Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-02-10

(Wnicn. aS We nave eecu. Icsutts III Ia'ot
Of President Grant, but relied solely upon
the excess Of this years estimates over last
years appropriations. amounting. as he
said. TO s42. 00O. 900. This certainly seems
to threaten formidable increase Of cxpen-
ditures In the second year Of President
Grants administration. as compared with
the first year. but not as compared with
any year Of Andrew Johnson's, for we
have already seen that these estimates
were SIS. 900. 600 less than the actual cx-
penditurcs of the fiscal year 1865.
IL must be remembered. however. that
the approximations last winter were cut
down to the lowest possible point. amount
ing only to s2sl .O0O. 600 including set.o oo,-
900 for the Postofiice Department appropri-
ated out Of its own revenues. This leaves
only s257 900, 900 appropriated out Of the
public treasury. Let us now institute an
other comparison, as follows:
Expendiiures.of Johnson for the fiscal
year is6-. S3's 900 100
Appropriations for fiscal year 1870 ss7ocooD
Excess Of Joanson's expenditure. ei.o,osoo s
To censure the present administration for
having presented estimates In excess OF
the amount appropriated las; year Is. there
fore. TO ccnsure 1t for not having reduced
the expenditures of the Government to a
ing the last full year of Johnson's term.
This seems somewhat unreasonable at first
sight. and upon close examination II be-
comes even ridiculous. For. let II be
remembered. that the interest on the pub
lie debt alone amounts TO $3.50 .ooO.VCo. and
If We subtract that from the two amounts
compared above. there will remain for the
other expenses of the Government. a fol-
lows:
Expenditures Of Johnson for h'cai year
ISIS. o9,op,up
| Appropriation for n-cai year 1870. ~ voo.cn
Reduction eieO, 0i!coo
This IL willbc seen. amounts tn reduc-
| ton Of the current expenditures OF the
Government by nearly onc-half II the ad-
Ininistration finds it cannot accomplish
| quite so much as this. IL may he subject
of regret. but can scarcely be source OF
very serious disappointment. and certainly
does not Furnish any just occasion for de-
nunciation.
! The fact is. that at the close of the fiscal
wear 1859 there was between S61, 600 900
and $40 900 900 Of unexpendcd balances of
| former appropriation, remaining in the
| Treasury 10 the credit Of the different De
parfmcnis. and the appropriations were cut
| down last winter. in view Of this fact. ma
| ny millions lower than they otherwise would
! have been. IL was not expected that the
Government would actually be conducted
upon. the amour, appropriated. without
/ drawing on these balances: and IL would
/ hardly be reasonable TO expect the same
amount TO suffice next year AFTER the bal
I ances In question have been very largely
/ diminished
| 1t mus, not be supposed. however, that
/ the full amount of Ssa 90. co. in excess Of
last years appropriation Is expected 10 he
appropriated or that it Is evcs asked by the
administration. II i always customary.
I in making the estimates, to allow small
margin for cutting down lat the other end
| of the avenue" and. more over. estimates
are presented 10 an aggregate amount OF
! millions Of dollars. which merely represent
what certain things t-ouii cost II Congress
| should determine 10 have them. This Is
| the case In regard TO public works author
! izcd by law. estimates for which the OIL
/ GERS OF the Government are legally bound
to submit for the enlightenment Of Con-
gre>s.
A. a single example | may mention All
estimate OF the Chief Engineer Of the army
for o.. 600, 600 for the Improvement OF rivers
and harbors. which is included in the az
| gregatc estimates not appropriated for last
wear. nor recommended by the Secretary OF
w
will be just a. Congress deems expcdient.
! In the estimates OF the Pension ONCE
I there is an excess OF Sill 900. 600 for army
and navy pensions over the amount appro-
priaied last year This is partly due to the
| allowance OF new claims which have been
! proved but chiefly TO the fact that there
was an unex pended balance on hand last
| year TO exc out the appropriation. The
amount asked for pensions this year Is the
same as that appropriated for the year end
ed June 80, 1859. and s3.oco.oc0 less than
the amount appropriated the year before
! that.
Another item included In this years. cs-
Inmates. and not included In lat years APP
preparations, is the interest on bonds pur-
chased by the Secretary Of the Treasury.
| and now owned by the Government. These
bonds already amt TO nearly Slo0,O0o 900,
the Interest on which will be 50 900. 600.
/ This sum. although included In the esti-
\ mates. is not an item Of expenditure. but q
| con ribution toward the pavement Of the
national debt.
In the three items mentioned We have
the following aggregate;
River and hsrbor improvement. not re-
! commended, $3.50 600
Necessary increase IN pensions est
| maies. $50
Interest 20 be added 10 the sinkinS fund s-oo0vo
| s.oSNooo
or these items the first need no, be appro-
| priaied. the second is one which no patriotic
| American would begrudge. and the third is
| not an expense. but payment on the public
debt. Together they explain oil but tl3 800 900
Of the excess ofthi, years. estimates over the
very close appropriations Of last winter.
There are many other smaller item. which
would account for even . still wider difference.
quite conclu sively rs the three item, named
| account for the first 80 800 900. but il would
/ he tediou. 10 specify. General Butler emu.
n~raied items Of this class making = total Of
| SO 900 900. which would explsin the apparent
exce.> Of t42 900 900, and leave . surplus Of
eli 100 600. 10 place TO the credit Of Grants
ecoDomv. Whether this be mn over estimate
or not, il is quite clear that there was nothing
| In the actual estimates to occasion any alarm
among the people or justify the cry Of sx.
| travagance.
| These facts are inconte stibe.
| l. That cstmstes Of This Year ut the very
worst are S3.0oo.00O. or a. 10000 less than
| those inspired by the deaih-bed economy Of
John,ons administration year ago.
| II. That they are -. 100000. less than the
expenditures Of thxt administration had been
| the year before.
III. T nj if they excess last years sppropri.
ATOMS. the excess il accounted Tor In way
that |. entirely satisfactory and
Nv. That those appropriations themselves
were &l20. 100000. below the amount Of
johnson. expenditures in 1855.
All things con-ide red tho people may con-
graduate themselves 3pOa The financial pros
pect. lis evident Mr.. Dawes. by his ambition
to figure rs an economist, has been enirnpped
into making charges which we're eDtiyly un-
warranted by fact. But il his precipit ancy
conducts more rigid scrutiny Sfthe estimates
and to merciless Topping OF Of all expendi-
lures which, upon such scrutiny, shall seem
TO lie superhuous, we shall all have occasion
to congratulate ourselves upon the result.
LIFE.
Litter from Augusta.
AUGUSTA. Feb. 8, 1870.
ANERICAN:-
The peabody funeral still Obstructs