The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-06
Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, the chairman of the Com

Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, the chairman of the Com
mttee on Appropriations.
Mr. Garfield of Ohio, said three questions
presented themselves: First If there was
oenclt in the near future who was the cause?
Second, Was there danger of such a deficit?
Third What was the duty of Congress?
On the first point he explained that one
cause of the deficit was a reduction of taxes
Every year since the war except two, 1868 and
1873, the taxes have been reduced to an amount
in the aggregate of S139, 500, 900 and yet at the
cloee of the last fiscal year there was surplus
of $43.000,0 900 of receipts above expenditures.
The Committee of Appropriations believed
that if a cutting down of such as ought to be
made for its own sake did not carry the Treas
ury through, it was the business OF the House
to provide ways and means to make up the
deficit 1t was thu: business Of the House to
NIX 1t when it came to the place where taxa
Ton was necessary to fill up the deficit. The
Committee on Appropriations proposed that
whenever there was AN appropriation growing
up out OF the war or otherwise that might be
tapped OH, to lap it off, and when an expendi-
tare could be POSTPONED for year withou' Sc
rIous injury to the great interest of the govern
mem to postpone it. When the committee
had done these two things, thew did not pro-
pose to cut another dollar anywhere.
he then went into detail of the estimates
ana appropriations for the next fiscal year aud
stated as the figure of the reduc ion was 1884,
ooO,OO0 below the gross estimate; and his figure
'."S ii"oio VI CouISc W Dc uliniulSueu Ny va
rIous appropriations which might be made by
congress such as the appropriations for the
centennial and for the Washington Board of
Public Works.
He thought, however. he was perfectly safe
IN urging the expenditures for the next fiscal
year exclusive of the sinking fund, would he re
duced to $270, 100000, provided the House
should assist the Committee on Appropriations
on all its bills as it had already assisted it on
the bills reported. He believed the revival of
business and the restoration of public conf
dence would enable the government to go
through this year and next year without adj
ditlonal taxation, but if at the end of all efforts
10 bring down the expenditures to the basis in
dIcated, Congress found 1T necessary to tax
he had no doubts this Congress would stand
up manfnly and restore the taxes where it
had been cut down. He did not believe that
would be necessary. He believed tt at when
they met next session there would be no deficit
but reasonable surplus.
Mr.. Beck of Ky, said he was prepared to
demonstrate the fact that the sinking fund
was embraced in Mr.. Dawes statement of ex-
pendtures of former years as well as in that of
the current year, and that when Mr.. Dawes
took back the statement ne had made in that
respect, he did what the facts did not warrant
He was also prepared to prove the reckless ex-
travagances on the administration.
Mr.. Conger of Mich, said he had heard such
promises many time before from the gentle
man from Kentucky, but he had never known
them to be kept. The Committee rose and the
House took recess till the evening session for
the consideration of the bill to revise statutes
At the evening session the House made some
progress in the bill to revise the statutes.