The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-22

Sne ouGness TRANSACTED mus: pass through the
onnces OF the First and Firth Auditors, the First
Comptroller and Commissioner of Customs 80 that
the bureaus are not only illegal but they have not
even the power TO act In the matters which they
assume to control. According to the report OF the
FIRST Comptroller the number OF warrants ex-
amined, countersigned, entered upon blotters and
posted In ledgers 40 379 and the number OF &C
counts received rom the First and Firth Auditors
OF the Treasury and the commissioner OF
the General Land once and revised ana
certified was 3ai4l, making total OF
$3.50. This immense labor was accom-
plisned by forty-six clerks and five messengers
The force in the Secretary's once mostly unem-
ployed as regards the actual requirements OF the
department business numbers over $50 clerks,
In addition to nearly TWICE that number OF copy
lists, counters messengers, laborers ana others.
The abuses in all of the departments have ina
great measure grown up under decision OF the
Supreme Court OF the United States, THAT the
accounting officers OF the Treasury have not the
burden of responsibility cast upon them Of
reversing the judgments, correcting the supposed
mistakes or annuling the orders OF the heads OF
departments"
The resolution Of Senator Salisbury. which was
adopted requests the Secretary Of the Treasury 10
inform the Senate how much of the appropriation
for additional compensation to clerks in his once
contained in the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial Act making appropriations for the year
ending June 80, 1873, approved May s, 1872 has
been paid under these heads respectively; that
s:-How much for additional clerk hire and how
much tor additional compensation, and that he
likewise inform the Senate who received this ad-
ditional compensation, at what rate per annum
they were paid under its provisions, and what was
for by law.
Retrenc mcnt Drawing Nearer Home
The Inordinate Cost OF the Capitol
Police.
The House Committee on Accounts held an i'm
portant meeting this morning and took the initial
steps toward a thorough overhauing OF the force
OF employees under their branch OF Congress. The
clerical force is small as compared with other
branches OF the government, and could not well be
reduced Under the Clerk OF the House are twenty
four clerks and assistants at aggregate cost OF
ses,oOO, which is not much more than 1t costs to
distribute the mail and take OF the stationery
in the Treasury Department The committee will
be likely to recommend reduction In the number
OF messengers, which is considered unnecessarily
large. There are also sundry items under the head
OF contingent expenses Of the House, amounting to
s267, 900. Out of these 100000 are for folding
documents including pay OF folders and materials.
Since the abolition of the ranking privilege there
has been nothing done In this branch, ana $4,000
is admitted to be nearer a reasonable sum for the
purpose There is also an item OF $4,000 for horses
and carriages. AS the only legitimate use for
these is the delivery OF the House mail at the resi-
dences Of members, the committee are aware that
$4,000 would be amply suficient for the purpose.
This would give SIS each. The expense bears
very close approximation Of the cost Of the landau
let of the lady Of Attorney General Williams, paid
out Of the contingent fund of the Department OF
Justice, or of the superb establishments sup
ported by the Treasury Department for the
beneht of First Assistant Secretary and favored
clerks. After the experience in the Department
Of Justice, however, this character OF outlay
and style is at discount. The most extravagant
outlay proportiOnatey at the Capitol Is the Capitol
police, which costs for the two houses Of Congress
$4,000 a. year. This includes one captain at
s240l 30 three Meutenanss at 81 7o each, twenty
seven privares at 81, s21 90 each and eight watch
men at $780, This is considered rather heavy for
work which could be done by dozen watchmen at
$780, In this connection, py way Of comparison, it
may be stated that 1t costs but $4,000 year to
protect all the government buildings in London,
including the Parliament House. The duty OF
sitting in the rotunda or corridors and splitting
tobacco juice at the immense cast iron receptacles,
stationed at conspicuous points and in convenient
range, is literally compensated, may be seen
above. The committee, in considering the subject
OF reduction, realize the extravaganza OF such an
establishment, but it remains to be seen whether
they have the courage, for 1t takes courage TO re-
port in favor Of retrenchment in this direction.
These snecures have become posts worth strug-
Cling for-that is, the compensation mainly-and
brother Of member Of Congress did not consider
himself above she rank Of high private in the
Capitol police.
The Centennial Cat Let Out OF the Bag
Patriotism with Money i'm 1t.
It had been supposed that when the brains were
out the Congress would die. but the debate to-day
on the Centennial bill Of Mr.. Kelley, Of Pennsylvania,
provoked more vital nonsense than has been
Grated since the days when the former Senator OF
Louisiana, BENJAMIN. parhetically bid the Senate
adeu, and since the bird Of freedom Mapped and
ruttered In favor OF the Declaration OF Indepen-
dence as the inspiration OF "ail men being equal"
including the negro, and no one being governed
without consent which included secessionists.
The Declaration of Independence the soul Of the
centennial but before the debate got far along the
moneyed experts OF the measure crept out very
Mostly. Judge Kelley was discreet aboutht Raw.
ley, OF connecticut, spoke very eagerly, but hid the
moneyed ideas. Mr.. Wood spoke well but guarded
ly, as II he saw q big pile in the scheme
for some one. Then came Butler. He let 1t all out,
and IL evidently in favor OF the largest expend1-
ture on this subject. The proposition did not
however, look to more than International cour-
tesies and invitations Still, every one must have
known from the DRIFT Of the debate that this was
the initiation OF the largest Job which this Con.
gress will aid. When the noodgates OF eloquence
were opened, and Mr.. Kelley let in Dunnen, Of
Minnesota; Sypher. Of louisiana; Croker, OF Mas
sachusetts; Scudder, OF New Jersey; Frye. OF
Maine, and Others, such magnificent tidal wave
as swept from ocean to ocean, foom Chimborazo to
Popocatapetl from Bunker Hill to Appomattox,
aud from George Washington TO John Smith, never
before overwhelmed the House. The clock
stood still, or rather the bronze bench
men OF saturn who lean against it.
The eagle over the clock was seen by q
booty colored person in the gallery to spread his
vpOs for a larger njrht Tho nnnoctfion IN tha