National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-20
CONGRESS YESTERDAY


resulted in little material benefit to the
country. the Senate has concluded to trans
act legitimate business for short period.
Yesterday the army appropriation bill was
given precedence, the easy transposition
being made from how to get money to how
to spend it. In consonance with the gen.
eral design to limit expenditures the bill
was presented in nearly the same figures as
it was when it came from the House, reduc-
ton of four million dollars from last year g ap-
preparations being effected. As Senators vie
with each other in reducing the sums al
lowed to all but themselves, there was little
apparent difficulty In passing upon the ap-
propriations contained In the bill. But
when the action of the two Houses is sub
jected to contrast rather an unfavorable i'm
preston will be gainedt While the Senate
was materially lowering the present army
standard by the old English practice Of
cutting off the supplies" the House was
engaged on a bill Of similar character. Wig
orously combating any such sneaking
method of legislation-the difference lying
in the fact that the army was dealt with in
the first instance, while Congressional per-
quisite, in the shape of mileage, figured as
the subject-matter in the second. The army
appropriations 50 freely reduced involve the
corresponding reduction in the maximum
strength of the enlisted men to twenty five
thousand When the Senate reached the Sec
tons of the bill authorizing the transfer of all
claims pending in the executive Departments
and which have grown out of the war to
the Southern Claims Commission a more
animated scene was presented. The COM
mittee report against the mooted transfer OF
jurisdiction, and to substantiate their judy
ment Mr.. Scott opened the discussion with
close mathematical demonstration of the
rapidity with, which the commission could
"work off" the mass of claims presented
for adjudication. But, Notwithstanding
the learned explanations INDUCED in, the
Senate was unable to reach q conclusion, and,
in consequence, sought an executive session
as refuge from the labors of the day.
In the House the reduction fever also
prevails, the members preferring, however,
to act as surgeons, instead Of patients. In
deed, they retire with horror even upon the
approach of the disease But men are
sometimes so constituted that they possess q
steady nerve while operating on others, but
pale at even the thought of personal con-
tamination from the destructive epidemic.
And then, too. the practice upon others
affords such an opportunity for the exhibi-
ton of skill in the use of the dissecting
knife which is materially marred when .
man is his own doctor. But. even with
plenty of patients, the House d not con-
tented, but, physician like. 1t ID constantly
quibblings not over the favorable result but
over the remedy by which 1t can be At
tanned. E
+ When the House convened the Commit
tee on Appropriations had already mapped
out the programme Of the day. It was
resolved TO reduce the pay of the CAPITOL
police, and this was easily effected. This
was measure In which all concurred, but
the moment of strife was at hand, and upon
the pronunciation Of the word mileage .
the contest began. On this question al
political lines were obscured, and 1t became
q battle Of. the 'tnea1" with the remote. %
Each individual who can step into Wash-
ington ata moments notice could depict in
glowing colo5 the dangers growing out Of
the great American swindle" and the I'm.
minent rlsk NJ an I'm oveaarnen Cnin0 West