The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-08

|
by more critical eye. Much is ex.
| Dec,ed OF tho new administration, and
| The public expectation will not be dis.
anpOinted; but as much as Gen. Grant
can do, and As much Hs he will do in his
own sphere of action, it is idle to sup.
| pose that be can do everything that the
| country requires to be done to Sc
| cure those reforms in the public ser
vice which arc so imperatively de-
mandpd. AS President, General
| Grnnt must have the earnest and cor
| dial support OF the other branches Of
the Government, particularly OF the
| legislative branch. The responsibility
of this Congress, so far: as the next
| Administration is concerned, is com
plete. The great masses of our cOnsti-
| luenta, the bone and sineW of tho Coun.
try, the men who have no schemes oil
| p!under, and desire only an honest
| administration of the Government; the
men who fought the battles o: the
Republic and poured out their blood in
its defense, require of us decrease oil
| our expenditures and reduction OF
taxation, regardless OF the mysteries OF
| finance. They see that our credit can
be improved, the public faith vindicat-
ed, II return TO specie payments made
| certain, IL reduction OF the interest on
the public debt secured by keeping
down the expenditures of the govern
meut to the lowest point, and by the
| honest collection of the revenues. 1t is
| for Congress to keep down the OK pendi-
| lures, and is for the President to see that
the laws are faithfully executed, and
| that the revenues are collected; but il
| is for Congress to see also that they do
not keep The fetter- upon the limbs OF
the President so as to render ii impOS-
| sible for him 10 faithfully execute the
laws.
! Alter stating in some detail tho ex-
penseS of the last four years, and eStI-
mates OF the Secretary OF the Treasury
for the next fiscal year, Mr.. WashburnG
| proceeded to the consideration Of the
question of what this Congress will he
called upon to appropriate Tor deficien-
Cies for the present fiscal year, lending
June Both, 1870. First, as to the estI.
mates made by the Secretary of the
Treasury, of additional appropriations
required to complete the service of tho
| fiscal year ending June som, 1860, and
previous years. it is for Congress 10 in
uuire tiXIdly into the necessity and
prOpriety OF voting these deficiencies
| which The Secretary eStIuIaiC9 AT the
enormous sum of $2l 600 OC&. OF this
amount lI,UO0.UU0 is for the army, ne
| cesSituted in Al great measure by IL con
Stunning Indian war, winch is entailing
| extraordinary expenses on the Govern
| ment. The next current amount is the
estimated deficiency for the Possibilities
| Department OF over Si,5OO,OOO, incurred
by eXtrAVagHnt contracts IOr uni uStl-
| ably extended mail service. Then
| there is the sCAHialOUS estimate OF
nearly $665 900 for deficiencies for pub
lie buildings, when We were promised
| that the large amounts we appropriated
| last year should finish the buildings -
Add this amount of 5000 900, demanded
rs deficiency for TINS fiscal year, to
the amount demanded for The same
| fnR No VIC =
of g. 434 900, making $2,099. 600 which
| we are asked to vote for public build
| inSs. AT this session OF Congress. and
| in the present state of the Treasury, or
| indeed in any state OF the Treasury, |
| feel bound to denOunCe it as the most
extravaganza, unjustitiAble ana profit.
gate expenditure of the public money
| ever asked OF Congress. There are 9th
err deficiencies which nave been made
and which we are called upon to make
up, that are without justification if il be
| considered that Congress has any power
| over the Treasury. In view OF the state
| of our finances, and deGnIing IL indis-
pensably necessary To reduce our eX
penditure fOI the present year in every
! way possible, and in the full light of all
the facts, Congress appropriated II Civ.
en- amount, which WAS $3.50 600 for the
coast survey. This year, i'll contempt
| of the action of Congress, IL deficiency
!
demanded. not one dollar of whi3h,
trust, will be voted. Tie Column biAI
Institute for the deaf and dumb, pri
| vate institution in this district, which
has obtained nearly $500. 900 out OF the
Government, was given El2 800 for this
| fiscal year for instruction, &C., which
was deemed ample and even generous
but with familiarity with the whole
action of Congress on this subject, the
President OF this private corporation
| with unparalleled etfrontery, arraign$
| Congress for its action and demands o
us Sl7. 800 now as deficiency for this
| year.
There are other DEFICIENCIES, the esti-
mates for which will be scruLinIZed by
| the Appropriation Committee before ii
| reports any bill. But one thing is clear
| if Congress cannot control the eXpendi
| lures OF the Government; il IL cannot
curb the Executive officers of the GOV
ernnent in spending the public money
and II such officers are to be left praC
| ticHilV TO determine III" appropriations
then l say let Congress nbdIcale and
| let the people be saved the expense o.
keeping this expensive and somewhat
ornamental institution.
| Mr.. WaShhurne then gave the items
| of the Secretary of the TreASury'S eSti.
mates Tor ihc next fiscal year, and said
1t will bs thus seen that 1903 ,0OO, 600 is
| the amount asked for, ana ii Is Tor Con
| u;esS TO determine how much of tina,
| sum il is absolutely necessary to appro.
| priuts To carry on the Government
| How much will it b.? | will lot the
permanent appropriations stand AS il
the Secr~tary's estimate, although be
lieve the amount of interest on the pub
lie debt is Overstated g.. U0O, 900. Tina
amount is Sis 500 go, which we mus
| regard fixed and definite Their
there Is the other amount of $l5S, Oh,
OIL ~, made up the Items MS SET ont IL
the estimate. The question recurs
how mECu can tins amount be reduced
without detriment to the public service
1t is now impossible to state how mucI
The liGst item for $45 900 900 can be re-
duCed, AS the Appropriation Com
mlttec has not Yet proceeded IA
enough i'll the consideration q
the various amounts making up tht
sum, Int we shall report IL reduction o
more than Sl0O 900 from what was askeC
for the ex pense OF foreign intercourse
and nearly 81 GOO, 0CO from what is askv,
to 60 INTO the Legislative, executive an,
judicial bill. the pensions, Indian de
partInent MId army proper must re-
main about the same as stated in tn
estimates. The Military Academy w
reduce nearly $50. 900; on the estimate
for the army and fortlticHtiOns 81 6S4, 2O
are asked, and l believe we can gs
along with 81 800. OOO; for harbOr nut
river improvements and public build
inGs SS4S. 60; in my judgment $500, OO'
will be rs much as Congress woulC
wish to appropriate under both OF thesr
heads; for the naval establishment $50,
993 Ala so are estimated, but in the navy
bhl already prepared this is reduced t
Sit. 900 600, which it is believed will an
swer every purpose.
Here are some SIS 200, 900 which it /,
! | thNnUhf I,R nf no oSfi