Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-21

occurred from 1885 TO 1887 TO Justify 80 cxtravagant
IN increase in the salaries OF officers IN the treasury
department as Sli6559 So IN the war departments
the post Office department; the contingencies IN each
What are the contingent expenses of one OF these de-
parmcnts that can honestly and fairly or cconoini-
cally amount 10 S59,3S7
What was there, at this period in our history TO
create so enlarged expenditure for salaries light
houses, public grounds, surveying the coast, public
buildings Notifications, repairs, ordnance department,
| armorcs, arscnals, magazines, stores, navy yards
navy hospitals and assylums2 What but a desire TO
spend the maximum or greatest possible amount in
the terms of Mr. Benons resolution of 1896, WHEREBY
or it could be sq,andcrcd! Look at the expenditures
in the Indian department, where there has been more
frauds and roglcry committed than in almost any
other branch of the government Exclusive of the
Seminole and Creek wars il amounts TO ,366,6l8.
Look to the item for preventing and spprcsslng In
dian hostltics In one year amounted to 50 o5o 26
and now for the same service, dcntcally they ask
only S}00,000-fvc millions and quarter less than
was squandcred in 1897.
Yes sir by the amendment now under consideration
to this bll you were asked originally to appropriate
100000; and at tho instance Of the chairman of the
committee of Ways and Means that sum has been
| reduced to 100000. Can there be stronger ac-
Acknowledgement of wastefu extravaganza than is here
furnished by the administration itself IT. in their
opinion 5000 900 is sufficient to cary the Florida
war for the next twelve months, what became of the
S5,555 600 appropriated TO that object in 1887 I'll
show you presently what became of it. 1t went into
| the pockets of the spectators who were in the SER
vice and pay of government, and very possibly many
high in Office participated in the profits or such ac-
counts never could have been recognized and admit
| ted as will presently exhibit.
Let me call your attention to the first two items
under the head of the Military establishment in the
| table which have presented above, which | think
will defy the ingenuity of the whole party to account
for satisfactorily. ], will there be found that the first
item, wit, PAY Of the army and subsistence of Off
GERS S203,332 less in 1887 than in 1895. We'll, i
took that much less to pay the army and feed the
| officers, it might naturally be expected that it would
require less to suhsst that army but extraordinary
it may appear, the next item, Subsistence and for
age s increased from 1882 32l 10 81 023 100, making
an increase of s6l0 903-largcly upwards of half q
million of dollars
| Is the chairman of the committee of Ways and
means prepared to explain this ! Is any other mem
Der of the administration party prepared to explain il
No sir. Then ! will. Let me refer you to Scnat,
document No l27, I'd session of the 18th Congress
and this riddle will be solved.
friend has put into my hand speech delivered Of
this floor by the honorable gentleman from Indiana
| Mr. Profit to whom the country will be indebted fo
his rcscarc in which he quotes largely from the doc
umenl have rcferro to, and as it is there presented
in convenient and condensed form, will rcat
from that instead Of the document itself; although
have the document before me, and any gentleman cal
read it.
| The gentleman says
ain senate document I'd session 2jth Congress, vol
g. find statement of contracts for fuel ransporta
ton &c. for the quartcrmastcrs department. for 1897
and signed 'r Cross, acting quartcrmastcr general
Here sir, find in part how the thirty millions hav
been expended in Florida. | will give the commlttc
few items of steamboat contracts for 1887: