New-York tribune., 1873-03-04
WASHINGTON.
rpr APPROPRIATION ABUSE.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE SUNDRY
CIVIL AND ARMY BILLS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRlBUNRl
WASHINGTON, March 3-0ne of the worst abuses
known to Congress is the habit of dividing mp the
appropriations for specific objects among different
appropriation bills For instance, the Indian Appro-
priation BILL if prepared early in the session. ought
to contain all the appropriations for that branch OF
the service to be made during the year but II the
amount of money appropriated in that bill exceeds
by a considerable sum the amount appropriated III
the similar bill Of the year before, attention Is al
tracted to the fact and the justice OF the increase Is
likely TO be inquired into. The practice ls there-
fore If there are several new appropriations OF con-
siderable magnitude which it is desired to pass 10
divide them up among several bills, where there is
less danger of their exciting suspicion. The Sundry
Civil and Deficiency bills of this session contain
strong illustrations of this abuse The Indian bill
was larger than usual this year, and yet when the
Sundry Civil bill came up appropriation of S2S7,-
800 o. was put upon it, on the recommendation OF
the Senate Indian Committee, to pay arrears OF in
terest due the ChiekaSaw Indians under the treaties
of 1852 This was agreed to by the Senate without
word of debate.
When the Deficiency bill came before the Senate
il was found TO be pretty heavily loaded with Indian
appropriations in the first place, there was one OF
SI65o6OO to pay Cherokee claim for lands sold;
another of $500 500 for Sioux Of different tribes
for Indian expense in California Utah, Nevada, Da-
kota, and Montana; $4,000 for the Menomonee
tribe: S7.4so for the Chippewss; $4,000 for the
StOckbridges S174,54s which was enormously COW
cred into the Treasury. When this bill came into
the Senate the Indian Committee again on
hand They did not recommend TO strike out any of
the tlarge appropriations already put III Oy the
House but added new ones of their own. In the
first place they induced the Appropriation Commit
tee to put in another Appropriation OF the same
amount for the Chickasaw interest claim, besides
$25l O5S 81 to reimburse the Creek Orphan FUND
and $5lS34S to pay the Montana Indian war claims
Here then are appropriations amounting to SSo6S,-
2l5 that ought to have been put into the original
Indian OF Army bill. And. after all, MIR. Harlan
came in with an amendment to the Deficiency DID,
giving $4,000 TO Dakota Indians.
The manner in which appropriations are made this
session for this District illustrates still further this
vicious mode of legislation. In January deficiency
appropriation bill was passed giving the District
Government 81 $4,000 for street improvements IN
Washington. Two millions two hundred thousand
more was put up on the Sundry Civil Appropriation
bill besides gifts to several charitable institutions
and $4,000 for the District Board of Health, and
finally the last deficiency bill gives the Board of
Health $500; $4,000 is also appropriated for the
erection of building for District Offices an expen-
dlture which the Market Company was oOuno W
make, and some further presents for charitable in-
stitutioDs
Aside entirely from the justice of these appropra
tions, everybody who knows anything about Con-
gress knows that they could pass neither house were
they all put together in one bill The Sundry Civil
Appropriations reported by the Conference
Committee and agreed to by both houses to-day,
tains all the amendments of the Senate appropriate
ing money for the government of the District Of Co
lumbia There are for work already done
around Government reservations by the City
Government corporation, $lSs,OO2 75; for work
already done by the Board of Public
Works. $lOO65 80; TO complete improvements
now making on streets and avenues around Govern
ment property, S93497 26 to reimburse the City OF
Washington for work done on the avenues of the
city since the foundation of Washington, $10OOOOO;
total 81 2OsG33. As the Board of Public Works
succeeds to all claims of the old corporation it win
receive the whole amount. This makes S3,50O,0OO
appropriated during the present session for paving
the streets of this city. Whatever may be thought
of the honesty and efficiency of the Board il cannot
10 denied that as organization for getting money
from the public treasury it is remarkable success.
Aessrs. FarnswOrth, Roosevelt, Amber. and Holman
made fight against the reports in the House, but
were badly beaten.
The appropriation in the same bill for the New
York Post Office remains at $l9O0000, and that
for the Philadelphia Post-0fice at 81 5000O9
The amendment 10 provide for replacing the worn
and mutilated circulating notes of the national
banks and appropristing 100000 to be assessed on
the national banks, agreed TO. The national
banks make such a handsome profit out of the mo-
nopoly they enjoy, that it thought in the House
that they ought TO be willing TO pay the cost of
craving and printing these notes. They are not,
however and have been trying all Winter to get
Congress to saddle the expense upon the Govern
ment. The notes so worn that they ought all TO
be replaced by ones, and the old plates have
been eouDterfeted TO such extent that it is very
desirable that plates of different design should
be prepared. Mr. Randall said in reply TO three OF
four bank presidents and Stockholders who opposed
the report. that the annual profits made
by the banks from the monopoly of fur
nishing paper money for the people 10000 0O0
The amendment making an appropriation to begin
building for the library of Congress iii one of the
squares east of the Capitol S20OO is also retained
The amendment providing for a building for tho
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing, now accommo-
dated in the Treasury Department $4,000 was
stricken ont by the Conference Committee as was
also the $SD0OOO item 10 pay the Chickasaw Indian
interest
The Conference report on the Army Appropriation
bill was opposed in the House by Mr.. CobuTn ae-
count of $2OOO0 inserted by the Senate and agreed
10 by the COMMITTEE, for the construction of two
forts west of the Missouri River for the protection of
the Northern Pacific Railroad. Mr.. Coburn said that
an Indian war would certainly follow the building
of these forts the Sioux determined TO con-
test every foot Of the territory west Of
the Missouri, and he did not think the
Government was bound to undertake a
war with the most determined and dangerous In
slans on the continent for the benefit of railroad
osny orotact wss iaf4i DO OF letting tne CG
yond the missouri. MT. Dickey said that the mill