Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-12-16

that time tho disbursements Of tho Gov.
ernment have successfully been five hun.
drcd and twenty millions, threo hundred
and forty-six millions and threc hundred
and ninety three millions. Adding to those
amounts three hundred and scvcnty-two
millions, estimated as necessary for fho fs.
cal year ending tho Both Of June, 1869, VIC
obtain total expenditure Of sixteen hun
dred millions Of dollars during tho four years
Immediately succeeding the war, or nearly as
much as was expended during tho seventy
two years that preceded the rebellion, and
embraced tho extraordinary expeditures al.
ready named. .v
These startling facts clearly illustrate the
necessity of rctrcnchment in oil branches Of
the public service. :s:.Abuscs which wcre.t .tol.
Grated during the war for tho preservation
of the nation will not be endured by tho
people, now thatfprofound spcacc prevails.
The receipts from internal revenues and Gus.
toms have, during the ;past three years.
gradually diminished, and tho continuance
Of useless and cxtravagapt expenditures will
involve us in national bankruptcy, or slse
make inevitable on increase Of taxes, already
too operous, and in manys respects obnox-
ious on account Of their ipquisitsriaE char
actcr. - One hundred millions annually arc
expended for the military force, a large por-
ton of which is employed in the execution
of laws both unnecessary and unconsti.u.
lional one.hundrcd and City millions are
required each year to pay the interest on the
public debit an army Of tax eatherers i'm
povcrishcs the nation; and public agents,
placed by Congress beyond the: control Of
the Executive, divert from their. Legitimate
purposes large sums Of money which they
collect from the people in tho name of The
Government. ..ss..J udicious Legislation 9..and
prudent economy can alone remedy defects
and avert evils which, if suffered to exist,
can not fail to diminish confidence in the
public councils, and weaken the attachment
and respect Of the people towards their po'
litical Institutions Without the proper
care the sluall balance which il is estimated
will remain In the Treasury, at the close.of
the present fiscal year, will not he realized,
and additional millions be added to the debt
which is now enumerated y billions
1t is shown, by the able and comprchen-
sivc report Of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury, that tho receipts; for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1868. were $405,6s ,003
and that the expenditures for the same
period werc s377, $40, ,2Si, leaving in the
Treasury surplus Of s2S,297,79s. 1t is
estimated that tho receipts Of tho present
fiscal year ending June 30, 1869, will he
$34l ,3g2, 2,s6S, and the expenditures 1885,
1852 2,47O, showing small balance Of sj,2io,-
39s in favor of the. government. For the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1870. it is csti-
mated that the receipts will amount to s32I,.
0O0, 200, and the expenditures to $780,, 3,OO0,-
900, leaving an estimated. surplus Of s2I,.
100000.
1t bccomcsiproper, in this connection, to
make brief reference to..our public indcbt.
edness, which has accumulated with sncl,
alarming rapidity and assumed such colossal
proportions.
In 1889, when the government commenced
operations under the Federal Constitution,
it was burdened with an indebtedness Of
seventy,ivc millions of dollars, created du-
ring the war of the Revolution. This
amount had been reduced to lorty-ive mil-
lion dollars when in 1912 war was declared
against Great Britain. The three years
struggle that followed largely increased the
national obligations, and in 1916 they had
attained the sum of one hundred and TWEEN
ty-seven millions. Wise and economical
legislation however, enabled the Govern
ment to pay the entire amount within a
period Of twenty years, and the extinguish-
incnt of the national debt filed the land with
rejoicing, and was ono fthe great events Of
President Jackson's $ administration. After
its redemption large sum remained in the
Treasury, which was deposited for safe.
keeping in the several States, ON condition
that it should be returned when required
by the public wants. In lSi9-tho yea,
after the termination of an expensive wa,
with MeSico-we found ourselves involved
in debt of sixty four millions; and this
was the amount owed by the Government,
in 1860, just prior to the outbreak Of the
rebellion. In tho spring Of 1851 our civil
war commenced. Each year of its contin
uance made an enormous addition to the
debt; and when, in the spring Of 1865, the
nation successfully emerged from the con-
flict, the obligations Of the Government had
reached the immense sum. Of S2,S73, ,902,.
900. .E.s..t..
| The Secretary of the Treasury shows tina,
on the LIST day Of November, 1867, thi'
amount had boon reduced to 81, ,45l ,5O4, ,45O
but at the same time his report exhibits al
increase during the past year Of $35,625, l02
for the debt on the lst day Of November
last is stated to have been 81, ,527, l2o, $50
1t is estimated by the Secretary that the 70
turns for the past month will add to our LA
bilities tho further sum Of eleven millions
making total increase during thirtcer