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CHAPTER VIII.

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Treasury Report for 1831.-Appropriations-for Pensions-for Support of Government-Expenditures in Executive DepartFor surveying Public Lands - Debate on diplomatic Expenses-Debate on Turkish Treaty - Debate in Senate on Expenses of Departments - On diplomatic Expenses-On outfut for Minister to France-Debate in House on do. Appropriations for Naval Service For Fortifications-For ArmyFor Indian Departments - Debate on Expenditures - Debate on Indian Annuities - Appropriations for Internal Improvement - Debate on Cumberland Road On Amendments to BillOn improvement of Navigation of Western Rivers.- Debate in Senate on Bill-Appropriations for Harbors - Debate on Bill-retained by President.

THE annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the finances, was transmitted to Congress on the 7th day of December, 1831.

The balance in the Treasury on the 1st of January, amounted to $3,014,569,75.

The actual receipts into the Treasury during the first three quarters of the year 1831, were estimated as follows, viz.

Customs,

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$17,354,291,58

2,479,658,90

490,000

217,739,95

Indemnity from Denmark,

The receipts for the fourth quarter were estimated at

111,987,26

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$21,159,778,97

The expenditures for the fourth quarter, including $6,205,810,21 on account of the public debt, 20,653,677,69 were estimated at $9,807,422,28, making the total expenditures of the year $30,987,201,25,

$7,346,735,18

Total receipts, 28,000,412,87 which exceeded the estimated receipts for 1831, as stated in

and leaving in the Treasury on 1st of January, 1832, an estimated balance of $3,047,751,37, which, however, included the in

demnity from Denmark, of $439,475, and $1,400,000 of unavailable funds.

The expenditures for the year 1831, had been estimated in the report, made at the preceding session, at $23,228,066, and the result showed an excess over the estimate amounting to $7,739,135,25.

The receipts for 1832 were estimated at $30,100,000.

Customs,

Public lands,

Bank dividends,

Incidental receipts,

$26,500,000
3,000,000
490,000
110,000

The expenditures for 1832, for all other objects than the public debt, were estimated at $13,365,202,16, viz.

Civil, Diplomatic, and
Miscellaneous,
Military service, &c.
Naval service,

$500,000, and the amount which might be appropriated towards the public debt, was estimated at $14,519,548,21.

This being applied to that object would leave the public debt at the end of 1832, $10,302,686,97, towards the discharge of which the Secretary of the Treasury recommended the application of the United States Bank stock belonging to the government; which being sold, would bring according to his estimate $8,000,000.

This operation would enable the government to pay the whole public debt, before March 4th, 1833.

In the report, while suggesting the expediency of selling the $2,809,484,26 bank stock by the government, 6,648,099,19 the Secretary of the Treasury 3,907,618,71 warmly recommended the renewal of the charter of the United States Bank, as indispensable to the fiscal operations of the government, and as entirely in con

which it was estimated would leave a balance of $16,734,797,84, together with the available balance in the Treasury, amounting to $1,208,276,24.

pub-formity with the provisions of the

The total amount of the lic debt on the first of January, 1831, was $39,123,192. The payments for principal and interest during the year, were estimated at $16,189,289,67, leaving on 2d of January, 1832, a pubic debt, which consisted of

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constitution.

It was not a little extraordinary to find the head of the government derouncing the bank as unconstitutional, and as having failed in accomplishing the objects for which it was established, and the head of the treasury department earnestly recommending the continuance of that institution, on grounds directly oppo

site.

It showed how little of harmonious action existed between the chief magistrate and his cabinet ministers, and revealed the interference of a secret influence unknown to the Constitution, and

whose existence was suspected only from its mischievous effects upon the public interest.

An increase of the salaries of the diplomatic corps was recommended, as essential to the dignity and interest of the country. The public lands were alluded to as an increasing source of revenue, and the Secretary suggested the propriety of disposing of them to the States within whose limits they are situated, at a fair price.

The bills providing for the maintenance of the different departments of the government, having been reported by the committee of ways and means, that making provision for the revolutionary, and other pensioners of the United States, was taken up in the House on the 16th of February, and having received the assent of both Houses became a law.

By this act $987,504, were appropriated for the revolutionary, and $165,039, for the invalid pensioners, in addition to $140,532, formerly appropriated and not expended; $3000 were appropriated for widows and orphans of certain persons who had fallen in the public service, and $3000 were subsequently granted to the widows of persons who fell in the naval service. An act was also passed, allowing a pension to all who served two years during the revolutionary war, either in the state troops, militia, or continental line, to the full amount of their pay, of the rank in which they served, and a proportionable amount for any less

time, provided the term of service exceeded six months. The pension to commence from March 4th, 1831.

The bill making appropriations for the support of the government for 1832, was brought forward in the committee of the whole House, on the 23d of February.

Upon reaching an item, making an appropriation to the land office, for extra aid during 1832, in issuing the Virginia land scrip, Mr McDuffie stated, that the commissioner of the general land office, was desirous of an appropriation of $20,000 for these objects; but as the committee had not had an opportunity to investigate the subject, he would, for the present, move to fill the blank with $4000, being the same sum which had been appropriated for these objects last year.

Mr Wickliffe inquired, whether the committee had been informed in what manner the money granted last year had been expended? This was not an ordinary regular appropriation, he said, but one which had been asked for, in order to bring up arrears, and the House had been told, that the sum would be sufficient for that end. But the individual now at the head of the Bureau, informed the House, that the business behind hand in his office, would require fiftyfive clerks for twelve months, and an enlargement of the treasury building. All this extra labor it seemed, was necessary in filling up patents for land.

Mr Wickliffe was willing to admit, that there might have been a great increase in the patents is

sued within the last twelve or eighteen months. He recollected, however, that the valuable man who had formerly held the same situation, (Mr Graham,) had told him when, as chairman of the retrenchment committee, he had inquired of him whether there were any clerks in his of fice which might be dispensed with; that there were none, because he had dismissed some shortly before: yet, with this force, Mr Graham had been able to get along. Now, however, it seemed, that there must be a great accumulation of arrears, and all this was charged upon the arrangement, by which the issuing of the Virginia land scrip had been thrown into his office. Mr Irvin, of Ohio, thought that as to the expenditures in the land office, individual members ought not to take upon themselves to decide what should be its amount. The business in that office was known to be daily increasing, and each entry required the same labor. If the gentleman from Kentucky had attended to the sums received during the last two years for land, he would find, that it amounted to nearly three millions of dollars, while a few years since it amounted to but one million. The entries, therefore, required three times the amount of labor that was formerly necessary; and it was still further increased by the great number of private land claims, which had recently been confirmed in Florida and Mississippi. When officers of high and honorable standing had been selected to preside over the public offices,

it ought certainly to be taken for granted, that they would not come to that House and ask for an appropriation, that their department did not need.

Mr Wickliffe replied to Mr Irvin. That gentleman seemed to think it necessary, that the House should grant a certain sum to the commissioner of the land of fice, because that gentleman told them, that his office was in need of it. Now, with all his willingness to give due weight to the opinions and recommendations of every Executive, he must take leave to protest against the gentleman's doctrine, that the House was bound to take whatever estimates were sent them, and appropriate accordingly. He held a very different creed; and believed, that Congress was blameable in not having looked more narrowly into the increasing requisitions, which from year to year were made upon them. The true committee of retrenchment was the committee ways and means. He presumed, that the $20,000 now asked for, was founded on an estimate of seventeen cents for each patent issued. He was well apprised of the fact, that more than sixty words had to be written in a patent for military bounty land; but he knew also, that that branch of business was rapidly decreasing. Since the year 1830, the government had given scrip, instead of issuing patents for that description of land. Mr Wickliffe had been struck with the increase of arrearages since the time of Mr Graham. They had increased at a rate greatly beyond

of

the increase of the business. Mr Graham had been able to keep up with the course of business till the time of his death; and yet now, in two years, the House was told that the arrears required fiftyfive clerks, and an enlargement of the treasury building. Last year the commissioner had asked for ten clerks, now he asked for fifteen, and next year he supposed he would want twenty.

Mr Irvin, after a few remarks, moved to fill the blank with $20,000; and the question being put, it was negatived, and the question recurring on filling it with $4000 it was carried and the blank filled with that sum.

When the item allowing $160,000 came up for surveying the public lands,

Mr Vinton, of Ohio, took the ground he had done on former years, in opposing so large an appropriation for this object. He thought one half the amount was quite sufficient. He insisted warmly on the injurious consequences of going on to survey large amounts of new lands, while so small a proportion of that already in the market was annually sold. This made land a drug; depreciated the value of real estate in States more thickly settled; and led to the selection of the best land and the finest millseats by speculators and squatters.

The same ground, in substance, was taken by Mr Root, of New York, who also adverted to another effect growing out of this system, the covering the new country with a sparse population,

drawn from those territories more densely peopled, by which means, the progress of education, of the mechanic arts, and especially of manufactures, was retarded. From this arose the necessity of a hot-bed protection to our manufactures. Congress were applying tonics and depletions to the same patient at the same time.

The appropriation was advocated by Mr Adams, Mr Wickliffe, Mr Clay, Mr Duncan and Mr White, of Florida, who insisted upon the propriety and importance of these surveys to the new States and territories. The policy was well settled, and had been attended with the happiest effect. The survey must be made at some time, and once done, it never had to be repeated. The omitting to survey the new lands would not prevent their being settled. The same number of persons could go there, and the only difference would be, that the government would receive no money, and would be pestered with innumerable applications for pre-emption rights. Besides, the surveying of land did not necessarily bring it into market; that was a matter left at the discretion of the President of the United States. A multitude of private land claims had been confirmed, especially in Florida, and justice required, that these should be surveyed without delay.

Mr Wilde, though not opposed to the survey of such lands as were valuable, was persuaded that much surveying had been done in the south, by which no one was, or would for centuries to come, be benefited, but those

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