The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-25
THE ANNUAL ESTIMATES BEFORE
CONGRESS-.

CONGRESS-.
The Estimate for 1876 Twcnty.one Millions
and n Half In Increase OF the
Last Fiscal Year.
IMPERIALISM AND EXPENSES HAND IN HAND.
ECONOMY AND PURITY IN ADMINISTRATIONS
NEEDED.
Cincinnati Commercially
The Book of Estimates sent in to Con-
gress by the Secretary of the Treasury
last weeks, presents a total array OF
public expenditure that is alarming.
The estimates called for in the aggre-
gate for every department OF tho public
service amount to the gross sum OF
$314 ,6l2, COS fs. This exceeds the esti-
mates sent In u year ago for tho current
fiscal year, to the amount OF 1851,
S3S 3d. But the the actual excess of the
estimated wants for the next fiscal year,
beyond tho appropriations made by
Congress for the current one, Is the
enormous sum Of 1921 ,446, $50 81. That
IL to say, Congress appropriated for the
fiscal year 1866, q little over 1903 mil
lions, whereas the estimates FOR the tis-
cal year 1867 exceed 3l45 millions.
We have said that this account pre-
sents IN alarming state of things, and
in the present greatly depressed condi-.
ton of the country when the weight OF
taxation Is so severely felt by the people
in every direction, it can be regarded as
little less than monstrous that increas-
ed instead Of diminished expenditures
to the amount OF over twenty-one mil
lions should be called for by the Adj
ministration. The last Congress GER
t,inly appropriated literally, and in
many directions lavishly. il approprl-
ated for many new sources OF expendi-
ture and enlarged many old ones and
yet the first thing that is done, now that
a new Congress assemblies, is to ask for
an increase OF more than twenty mil
lions upon even their extravaganza ex-
penditure. One extravaganza, IT.
appears, leads inevitably to another,
and the department or bureau which
gets the increase il asks for from ono
Congress comes up smiling, with bold
face, to the next; and demands still
another addition to its patronage, or its
means OF getting rid Of the public
Out Of this total increase OF expendi-
t,Ire called for by the estimates, Con-
grcss ITSELF in its various objects OF ex-
penditure, calls for I'll, 100000 over and
above the appropriations for 1876. The
War Department calls for about $l7,
900, 900 in its estimates more than the
appropriations OF Congress for the cur
rent fiscal year. The Navy Depart
ment demands something over $4,000,
900 beyond its current appropriation.
The Interior Department wants about
500, 900 more. The Postof1ice Depart
ment, whose deficiencies are always on
the increase, calls for about $780,
The Department Of Agriculture wants
matter of $1,000 additional. The only
departments whose estimates call for u
less amount than their appropriations
for the current year, are the Depart
mcnt of State, $50, 900 less the Treas
ury Department, which estimates for
S3, OOo, 600 less than the current year !;
and the Department OF Justice, which
knocks off a little matter Of S37, 900 from
it's demands Of nearly $780, 600 per an
mum.
If there is any economy, retrench-
ment or reform visible anywhere in the
atmosphere of Washington, 1t is clear
that it is not to be looked for in the de-
partments and bureaus of the Admins
tration. 1t is the settled function of
every official there employed to magni-
~ his office, to make broad his phylac-
teries, and to extend his patronage
Whatever may be their creed about the
currency, it Is abundantly evident that
these officials, as regards public expen-
diture and official patronage. are big
oted adherents to the doctrine Of in
fiation, and not of contraction. Their
aspirations after making this not only
the most splendid, but the most expen-
sive Government on the face Of the
earth, must be curbed by q vigilant
Congress, or we shall see the national
debt, and with it the national burdens,
increased instead OF diminished during
the lifetime Of the generation now upon
the stage.
We propose to make brief analysis
OF some Of the items of expenditure es-
timated for in the big quartO volume OF
318 pages of rule-and-figure- work just
laid upon the tables OF members Of
Congress, and containing the estimates
Of appropriations required for the SER
vice of the fiscal year ending June 30,
1877. We will begin with Congress itself;
and we must remark at the outset that
il members of the new House of Repre-
would like to establish rep
utation with the country for sincerity in
as well as economy in prac-
tice, they will do well to find out what
the total increase of 81 900, 900 estimated
for under the general head of Congress
over the expenditures. of the current
present year is wanted for. Ii they will
look into this, they will find that the
heaviest item of increase is an estimate
sent in from the Court Of Claims, q
court created by Congress some twenty
years ago for the audit of all sorts OF
claims against the Government Of the
United States. This is a most expensive
court to the taxpayers, and asks for
two million dollars this year to pay
Judgments which are or may be render
I'd by it in favor OF suitors against the
whose claims have not been
allowed by the auditing officers OF the
Treasury under any existing laws.