Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-07-01

l Or sS44Aess
IN The House OF REPRESENTATIVE
, 74ne II. 1870.
On the bill (H. B. No. g7g making appro
b and judicial expenses Of the Government
For the year ending June 30. 1871.
Mr.. BEATTY. Mr.. Speaker, on the
18th of January last, when the House
lad under consideration the bill for the
ransfer of the Philadelphia navy-yard
o League Island, the able chairman OF
he Committee on Appropriations FAIr.
OAWESI made an earnest and eIoqaeni
appeal to gentlemen on this floor to as
list him in looping OF unnecessary ex-
lenses and reducing appropriations to
he lowest possible amount. The House
1esponded fayorably to this request, and
seconded the efforts of the gentleman
rom Massachusetts in this work O
economy, while the people Of the entire
country approved his speech and aD
Plauded that independence and fearless
ness of spirit which did not hesitate tc
expose and condemn the errors Of his
3WEEs party, painful and Notifying as
he task was in order tlA prevent like er-
rors in the future.
/ We were told then that we could ex-
pect no help in this woik of retreRch-
ment from the other end Of the Capitol,
and that whatever was accomplished in
his direction must be done by the
House. The correctness Of that state
ment is unfortunately established BY the
bill before us, which has been returned
by the Senate loaded down with increased
appropriations for old objects and large
appropriations for new; appropriation.
50 largely increased, and many Of them
for purposes SO unnecessary, that we are.
constrained to believe that to that grave
and reverend body "the appropriation Of
money IS the most gratifying employ
ment in the world.
Economy has been 50 often the theme
of the politician and demagogHe that
our constituents have, perhaps. good
reason to suspect whenever this subject
is -broached that it is either the prelude
to a demand for the extravagant ex-
| penditure of public money or bid for
the votes of honest men. The changes
have also been rung on it So frequently
in this. House by men whose constitIl-
tional stinginess leads them to oppose
| expenditures for even necessary objects,
| that many gentlemen of liberal ideas
and generous instincts have, I fear,
come to regard the very word s'econo-
my, with a feeling ofcontempt The
subject has got into disrepute, has been
belittled and disgraceei BY being put to
unworthy uses. | desire to say, there
fore that in considering this bill, am,
trust, Influenced by that higher and tru@
er notion of economy, which objects
alike to the niggardliness of the miser and
the senseless extravaganza of the spend !
thrift, and rests upon that middle ground |
where honor, security. and thrift may be
maintained. True economy, I appre-
hend, demands that whatever is neces-
sary to do should be done well, and |
may justify. nay. demand large appro-
prlations, while it may be defled and /
outraged by very small expenditures.
The majority Of this House when con-
sidering this bill were, i believe, actuat-
ed by an honest desire to make such |
executive, and judicial expenses Of the /
Government as comported with the Dig |
nifty Of a great nation they scrutinized |
closely the various estimates presented, |
with a view simply Of granting all that /
was necessary and no more It did not
occur to US that this Was q proper time
to add to the nurnf Of Government
employees, or to taerzasesfhe pay of off |
GERS, orto send expecisioTs to remote and 7
undiscovered sections of the globe, or to
enter upon any work involving the ex-
penditure of large sums of money that /
might be postponed without detriment /
to the public service We were conscious
that the country had but recently been
engaged in great war that the nation
was bending beneath an enormous load
of debt; that our people were groaning
under taxation which penetrated the low
liest cabin, and levied contributions
from the beggar as well as the million
aire that labor was in too many sec
tons but poorly paid, and that industry
was crying for relief.
We knew that the men who gave us
official life were demanding a reduction
of expenditures, and we did not dare
turn deaf ear to their timely and rea-
sonble demands. We hoped Senators
would respond in the same spirit and
with the same alacrity to this prevailing
and predominant desire of our constitu
ents for retrenchment and reform but,
unfortunately, they have not. They pro-
pose to increase the salaries of employees
about this Capital they propose to in
crease the paw of the Capitol police
they propose to Increase the con1pensa-
ton Of secretaries, clerks. and assist
ants in the Treasury and other Depart
ments of the Government they propose
to raise the salaries of the judges of the
Supreme Court from $1,000 to 10000.
and add fifty per cent. to the salaries f
Of the Judges Of the circuit courts. In
short, they propose to make a total in
crease of salaries amounting to over
half a million dollars per annum.
They propose to go further. and ap-
propriate $500, 900 to begin work on a
building for the accommodation of the
State, Navy, and War Departments-an
edifce which it will cost Sc, 900, 900 to
complete they propose to provide the
entering wedge for an appropriation of
s., ,ooo, 900 for the extension and adorn-
ment of the Capitol grounds, and cap
the climax of their extravagant legisla-
ton by proposition to appropriate
500, 900, and the requisite number of
United States vessels, to go in search of
the north pole
At the risk of being reminded that
small ideas and a great empire go i'll
together, I submit that this is not the
time to increase salaries, build temples,
and adorn squares for the qualification
of the eye, or fit out expeditions for voy-
ages of discovery. There are humber /
and more necessary objects demanding
our care. The taxpaying farmers, me-
chanics, and humble laborers of the
land should have our first attention. for
they are the producers of our wealth and /
the bulwark of our safety. Liberal pro-
visions, grant, should be made for the
maintenance of the honor and dignity
of the nation but, on the other hand,
/ hold that ostentatious display should
be avoided, not only because it tends to
exhaust the Treasury. but because it is
an indication Of corruption and weak
ness. It is the wealth and power that |.
we possess that secures US against insult
and unjust exactions, and not the wealth
and power we have FILTERED away. The
servants of the Republic, whether civil
or military, should receive fair compen-
sltion, but they should be required to rem
der honest service. Republican simplicity
and rigid exactness in the administration
of public affairs should be the rule, not