thus Leaving an estimated surplus Of
receipts Ouer expenditures, for the
gear ending June 80 of s34, ,649,777.
III. Sirce the war tho amount
of Taxes abated or repealed is
S167, ,269,000, and coincident with
this reduction the aggregate of the
National Indebtedness has been re-
ducedS250, 100000. On this abate-
ment the reduction of the interest.
calculated at six per centum, would
be fifteen miLltorS per annum.
Ill. The aggregate expenses Of
the War Department from April
1865, to June 30, 1868, were s917,-
117,O43 43, sG47, ,GSS,OOO Cor 70 per
cent of the wholo) being used dur
ing the last nine months of 1865,
in paying off our troops and other
necessary war expenses. Tho bal.
ancc, $269, ,428, 977 10, covers a pc
riod of thirty months, and repre-
sents disbursements further contin-
gent upon the termination of tho
war, regular expenses. the money
used in the Indian War, tho pay
mont of bouhtics (s40,382, $500,
payment for property destroyed
in tho military service ,000,.
000), reimbursement of State
claims (slO, 100000, river and har.
Dor improvements Notifications,
Indians, Freedmen's Bureau, ex.
pcnses of Reconstruction, etc.
". From April l, 1865, to
June 80, 1868, the expenditures Of
tho Navy Department were sll3,-
1926 81, and 45 per cent OF this,
or s59, 9,847, $3.50 58, were disburscd
in the nine monthssucceeding the
termination of tho war. The bal.
ance covers the regular expenses
Of tho Navy for thirty months end
ing July 80, 1868, as well as the
disbursements Of prize money and
for the settlement of contracts made
before tho war cndod.
V. No department of the Gov.
ornment has beon'so much abused
by Gov. Seymour and Democratic
orators generally as the Freed
mons Bureau. They have nevor
failcd to magnify threeiold the cost
of that institution. Mr.. Wells,
shows that since its organization
in 1866 down to June 80, 1868, its
expenses wore only S5,6l7,000
This disposcs of one. half OF the
false statements of these men. If
it were possible to find out how
much ofthis money was expended to
alleviate the sufferngs OF whites,
the Democrats might be shamed
into stopping tho other half OF
their abuse.
Finally, the expenses contingent
upon tho acts Of Congress rcgula
ting Reconstruction have been SO,
344,700, which is also far below
tho amount given by the Demo-
cratic candidate for President and
his followers ~, Y, Tribune.