New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-11
KNIT AT dJC FCONOMICAL.


On Monday, July I, we published an article,
accompanied by q table, showing that the
ordinary expenditures of the National Gov
eminent, outside of the army and navy and
interest on the public debt, instead of having
diminished, had greatly increased under the
administration o, Gen. Grant. We do not
think that article has received the attention
which it calls for from the champions of the
Government One journal III Pennsylvania so
far exerted itself as to call the comparison
not sufficiently comprehensive" but neg
lected to throw any light of its own upon the
subject TO met this objection we respect
fully submit the following compilations, which
ought to receiy. the close attention Of all who
are in the least interested in knowing whether
or not the public money is carefully and con-
scientiously handled.
1t is proper IL remark here that the finance
reports of the Treasury Department are and
always have bem, q disgrace to the nation.
We pay four hundred millions year in taxes,
and two and lalf millions for printing public
documents, yet the Secretary of the Treasury
and Government Printing Office give us
but two solitary octave pages of bung-
ling tables to show where all this
money is expended! We find that Con-
gress costs SG,OO,0OO, the Executive $9,0)0,0O0,
and the Judiciary $3,OOO,0OO; but if we inquire
to whom and for what these immense sums
are paid no further information is vouchsafed
US. The "lnperial Parliament" of Great
Britain feels constrained to publish every year
four thick foliovOumes of tables, giving the mi
nutest information as TO the disposition made of
every farthiny of public money. The salary
of every functionary and officer of the realm,
from the royal family down to the superannu-
ated clerks of the public Offices, is entered
under the appropriate head. In dealing with
our finances we are forced to work as it were
with q broad-aI. We can detect extravaganza
but we can seldom point out the exact spots
where it exists For instance, the Executive
expenditures were S1,S26,sO5 in 1860, s4,993,S28
in 1865, SG,757,4H in 1865 and S94l2,41S in 1871 !;
but the finance reports, incredible as 1t
may seem, furnish absolutely no data what
ever for an analysis of these enormous out
goes. Such NEGLECT of the safeguard of pub
Lefty, such supheness on the part Of the pub
lies chosen representatives, who ought long
ago to have reformed this by compelling the
Treasury officers to perform this important
duty, is simply astounding Frauds of millions
of dollars might easily be covered up under
such accounts as those submitted by Mr.
Boutwell,. Indeed, there can be no certainty
that the Treasury is not constantly robbed
The following table gives for each of the
years 1860, 1866, 1868, and 1871 the aggregate
expenditures Of the United States. From this
gross sum is first deducted the interest on the
public debt and other necessary charges Incl
dent thereto, such as the purchase of coin for
the payment of interest in 1866, and the pre-
MUM on bonds purchased and Cancelled. The
remainder of course, is the sum of all the
other expenditures. The second remainder
embraces all the expenditures of Govern
ment except the war expenses and debt
charges. The third remainder is this
residue further diminished by the deduction
of the naval expenses The fourth deduction
made is that of various sums repaid to i'm
porters for excess of Customs deposits, in
ternal revenue and other drawbacks, and
duties refunded which had been wrongly col
lected, &c.-tems which, in reality, form nc
part of the Governments expenses. The fifth
deduction is that of pensions paid to those
who have served in the army and navy. The
heavy figures thus give the ordinary expenses
of the United States Government: