The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-02
WHOLE NUMBER, 542

was. Many Of the works bearing the name
of forts were merely improvised field works
or batteries; while others. like those of Sta
ten leland, for the defence of the harbor Of
New York, were State works."
| As to the number of fortfcations in 1868,
Captain Wright says:
"There are at the present time, under the
charge Of the engineer department, Sc dis.
tinct permanent works of Notifications on
the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, and
on the northern lake frontier, which are
either completed or in course of construction.
In addition to these, appropriations were made
at the last regular session of Congress for
| ten additional works, on which little or moths
ing has been done toward the commence.
ment."
The number OF light houses and light yes.
sells prior to 1915 was 40. In 1858 lights
of ell kinds, including beacon lights and
light vessels, existing and authorized to be
built, number 6O2. About 33 have not
been finished; but are inthe course of con.
struction. ~ HssL
In 1915 we had SO collectors Of the reve-
nue., and II surveyors and In 1921 we had
63l inferior officers in the revenue service.
In 1858 the number of collectors is II6, and
the number Of surveyors llO--making 226.
The number of inferior officers employed in
the collection of the revenue is 3,O5S. as
The number of land offices in 1915 was
10. The number in 1853 is Sc.
The expenditure for the Indian sevice in
1915 amounted to $lll,75O. The same
service now requires an expenditure of g..
los, ,43O SO. ss
In 1915 the number of pensioners was co.
timated at l,4o0, and the amount paid to
them was $9S,O0O. At this time the num-
Der has increased TO 1926, and 81 $685.
TIT ID is now required for their payment.
These facts, thus presented, clearly show
the condition and extent OF our territory,
the larger portion Of which has been acquir.
ed since 1915, the period at which the gen.
tleman sums up the annual expenditures on
the third page of his speech. Since that
time we have acquired the Floridas, Texas,
New Mexico, and California, and the Gads.
den purchase. Under these circumstances,
no fair or just comparison in regard to the
expenditures can be instituted between the
years 1915 and 1858. 1t would be about as
fair and wise to institute comparison be.
tween the expenditures Of child and those
of the full-grown man. ia a.
The gentleman is recognized leader of
his party, and to this position he is fairly en-.
titled by his intelligence and character. He
wos member Of the last Congress, and
desire, as he is now preaching economy, to
call his attention to some of the legislation
of that Congress, in which he participated, !,
and for which he and his party, SO far as the
House is concerned, are responsible, to a
great extent at least. .Y- aa
The submarine telegraph bill appropriate
ed $4,000 per annum to that scheme until
the interest on the investment should reach
six per cent, and then $4,000 for twenty.
five years. The company had the use Of
two of our best vessels and their crews
But six Democrats voted for the bill. ss
On the proposition to pay $ls6,765 IS
for books for members of Congress, only
eleven Democrats voted for it.
The appropriation of 100000 for the
Capitol dome was voted for by both parties,
and therefore each party is responsible to
the extent of the support given to it. ~
The bill creating Lieutenant General and
increasing the pay of the officers and men in
the Army, was passed by the last Congress,
and was most cordially supported by the
Opposition party in this House. A.
During the Thirty Fourth Congress, Sl6,.
o22 was appropriated to pay per diem and
mileage to Archer, Fouke, Turney, Reeder,
MilikeD, and Bennett, for contestiny the
seats OF members returned to that Congress;
and in all those cases the contests were de-
cided against them. The yeas and nays
show that the Opposition are responsible for
this expenditure.
During the same Congress river and har.
Dor bills, footing up the sum Of $74b,OoO,
were passed by the Opposition and vetoed
by President Pierce, greatly to the annoy
ance of the gentleman and his party. At
the first session of the same Congress ap-
propriations amounting to $3,lS9,739 were
passed for forty one custom houses, court
houses, post Offices, and marine hospitals
Of this number, only eleven were recon.
mended by the Administration. At the
third session of the same Congress, appro-
priations for the same purpose were made to
thirty one buildings of like kind, amount
ing to $2,oS4,ooo, only four of which had
the recommendation of the Administration.
During the same Congress appropriations
amounting to the cum of $2,270 900 were
made for the extention of the Capitol, the
dome, and works of art. 1t was out ol
this appropriation fov the Capitol extension,
if am rightly informed, that desks were
purchased at ninety dollars each, and chairs
at seventy dollars each, for the new hall oi
the House of Representatives.
The appropriations for the several items
of the contingent fund for the House Of Re-