Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-29

propriated a trifle over S31,eOO,00O. The
original estimates of the War Department.
for this bill were 81, SS1 ,61S. line re-
vised estimates were reduced TO 81, 6Iz,eto,
and the Committee on Appropriation nad
reduced these last estimates to So, 44S,ylo,
which amount he hoped would be furtner
reduced. The reduction was framed on
the hypothesis that only one half OF the
natural depletion of the army should ee
supplied this year. The natural annual
depletion by death, desertion and expiFa-
ton of enlistments, was 10,400 men, and
only one half of this depletion was 70 be
supplied. In other words, the commIttee
proposed the coming fiscal year to regulate
enlistments. The bill also provided Tor
the closing of the appropriations for Old
claims in the Quartermaster's Department.
and the Commissary Department. As
necessity for this measure, was mentioned
the fact that within the last six months
100000 of such claims had been filed by
one of the
Pertfnaei0us Claim Agents
of Washington. Another transfers to
Southern Claims Commissioners all the
claims for stores or supplies taken for the
use of the army during the rebellion, lOw
UCtOkC tAlll VI
be presented before the LIST of November,
1874. Such claims to the amount of tfty
or sixty millions were now subject to The
decision of the Quartermaster General or
Commissary General.
Mr.. Albright professed himself most
anxious to cut Gown expenses, bat the
House must remember that they had a
great country and that its just and proper
expenses were great, too. The pending
bill contemplated, in effect, a reduction of
the army of not less than 5000 men, while
its effective force now was only a,000,
scattered in small posts, so that
A Funeral Party
for the general officers could not be gst to-
gether without great difficulty. The bill
did not determine in what particular
branch of the service its desOlating hand
should touch. 1t would have been hetter
to determine that first, and then make APP
propriations accordingly. After paying
tribute to the soldiers, Mr.. Albright said,
if Congress would stop building new eus-
tomhouses and postoffices, and discontinue
to work on public buildings in Washing
ton, it would not be necessary to reduce
the army.
Mr.. Garfield, Chairman of the Committee
on Appropriations, said the action Of the
House to-day on the bill in regard to pub
lie buildings had greatly
Discouraged
him in the hope that retrenchment would
be made, and the speech he had just lis
tened to added very much to his discOur-
aSement. 1t had led him to believe that
all reductions were good and worthy ones
except just such ones as were before the
House for its action.
Mr.. Beck objected to Mr.. Garfield's criti-
cism of the action of the House this morn
ing.
Mr.. Garfield submitted that he said moth
ing out OF order.
Mr.. Beck object to. his scolding mem
bers on this floor.
Mr.. Garfeld-If it is q question as to
seOids and scolding, will submit that to
the judgment OF this body as between the
gentleman and myself. If the army was
not too weak tour years ago when the South
was greatly disturbed, and when no man
could say that peace would reign for the
next three years, it is certainly
Too Strong Now.
If we pursue the policy of retrenching
where We are not, and of not rerrenching
NltIC We are, Nt VIII Stl Tie sch
son without any retrenching at all.
Mr.. Beck objected TO Mr.. Garield's as
Stunning that members who had voted TO re-
fer the bill to diminish expenses on public
buildings to the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds, We're actuated by
improper motives. or by a desire TO prevent
Tetrenchment. He (Beck) had voted for
that reference because he believed the sub
Y.ppuaplN- halnrOaI 70 fIa+
Referring TO the movement made by Mr..
Coburn at the beginning of the session to
divide up the work of the Appropriation
Committee, he intimated that if that COM
mittee undertook to absorb all the duties
that belonged to other committees it would
find itself not only in a meagre minority,
as it had, only to-day, but it would find
that he should divide it and would take
from it subjects over which other commit
tees had jurisdiction. lie assumed that the
Committee on Public Buildings and
grounds was as honest, economical and we'll
able to look into all the circumstances as
the Committee on Appropriations.
Mr.. Parker, of Missouri, made the point
of order that Mr.. Beck had no right to
scold committee Of the House. Uaugh-
ter.)
would scOld no more, but a bad example
had beed set on the other side. lie gave
notice that he would offer all amendment
TO the bill that I6
Mileage
shall be paid to any officer Of the govern
ment in excess Of his actual travelling ex-
penses.
Mr.. Wheeler said he would accept such
amendment very cheerfully.
Mr.. Beck said he was glad to hear it.
Mr.. Coburn, Chairman of the Military
Committee. agreed fully with the views ex-
pressed by Mr.. Wheeler, and should GER
tainly support the bill before the House.
He believed the army might be reducednOt
only in men but in officers, and that the
military establishment itself might be re-
duced largely in public works and the am
munitions of war. Except in point of pop
ulatiQn and Of personal physical strength,
this was
Not n Military Nation.
while it was ready in any just cause to
defy the world, 1t was not, at the same
time, bound by any proper sense of public
duty, to make any very great provision for
war. The axiom rs to preparing for war
in time Of peace, was not applicable TO this
country, eheept in o slight degree. The
country was breeding men thai would
make it ready for war. No nation that
had ever shook the globe with its military
tread equalled this nation, North and
South, for patience, for courage, for endur-
ance, for bravery, for everything that con-
stituted manhood in war. As TO the sea-
coast, all that was necessary was to pro-
vide some means Of preventing the great
iron ciads OF foreign Nations from Ge-
stToying our naval departments and great
cities. lie thought th.t with great safety,
troops could he Withdrawn from the Al
lantic coast, from the Canadian frontier
am! from the South, except, perhaps, New
Orleans, and lei :hee army be kept on the
Indian frontier.
At the conclusion of Coburn's remarks
the Committee rose.
Mr.. Potter presented a memorial Of New |
York bankers and merchants against any |
further imitation OF the currency. Re |
ferred.
TO Retire the $4,000 GOO Reserves. |
hlr. Cox offered a substitute for the bill !
introduced in the House by the Committee |
on Ways and Means. fixing the status of |
the oversize OF L nited States notes, WHICH /
was referred. The substitute declared /
that the United States notes issued in ex- |
cess of S35G,O0O,O00 were issued without