Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-07-31
MiSccllA Nc o II s.
SPEECH HON. JAMES G. BLAINE

In tie House Of Representatives., July2,
1868.
The House being in Committee Of the
Whole on the Deficiency Appropriation
bill
Mr.. Blaine said /:
MIR. CHAIRMAN I'VE have entered up :
on Il new fiscal year, and the last appro
pliatiOn bill to provide for its expenditures
Ii been reported and is now before the
House. The occasion seems IA fit one for Il
brief survey Of our financial situation aud
for pertinent answer to the hlany mis-
representations SO industriously set atost
in regard to governmental expenditures.
A very labored attempt has been made
through hout the country hy certain parties
and partisans to create the impression that
the expenditures Of this Congress are On
scale vi needless and reckless cxtrava-
gauce. propose to show that such IL not
the laet, hut lat, on the contrary. the eX
prnditurcsa are made with far more regard
10 tc"uu,ny than distinguished the last
D.mocratic administrator that was III
power III this country. The question Ii
one of figures and not OF argument, aud
hence proceed at One. to the figures.
1t Is hhpUrtant at the outset. to clear
understanding and clear comparison Oi
Government expenditures ut the present
time al'i the period inodlatcly preceding
, the war, 10 distinguish between those eX
pendltures which were the inevitable con
sequence Of the rebellion. and therefore
unavoidable. and thuse which may be to q
and the fidelity Of Congress. OF those
| -, IL,
growth vi the rebellion, | count the inter
est on the war dent a,id the pensions and
bGunties to soldiers and sallurs. Ihcs,
are expenditures winch are not discretion
ary but are inperatlvely demanded, unless
The nation is prepared on the one hand te
dciraud its creditors. or on the other Il
| turn its back GU the brave men who risked
everything that the Republic might sur
yivc.
The annual interest on the public dcb
amounts to one hundred and twenty nine
million six hundred and seventy eight thou
sand seventy eight dollars aud fifty cents
| Tho pension ron for the year will he thirty
million three hundred aud fifty Thousand
dollars, and the bouLties due and payable
will require about thirty million dollars
These three items, which are not discre
tionafy, amount to the large aggregate o
w QUE hundred and ninety lmlnon dollars,
well nigh two thirds Of our total outlay iO
the fiscal year upon which We have just
entered. The fact that so large proper
ton of our expenditure is the resnlt OF til.
war. and IS unavoidable unless we repudi
ate our obligations to our public creditors
and our hefoic soldiers, cannot be too often
repeated or too thoroughly Impressed OIL
tho public mind; tor it is idle to dcnounc,
these expenditures as extravagart unless
We are prepared to withhold them; ane
whoever proposes to withhold them propos
es thereby to put the nation at the SAINT
time under the doubly disgracetul stigma oI
reputation and ingratituda Ii the Lem
ecratic party ch0Osc to assume that posi-
ton it is welcome to all the glory OF it.
For the ordinary expenditures of Gov
ern,nent for the fiscal year which has JUS
begun the appropriations are as follows:
Executive, legislative, and judicial, embracing al
j. partnrent salaries and expenses. $4,000 "
For lhe Army. rs y.
for the Navy ,0J0 u
West Point Military Academy. 100
Consular and diplomatic seryice....".l ,0od, 4Si "
Post Office Department. .2,0GU,UUO W
Indian bureau, trcatIeS, ,&c...........,25OU,OoO
hivers and harbors. 100, " !,
Collecting the heVchue'' ''9,oSo,''o u
Suudry civil expenditures connected .
with the various Departments. ....'. .6,03O0O0 O
Miscellaneous expenses OF all Athts,
including cost ot certain pub ic
| buildings throughout the country,
expenses OF reconstruction cA-
| pense OF closing up Freedmcu's ku'
reau, NC. 6OO,0o0
Dchciencies OF various kinds IN the
different tapproprations...... 100000 N
Making total of......."....""..sioa,sls,i7 II
| differ in some items from the rccen
statement Of the honorable chairman o
WAYS and Means. for think he included
in the expenses Ut this year deficiency
of thirteen million d"ilars resulting from
the indian war oI 1867; which amoan
was appropri tied and spent last year and
has no prnper connection whatever will
the expenditures vf the current fiscal year
Aud he also includes. incorrectly | think
some twenty four million appropriations
overlapping from the year VIII ch has clos
ed to he present. say incorrectly, b.,
cause this amount will he offset by u SIM
lar amount which overlaps from this yea
70 the next, about the same amount going
lover each year and this from neccsSitl
owing tn the mode Of disbursement.
have also made tle amount fuf bounticS tel
millions less than the chairman estimates
because large proportion which he IL
cludes in this year will necessarily be paid
in the ensuing year. when it is hoped th'
whole matter will be closed the last sol
dier hcuorably paid oil, and the Treasur.