Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-13

VI lAlC lAOdouAl O1 PApCA1 bae tAAC-~
probability the treasury would be called OH
TO resptnd for all the appropriations:
Many of the Items COME under the head OF
permanent appropriations Hfichj although
made over two years ago, had moi been eo,eiji III
ed into the treasury. Careful revision Oi si'
those outstanding appropriations aggregates
81, ,369,0 ,034. Assttr,ipg that the treasury
win not be called on for il; there would De
on hand at the close of the cJlrfers year
SIC, 1902, ,3S5, this sum is exclusive Of the
sinking fund; that is, the Government
would meet all liabilities and also provide
for the sinking fund, aud sim have twenty
millions year as against sixty millions at
the beginning; but against that twenty
millions were TO be drawn all deficiencies
that arose during the war. He understood
there would be a millien deficiency in the
Indian Bureau, and he estimated the mis-
celIaneous deficiencies at S2,OOO,OOO. lie
had never kIf0@n deficiency bill at any
session to amount to less tlian S,0OO,OOO,
and had known them to reach S13,OOO,oVo'
He had left out of the estimates Of dehc-
iencies the claims made by the District ol
Columbia for expenditures made in the
District, and VARYING from S,00OOO 10
$5,0O0.OO0; in face of its pTOtlbation by the
act of Jan. s, 1878 of contractiOnm furiher
liabilities by the Board of Public Works
for repairing streets, ETC., escept in pursu-
ance Of appropriations. Congress Was con-
fronted with these claims. He would not
discuss their legality, but would say that
after that enactment the Treasury Depart
ment could not have contemplated any ex-
penditure by the Board for which the
Treasury would be liable. If, however,
this sum should be paid out II would in
crease deficiencies to, say, S7,6pOOop. The
claims from mixed commission would swell
them to two millions more, leaving but ten
millions of cash on hand at the end of the
wear. Il was evidently unsafe for the
Treasury to be reduced as low as ten mil
lions to meet emergencies in the absence
of Congress. No man would take
upon himself the duties Of the
Treasury Department in the face
of liability of such balance, With monthly
expenses of the government much in excess
thereof, unless provided by Congress with
some means on which he could fall back.
In reply to Mr.. Garfield, MIR. Dawes said
the S440O0,0 600 reserve and the use made
of it by the Secretary of the Treasury had
not entered into his calculations.
Tie receipts of the first seven months Of
the fiscal year 1ST2-73, compared with the
corresponding months of 1S73-74 were as
/ follows: For lST2-T3, Customs Sill, ,000,-
600; Internal Revenue S67,0O0,00O; total
| SITS, $40, $50. For 1ST3-74, Customs S93, )
100000; Internal Revenue S57,000,000; to-
tai S1jO,527,0Sl; showing a falling off in
receipts Of the present year from those OF
| last wear of S2S,315, ,702. The comparison
| r. g. l.c fft1a months of tho
last fiscal year, with estimated receipts for
| the coming five months of this fiscal year,
were as follows: IS12-73, receipts for the
last five months Sl2T.000,000; 1914, es-
timated receipts for the next five months,
S1I6,OO0,OO0, making a falling off in that
period of S1I,5lG,275.
Mr.. Dawes then, as due to the admins
tration of the Treasury Department, stated
| in detail the reductions in duties by Con
gress on tea, coffee and other articles, ag
| gregating 44,361,3l3 as the reason why
| having commenced the year with $50, 900,
600 in hand, il ends the year with only
| 100000, and an incl ease Of the public
debt, and continued as follows: If tx
House agree with me, that III,
Treasury is liable at any mOmen
to 90 to protest, unless it car
have margin more to be relied upon thai
this, less than ten million dollars, thel
every government will see that We do no
discharge our duty unless we, as a law
making power, pass some measure by whic
to increase that margin. OF course ther
are but three ways to do that. II may b
done by increased taxation, by loan or b
cutting down expenditures; unles
one or the other Of thes
three measures be reSOrted
in earnest, We who have the credit Of th
Treasury of the United States in our keeE
ing, holding only the Secretary Of tn
Treasury and administration to the faith
full discharge of laws which we make, shal
have failed in the discharge of our duties
Mr.. Dawes continued by opposing an
increase of taxation. giving credit to SecrC
tary Boutwell, for his appeal to the commit
tee to conference in its last moment
for striking out four or five million fO
other reductions, which resulted in Strikin
out these very measures which are nON
pending-the repeal of taxes on matche
and check stamps. He Dawes could nc
make up his mind that the people Of thi
country will take upon their shoulders an
new burden. He combatted reSorting t
loan in time Of peace as an error whic
would ruin the party that resorte
10 it. Mr.. Dawes hoped tina
the House would agree with hin
that there must be some other way out {
this dilemma than imposing new taxes G
borrow more money. He then went on
refer to the expenditures for the last si
years, as follows: In 1869, S532,OO0,0O0; i
1870, S}0T, 100000; in 1871, 292, 900 600; i
1872, 100000; in 1873, Sz90,O00,0 ,00C
and in the present fiscal year S3l9, ,653, GA
In 1870 the expenditures had been rt
duced 10 S309, 100000, while S101, 10000
of the public debt had been paid; in Isl
the expenditures had been reduced to S2g2
100000, and S94,0O0,O00 Of the public deb
been paid; in 1872 the expenditures ha
been reduced to SIT, 100000, and $4,000
600 of the public debt had been paid; i
1873 the expenditures had run u
+ to S29O,OOO,OO0, and oniy Si3,OO0,OO
of the debt had been paid; this year the eX
penditures would be S3l9,O00,0OO, withOu
paying one dollar on the public debt.
Mr.. Dawes referred to the increased ex
penditures of various departments of tn
government this year as compared wit
last. and went on to refer to the extrava
gance Of retaining ports of entry at place
|
and in that connection he had read a lette
from an ex-appraiser at one of these ports
saving that when he received his appoint
ment and a salary of 5000, n
had written to his Senator Stain:
the office was a sinecure and hai
afterwards told the same thing TO tn
Secretary Of the Treasury, and that about
year ago he had informed other Senator
that the law should be repealed and tn
office abolished. The letter went on {
say that an officer who expresses such senti
ments about his own position, is decided
unpopular in the Republican party
and that in March last he ha
been removed, for what cause b
had not been informed, but supposet
it was on the grounds of insanity. Lou
laughter.l There could have been n
charge Of negligence or incompetenc
f against him, for he had already been faitl
ful in drawing his salary, and there ha
been absolutely nothing else for him to dc
[COntinued laughter.1
Mr.. Parker asked Mr.. Dawes to give Tn
name Of the writer, or at least to state Ia
port of entry to which the letter referred.
Mr.. Dawes declined to do either, bu