behalf within a year or two; while a single one, having met serious opposition in the legislative branch, which General Grant, unlike his predecessor, consents cheerfully to recognize as a co-ordinate branch of the Government,-has been quietly dropped, in lieu of the persistent scolding to which Congress became so accustomed during the incumbency of Johnson.

GRANT'S VIEW OF HIS DUTIES.

Grant's general policy, as mapped out by himself, for himself, at his inauguration, has been made familiar to all. "The office," he said, "has come to me unsought. I commence its duties untrammeled. I bring to it a conscientious desire and determination to fill it to the best of my ability to the satisfaction of the people. On all leading questions agitating the public mind I will always express my views to Congress, and urge them according to my judgment; and when I think it advisable will exercise the constitutional privilege of interposing a veto to defeat measures which I oppose. But all laws will be faithfully executed, whether they meet my approval or not. I shall on all subjects have a policy to recommend, but none to enforce against the will of the people. Laws are to govern all alike, those opposed to as well as those who favor them. I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution."

In other words, he proposed to discharge the

duties of an Executive without attempting to trench upon those of the Legislature. He rightly judged that as an Executive merely (with his slight semi-legislative function added, of signing or vetoing acts of Congress) he could find ample scope for all his ability and energy, even though he were the ablest and most energetic of statesmen.

ECONOMY IN ADMINISTRATION.

As is well known, one of the main tenets of the Republican faith is Economy in administration. As is also well known, the annual expenses of the Government, at the installation of President Grant, had become very large-partly through the inevitable increase of business, especially of the Revenue Department incident to the long war, and partly through the demoralization brought about by Johnson. To reform this as far as possible, and to reduce the annual outgo to the minimum, was the early effort of President Grant.

During the year ending July 1, 1866, the annual revenues of the Government, raised from duties and from excise taxes, reached the enormous sum of $558,000,000. This sum has been so reduced that, although we are still paying off $100,000,000 annually of the national debt and defraying all the interest as it comes due, the Government only asks about $240,000,000 per year from the people for all purposes. Part of the reductions have been made by Congress, to be sure; but they could not have been made if the collection of duties and of inter

nal revenue had been carried on in the lax and dishonest fashion of Johnson's time. To collect an annual revenue of $46,000,000 from spirits and tobacco in 1867-8, for instance, cost $1,200,000 more under Johnson's administration than it did to collect $87,000,000-nearly twice as much-in 1870-1 under Grant's administration. (And it is the former office-holders of Andy Johnson who are now most active in forwarding Greeley's cause; and who are promised by the Chicago Tribune-the great civil service reformer!-that they shall not be prevented from enjoying their "spoils" when Greeley comes into the White House.)

The aggregate reduction of internal revenue since 1866 has been as follows:

Adding to this the tariff reduction of July, 1870, amounting to $30,000,000, and that of the measure just passed, amounting to about $53,000,000, and we have a grand total of $310,000,000, annual taxes taken off, since July 1, 1869. This reduction has been voted by a Republican Congress. What has been voted since March 4, 1860, has been done with the consent of President Grant's Secretary of the Treasury, and has been done because the efficient collection of the taxes, without unnecessary

expense, has caused the same tax to yield much better than it did in Democratic days.

Then, as to the cost of collection: Mr. Eugene Hale, of Maine, in a recent speech in Congress, introduced the following statement made to him by Revenue Commissioner Douglas:

"In reply to your verbal request, I have the honor to hand you the following as the number of each grade of officers of this bureau whose services have been dispensed with from March 4, 1869, to January 1, 1872: Collectors (consolidation of districts).

Assessors (consolidation of districts)

Assistant Assessors..

Distillery Storekeepers

Distillery Surveyors..

Tobacco Inspectors. -

Total..

9

9 -1,355

129

209

625

2,334

"From the best information in my possession I am of the opinion that the saving to the Government by this reduction will equal, if it does not exceed, $1,200,000 per annum."

Another exhibit :

Expenses of Government, year ending July 1, 1866.

-$520,809,416.99

(This includes interest on the public debt.)

It will be seen from this exhibit that in 1868, when Andy Johnson fell fully into the arms of the Democracy, the expenditures of his administration were $20,000,000 larger than in 1867; while the first year of President Grant's administration— 1869-shows a decrease of $54,000,000. This was followed, in 1870, by a decrease of $13,000,000, and of $14,000,000 in 1871.

Another: The subjoined
The subjoined figures show the ex-

penditures of the Government for carrying on the civil administration during each tenth year :

38,555,983

57,117,332 43

I 48

1871... (The figures for 1860 and 1871 are exclusive of permanent public improvements.)

Thus it is seen that it cost the people about 26 per cent. more per capita to carry on the various Departments of the Government when the Democrats were in power, and had been so eight years, than it did when the Republicans had the job. This will do for illustrations of President Grant's efforts in behalf of Economy. We have shown that Grant's administration, while paying off $100,000,000 per year of the national debt and defraying promptly the annual interest on the remainder, has reduced the total annual expenses some $310,000,000, and the expenses of special departments in a way to show that the present Executive has made it a constant and successful study to develop the greatest possible amount of revenue at the least possible

cost.

MAINTAINING THE PUBLIC CREDIT.

Unquestionably it is to this economy of administration, and to the steady policy of the Government in nursing tenderly the Public Credit, that