The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-14
The Daily Arens,
Rock ISLAND. ........I1L1nors
Estimates ana neacisneisa.


A Washington Correspondent of the N.
Y. World telegraphs as follows:
The falling off in the receipts Of revenue
from customs and internal revenue sources
has necessitated not only revision but a.
general reduction Of the estimates for
every branch of the Government for the
next fiscal year. This has become SO ser
ious question that there is feeling
among Congressman against the continued
payments on account of the public debt,
there having been reduction of it since
July | last of over $I2,000,000 The ap-
preparations for this fiscal year now amount
to $l43, 433 602.7I. For the preceding
| fiscal year, which ended on the lst of July
last, the amount appropriated for the sup
port of the Government--for pensions,
| Post-Ofice, Notifications, consular and
diplomatic service. legislative, military aud
naval academies. Indians, rivers and har.
bors, army and navy, sundry civil and
miscellaneous expenses 1854, $751;
O39.02 This is $5.42S, 557.77. less than
the amount appropriated for this year.
The condition of the revenue is such that
the estimates for 1878 must be brought be-
low $l50,000,000, though as they stand
they are considerably in excess of that
amount. Whether the retrenchment will
continue to be made in theR expenditures
for the improvement of rivers and harbors
as last year, or in other quarters, rests with
the President and Cabinet subject to the
revision of Congress. Heretofore the esti-
mates have been made up in some of the
departments 10 so reckless manner that
the policy of cutting them down so as to
create an actual deficiency, to be made up
at the next session has been urged as an
economical one. For instance, this state
of facts was developed in the Committee
on Appropriations yesterday in revising
the estimates for the Department of
Justice: Last session the then Attorney
General Taft asked for 100000. The
ISenate gaanted it, but the House cut it
down so that there was difference against
the department of $667,O Now the de
partment only sends in an estimated def
cheney of $250,000, which the committee
still believes to be too large, but which at
the same time shows that its original esti
mate last year was quite $350,000 too
much. This will be found to be the case
IN other departments, notably the Engin
Ger Bureau of the army having charge of
the Improvement of rivers and harbors.
These are generally from one third to one
halt more than the appropriation which
follows. But it is not alone the estimates
which must come down The economical
basis established by the last Congress. will
probably be the starting point for this
Congress 10 lieu ofthe departmental esti-
mates. That Congress reduced the ex-
penses of the Government the sum of sea-
326 045.57, the magnitude ofwhich is seen
when we remember that the sun thus
saved was equal to the expenses of the
Government eighteen years ago. Lest it
should be charged that this reduction is
offset by deficiencies the amount of def
ciencies for the last three sessions is here
with given:
Second session (Rep) 43d Congress 81 703 $50 Is
First session (Dem J. 44th Congress. 80, S,171 6G
Second session Dem 44th Congress. 1898 $50 5;
Fist session Dem }, 45th Congress (esti-
ma ed 500. 2,750 600 OK
1t will be noticed that the deficiencies in
the last session of the Forty third Congress
J when the Republicans controlled the House,
were nearly equal to the deficiencies of the
entire Democratic Congress; and the bulk