Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-03-27

congress paying attention to tins business.
1ri the appropriation bill for legislative,
judicial, &C., expenses Of the Govern
ment, which is now under consideration in
the Committee of the Whole, The amount
is four million dollars less than was appro-
priated last year. In all the various appro-
priations the amount allowed is less than
the estimates call for, and it IS safe to say
there will be a saving Of thirty million dol
lars in the next fiscal year, by the watch
fulness of the Committee on Appropriations
and Republican members Of the House.
The Committee on Military Affairs on
Tuesday last, through their chairman,
Hon. John Coburn, reported a bill provid-
ing for the gradual reduction OF the Army
by dispensing with five regiments of in
fantry, one of cavalry, and one of artillery,
and to receive no more enlistmen.s until
the aggregate is reduced to the number of
$4,000, rank and file the redution to take
place January 1, 1875, and from the date
OF the passage of the bill no more commits
sions are to be issued except in cases of
death or resignation. When the reduction
is complete the force Of the regular Army
will stand as follows: twenty regiments
OF infantry, nine regiments Of cavalry, and
four regiments of artillery. Doubtless this
bill will be fought bitterly, and all the in
fuence of the staff and line in the Army
will be brought to bear against it, but as
1t is a measure of retrenchment and great
saving TO the Government, and large
standing army . IL 'aat not necessary, the
probabilities are General Coburn will be
successful, and bis bill hccome law.
The great economist, and leader of Tam
many, Hon. Fernando Wood, or. as his
adherents in New York pronounces the
name, FerRaRdy,cud, made a speech a few
days ago, intended no doubt for New
Hampshire ahd Connecticut, in which he
perverted the truth to SO great an extent
that several leading Republicans took him
to task, and showed that he had, at least,
made tn sSures to suit his own purpose.
In his speech he attacked all the branches
OF the Government, including the Post
Office Department, and tried to impress
upon the minds of the members and the
country that the numocr Of employees had
been largely increased. Hon. Stephen w.
kellogg, Of Connecticut, answered him
efiectually in regard to the other Depart
ments, and clincher was put upon him
(Mr. Wood by Hon John b. Packer. in
the following manner, which take from
the Congressional Record
Mr.. PACKER. If the gentleman from
Connecticut will allow me I would
like, in this connection, to make Il further
correction of the figures taken by the
gentleman from New York Mr.. Wood
from the Blue Book
Mr.. KELLOGG. | will yield 10 tie chair
man of the Committee on he pCsL-OfIice
and Post-Roads.
Mr.. PACKER. The gentleman from New
day Ia Mr., Wood, in his speech Oh Satur-
pIoyees Of f4}hie" Ii" r65st r65 nnmber OF the ems
49, at Washington and SO, ,730 elsewhere,
making total of 60, DIS
The TRUTH is there were, at the commence
meDt OF this fiscal year, in the Post Office
Department i'll this city, but 354 employees,
including all the clerks, laborers and
watchmen, &c.; and all the other officers
and agents throughout the entire country,
including postmasters, contractors, clerks
In post-0fhces, letter carriers, route agents,
railway post-ofiice clerks, mail-route mes
sengers, local agents, special agents, were
but 1916 making total Of AZ, ,010, in
stead of 60, 225 as stated by the gentleman
from New York. The Blue Book gives
the names OF all persons employed, even
Tor fractional part of the year, and con-
sequently includes the names of incumbents
who may have died or resigned, as well as
OF those appointed to succeed them, and
hence the gross inaccurany of the gentle
mans statement.
Mr.. KELLOGG. That makes difference
Of thirteen thousand and odd in the figures |
which were given the other day by the |
gentleman from New York, Mr.. Wood. | |
thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania |
heartily for his information. He is more |
familiar, from his position, with the Post
Ofiice department than / am. Icould not |
see, unless the mail service had increased |
iaster than / suppOs ~, how ii was possible |
that 1t could have run np from forty-three |
thousand to siS'y thu@sand or more in two
years.
The honorable gentleman from New
York WINGED under these refutations Of his
but still persists in sending
them of in printed pamphlets TO different
parts of the country where they will do
the most good" for himself and party.
In the Investigation into the charges pre-
erred against General O. o. Howard, the
testimony given before the military court
shows that no fraud, corruption or defalca-
lion has been proven against him. The
accounting afliccrs of the Treasury have
testified that General Howard's accounts
or personal disbursements have been fully
settled aud balanced. Hon. Fernando
Wood bas been harping upon the supposed
,rauds in the Freedman's Bureau for three
)r four years, and has been bounding Cen
sral Howard as he would a felon. Such
men as Wood have no liking for the maim-
ID one or one armed soldier, and would
seem TO glory in their downfall for having
ought on the side OF the Union The peo-
pie, however, will be reioiced to learn that
his christian soldier is Innocent, and his
official conduct entirely free from the cor
'upt practices that have been charged upon
lim.
The Senate Finance C1ulH.iatec yester-
lay reported bill which is intended to
emedy the financial difficulties. An i'm
Jortant feature Of it is to fix The amount of
he legal-tender circulation at 1892 900, 600.
The bill also provides for free banking, but
provision that 4 portion of the
,reenbacks shall be retired as new national
,ank notes are issued
The House yesterday passed the bill fix
ng the amount of lesaltender notes at four
hundred millions by vote of 16S yeas to
z nays.
This would seem TO conflict with the
senate bill, but it does not, for they are
10Th of the same tendency. Free banking
5 gaining friends every day, and no doubt
will become q law. The only question