Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-29

when the Secretary could not cut down
the estimate for his department, there
was a single bureau there that had accu-
INFLATED S486, 900 surplus, because it had
had appropriations from year to year
more than it could use; and without say
ing word about that surplus, it was
asking for S248, 600 more, and saying
positively to the Committee it cotld not
curIail one penny.
Mr.. Dawes went on to relate like eX-
perience in the Treasury Department, and
said: 81 went away from the Treasury
Department discouraged. l took counsel
of influential gentlemen in the party, with
this book Of estimates under my arm,
which has been my constant companion
for six weeks, and was advised to 60 to
the President myself, and laid these es-
timaiesand these balances before him; but
Eafter short pause, and in a tone OF sad
ness, | do not know that | accomplished
| ANYTHING. ! do not know but he has more
| confidence in my colleague (Butler) than
in myself II may be that he will take
my colleague into his bosom and warm
him into new life. Laughter. l know
not what may be nor can / calculate what
will be the consequences of that restora-
| ton. Laughter But fain would be
| lieye that the President believes me to be
| his friend, and were TO state the simple
| truth of what passed between myself
| and him, so like him, 50 true to him
self, it would be a better Vindication
of him and me than anything that can be
said. They talked of economy. He said
that his influence should be exerted to
bring down these estimates. He said he
had made personal examination of the
estimates of the War Department. He
knew the necessity of that department
| better than others, and thought the esti-
mates for that department were cut down
as low as they could be. After that
statement from man whose polar star
| administration of affairs is economy, |
| did not think it worth while to appeal
from him to the Secretary who had not
been month in his seat, and whose Sec
ond official act read from the Clerks desk
here yesterday, is letter to my colleague
| in aid of his assault on the Committee on
| Appropriations in its efforts to reduce ex-
| pendtures. And, therefore, sir, |
examined into all departments COM
mitted to my charge. l say that
every other one of them was examined
| by other members of the committee
in same way; and now, was it worth
willie for US, with that knowledge, to try
and induce the representatives of the peO-
pie tc cut down expenses That work
belongs here. Many of them were the
result of laws enacted here, and here was
the place to undo them. Many of them
were addressed to our discretion, and here
was the place to consider and act on that
discretion. Many of them result from
abuses of long standing. There are to-
day 500 officers of the army off duty,
more than are necessary for supernume-
raries. Can any one tell me the annual
draft on the Treasury for their salaries 2
Take the pay of Major as midway in
rank and as an average, and multiply that
by five hundred; and you will find that
there is paid annually to these supernume-'
rary officers 1885, 600 as salary. No
body at the other end are responsible for
that. We are responsible for it, and /
submit whether we ought not to hold up
these expenses before our eyes so that we
may see where we can cut them down.
| 1uGbC ait DuL luSldLCES NOIllluH " Us
through the administrations of the past;
but we are responsible unless we apply the
pruning knife and cut off these expendi-
lures. l submit, Mr. Chairman, that here
where l stood was the place, and that it
was eminently proper that the Committee
on Appropriations should do what it could
to arouse a sentiment in the House of
| Representatives in favor of uniting in
every effort of any of the departments, or
any of the executive officers, to cut down
these expenditures. l say that l have
maintained the three propositions with
which set out q long time ago in these
remarks, that would show that it was a
fitting occasion for me to make that
speech the speech was true as l made
it, and it was proper that l should make
it; and, sir, in general terms, l desire to
state that in this work the committee
felt and feels that it had no hos
tility TO any branch of the govern
ment, and didn't in any regard de-
size or suppose that it was
making war on any branch of the Govern
| ment. But with an earnest desire and
| with full belief that it would have all
suitable aid from others, the committee
proposes to go on, and, lift could be sus-
tanned in this House, to make, instead of
an upward tendency in public expcndi
lures, downward tendency, anda further
reduction Of what was appropriated last
year, 50 that the country may understand
that insOmuch rs in this Congress lies the
power to relieve them from the heavy
burdens of taxation, it shall be done, so
that the country may understand that
whatever pledges of economy have been
made shall be redeemed, and so that
every industry that can be lightened of its
burden shall have the benefitof our efforts
in that line.
During most of the time Mr.. Dawes was
speaking, the aisles in his vicinity were
crowded with members. bespoke nearly
| two hours.