Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-12-12
2SD AY, DECEMBER 10, 1S1
collecting the revenue, s42,95S, ,329-O8; for
:L. - Il ..Ll:a lah4 o117 2S7 22Q 70 .

collecting the revenue, s42,s5S, ,32s-OS; 70,
interest on the public debt, s117, 1857 ,S39.72
total, exclusive of principal and premium on
the public debt, s27O,559,695.91. For pre-
MUM on bonds purchased, $6,958, ,266.76
For redemption of the public debt, $99,96O,
253.54. Total, S106, 6,018 ,52O.30. Total re
ceipts and disbursements, 1871, ,478,2 ,216.21
Balance in Treasury June 80, 1872, $1O6, 1854,
1864. Total, s4S4,042,573.15. From the
foregoing statement it appears that the reduc
ton of the principal Of the debt during the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1872, was S99, $50,
253.54. The source of this reduction is az
follows: Net ordinary receipts during the
year, 1854 1884, ,22991; net ordinary e1pendl
lures, including interest on the public debt
S270, 0,559,69 leaving surplus revenue
S94,134,534; add amount received from pre-
miums on sales of gold in excess Of the pre-
MUM paid on bonds purchased, s2,454, ,370.o9
add the amount Of the reduction Of the cash
balance at the close Of the year, accompanied
with same at the commencement of the year
$3,371 ,348.65-total, $99,960, ,253.54. Thi:
statement treats solely of the principal of the
public debt by the monthly statement of the
public debt, which adds together the principal
and interest due and unpaid, and interest &C
crued to date not due, and deducts the cash in
the Treasury as ascertained on the day OF pub
lication. The reduction was 800, ,544, ,49l.2S
The source of this reduction is as follows
Reduction in principal account, s99,960,0O3.
81; reduction in unpaid interest account
SO, 80, ,952.96-grand total, $103, ,29O, ,956.50
Reduction in cash on hand, S2,746, ,465 o.
grand total, s1O0,544,491.2S. On the basis
of the last table the statements show a reduc
ton of the public debt from the 1st of March
1869, to the present time as follows: From
March l, 1869, to March 1, 1870, $S7 1884,
1884, from March 1, 1870, to March l.
1871, $117,619,63O.25; from March l, 1871,
to March l, 1872, $a4,Ss5,24S94; from
March l, 1872, to November 1, 1872 (eight
months), $64,O47,237.S4. Total, s363,696,'
999S7.
With reduction of taxation by the acts Of
Congress at its last session, the expenditures
of the Government in collecting the revenue
will be much reduced for the next fiscal year
1t is very doubtful, however, whether any
further reduction of so vexatious burden
upon any people will be practicable for the
present. At all events, as measure of justice
to the holders of the nations certificates OF
indebtedness, I would recommend that no
more legislation be had on this subject unless
it be to correct errors of omission or commits
sion in the present laws, until sufficient time
has elapsed to prove that it can be done and
still leave sufficient revenue to meet current
expenses of Government, pay interest on the
public debt, and provide for the sinking fund
established by law. The preservation of our
national credit is of the highest Importance
Next in Importance to this comes solemn
duty to provide national currency of fixed
unvarying value as compared with gold, and
as soon as practicable, having due regard for
the interests of the debtor class and the vicis
situdes of trade and commerce, convertible in
to gold at par.
PENSIONS.
The amount paid for pensions in the last
fiscal year was 1901, ,693.40-an amount lar
ger by s37, ,OS4.34 than was paid during the
preceding year. Of this amount 1921 ,34e
were paid under the act of Congress Of Febru
ary II, 1871, to survivors of the war of 1872
The annual increase of pensions by the leg
islation of Congress has more than kept pace
with the national yearly losses from the rolls
The act of Congress of June 8, 1872, has added
an estimated amount Of S750,000 per annun
to the rolls without increasing the number Of
pensioners. We cannot, therefore, look fol
any substantial decrease in the expenditures
of this department for some time to come, OF
so long as Congress continues to so change the
rates of pension.
The whole number of soldiers enlisted in
the war of the rebellion was 2,688,523. The
total number of claims for invalid pensioners
is $4,000, being but six per cent. ofthe whole
number of enlisted men. The total number
of claims on hand at the beginning of the
year was 81 ,689. The number received dur
ing the year was 81 ,574. The number dispos'
ed of was 39,17S, making net gain of 1904
The number of claims now on file is 79,0S5.
On the 30th of June, 1872, there were on the
rolls the names of 95,405 invalid military
pensioners, 1858 widows, orphans, and de-
pendent relatives, makinga aggregate f2OS,'
923 army pensioners. At the sametime there
were on the rolls the names Of 1,419 navy
pensioners, and 1870 widows, orphans, and
dependent relatives, making the whole num-
ber of naval pensioners 3,179. There have
been since the passage Of the act to provide
pensions for the survivors Of the war Of 1872,
36,551 applications prior to June 30, 1872
Of these there were allowed during the last
fiscal year 2O,126 claims; 4,845 were rejected
during the year, leaving II $50 claims pend.
ing at that date. The number of pensions OF
all classes granted during the last fiscal year
was 81, 1888; during that period there were
dropped from the rolls for various causes
9,104 names, leaving agrand total Of 322, 2,229
pensioners on the rolls on the SOth of June,
1872. 1t is thought that the claims for pen
sions on account Of the war of 1872 will all be
disposed of by the 1st of May, 1873. 1t is
estimated that $50, O,4SO,OO0 will be required
for the pension service during the next fiscal
year.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of War shows
the expenditures of the War Department for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1871, to be
s35, ,799 ,991 49, and for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1872, to be s35,272,159.2O, showing
a reduction in favor of the last fiscal year OF
s427 7,S34.62. The estimates for military ap-
preparations for the next fiscal year ending
June 3O 1874, are s33,S01, ,37S.7S. The esti:
mates of the Chief of Engineers are submitted
separately for Notifications, river and harbor
improvements, and for public buildings and al
grounds, and the Washington aqueduct. The
affairs of the Freedman's Bureau have all
been transferred to the War Department, and
regulations have been put into execution for
the speedy payment of bounty, pay, &C., due
colored soldiers, properly coming under that
Bureau. All war accounts for money and