Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-07-17


and expenses. .Sl1 1SO ,OUOOO
For the army my..........,........... 3S,0Sl ,0130O
West Point military Academy ..., S0s,OO0.O0
Consular and diplomatic service. 12O6, GO
Post Office department. ............, 2,500, 90
Indian Bureau, treaties, &c, ,.,...,, 2,6O0, 10000
Rivers and harbors. 7OO,OO0O0
Collecting the revenue. ............-; 0,0j9,OO0O0
with the various departments: ~, G,OaO, 10000
Miscellaneous expenses OF all kinds,
including cost OF certain public
buildings throughout the country,
expenses of reconstrnction, ex-
penscs OF closing up Freedmens
Deficiencies Of various kinds in tho
different appropriations ........ 1850, 00000
Making total of...............S S106, ,s1S, ,4l7.OO
l differ in some items from the recent
statement of the Honorable Chairman of
Ways and Means, for think he included
in the expenses of this year deficiency of
thirteen million dollars resulting from the
Indian war of 1867, which amount was
appropriated and spent last year, and has
no proper connection whatever with the
expenditures of the current fiscal year
And he also includes, incorrectly, think,
some twenty.four million appropriations
overlapping from the year which has
closed to the present. l say incorrectly,
because this amount will be offset by
similar amount which overlaps from this
year to the next, about the same amount
going over each year, and this from neces-
sity owing to the mode Of disbursement
l have also made the amount for bounties
ten millions less than the Chairman esti
mates, because large proportion which
he includes In this year Will necessarily be
paid in the ensuing year, when 1t is hoped
the whole matter will be closed the last
soldier honorably paid of and the Treas
ury relieved from further obligation in that
direction.
Adding together these ordinary expen-
ditures, as l have above, the sum total is
found to be one hundred and six million
eight hundred and eighteen thousand four
hundred and forty-seven dollars. If Con-
gress can be accused of extravaganza, the
accusation must be made good on these
figures, or else abandoned, for the other
expenditures, as l have already repeated,
lie without the pale of Congressional dis
cretion or control. A clear estimate OF
the character of these expenditures may
be gathered by comparing them with the
outlays incurred under the last Democratic
administration. For example, in 1S57-5S
the same class of expenses in Buchanan's
administration were over seventy million
dollars in gold, whereas the one hundred
and six million eight hundred and eighteen
thousand four hundred and foTty-seven
dollars above named are in paper. II
must be observed, moreover, that in
1S57-59 the population of this country was
under thirty millions, whereas to-day it is
well nigh forty millions Adding forty
per cent. premium on gold, to bring the
expenditures of the last two eTas to the
same standard, and we find the outlays of
Buchanan were at the rate of over ninety
eight millions in paper to-day. To this
add One-third for increase of population,
and we find the Buchanan expenditures,
adjusted TO the scale of to-day, would
amount to one hundred and thirty mil
lion dollars for the same items that we are
paying less than one hundred and seven
millions. And in this calculation / have
said nothing about the increased military
and naval force of the present day, which
adds immensely to the account in favor of
present economy.
This calculation, stated in these general
terms, is far more striking and suggestive
when you come TO examine details. The
army, for instance, cost during the four
years of Buchanan's administration, by
the official statement of the Treasury De
partment, which hold in my hand, the
large aggregate of $96,307, ,57555, making
an average Of well nigh twenty-five mil
lions each year in gold. And at that time
the army consisted in all OF nineteen regi,
ments 80 that each regiment cost consid-
erably over million each year in gold.
The army at present contains sixty regi.
ments, and yet the whole appropriation
asked for by General Grant amounts TO
little more than thirty-throe millions, a
trihe more than half a million per regi-
ment each year in paper. In other words,
the army under the peace establishment Of