Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-21
AGENTS.
CONGRESSIONAL APpEDPRsA.
TlONS FOR THIS YEAR.

AT last a table Is made up showing
the appropriations passed by Congress
-manv of them rushed through dur
ing the last hours of the sc>sion-fnr
the present fiscal year. The net result
is that the popular demand for re-
trenchment was practically defeated.
the reduction in the aggregate being
but twenty millions from last year.
When it is borne in mind that las;
years appropriations We're eighteen
millions in excess of those of l>722. the
failure 10 effect the reduction below
the scale of expenses habitual in the
late extravacant year will be more
clearly appreciated. We propose to
show how retrenchmcnt was defeated.
When the House. on the plea of
economy. directed the executive de
partment to revise their estimates of
needed appropriations, the reductions
made pursuant 10 this direction were
those usually made by the Appropria-
tions Committees: so that the House
simply attempted to make a virtue of
compelling the heads of bureaus 10 do
the work that itself had formerly done.
Many heals of bureaus plumplv re-
fused TO recommend any reductions.
saving that they had re lueel their e>-
timates in the first instance tothe lowest
figures that would enable their offices
to discharge the duties required by law.
In illustration of the practical value
of Congressional demands for econ
House was rejecting Mr.. Richard~on'>
proposal for 81. eco Of additional
taxation and was demanding reduction
of expense. bills We're pending in Con-
gress for Improvement of rivers and
harbors, erection Of public buildings.
construction of canals and railways
all improper objects for taxation and
Government eXpense-callin- for APP
preparations to the extent Of nearly a
hundred millions. and that during the
first three weeks of the session. The
result was an aNaESiiHiE "A ltFtif
sentiment. which was manifested
toward the close Of the session. when.
the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds having pre-
pared a bill which vas supposed to in
clude some qualification to the desires
of each locality. the effort to take up
this bill for consideration was defeated
by thirty-one majority. The proposals
to appropriate for canals and railways
substantially failed. and some of those
for Improvement Of rivers and har-
bors did the anne. Toward the end of
the session, however, one member
after another saw that he had no
chance of carrying an appropriation to
improve his own section at the en-
pense Of the whole country unless he
coalesced with others who wished to
do the same in their nci-hborhoods;
so separate bills for these purposes
were brought before Congress, and
while the appropriations for the per-
formancc OF public business Were re-
duced to a point which will neceSsita.e
deficiency bills next scssiOn-aftcr
~election-a number of these totally
needless improvement acts passed.
and the expenditures were thus not
materially reduced. The professions
of economic purpose that were 50 loud
last december have ended in smoke;
and though the expectation expressed
by one Of the most upright and saga
cious members OF the present Con-
gress, that that body would prove TO
be the most eXtravagant known tor
many years, has not as yet teen real
lied, it remains to be seen What record
it will make in its final session, afser
alpntinp