National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-19
CURRENT CAPITAL TOPICS.
Continued from First Pace

first session OF this Congress, upon the sxpsndI-
ture Of the contingent fund Of this department
since lts organisation, and they have examined
to them Of the contingent expenses covering the
period embraced since the last report, January
], 1874, up to the LIST January, 1875, and mad the
same supported by proper vouchers.
CONCLUSION.
Your committee, in conclusion, aware Of the
fact that probably no other department. Of the
Government, since its history, has undergone so
thorough an oVerhauling and Investigation, yet
can only regret that time and opportunity have
not been accorded them to examine more into the
details in other districts, where expenditures for
marshals' expenses seem, upon their face, to be
any abuses that exist.
Any Investigation conducted at the Capitol,
without the opportunity Of previous inquiry made
IN the neighborhOod where the alleged expendt
lures Of the narshals have been made, as your
committee has before said, must be very imper-
feet, II not altoge ether uuaYailing, in the detec
ZION OF fraud. Hereafter, however, with the
checks, guards and restraints imposed BY the new
law mueh II not all Of the frauds can be and
ought to be checked; and your committee Is conf
dent that, as touching those expenditures If this
law be faithfully administered and strictly car
ried out by the ohicers Of the Treasury and the
courts, there can be no fraud without the eoIlu-
sion Of the judges, the clerks, the msrshals and
1t is proper here to say, In explanation Of what
might seem to be the large expenditures annually
M. ms Department. the following, and TO insti-
those Of the Judicial Department in 1850. At that
time, and up to 1870, 1t was the practice to make
specific appropriation for the judicial fund in aid
Of fines, forfeitures and penalties, and the whole
sum thus Appropriated In 1850 was the sum Of
t1,Ooo,Ooo. Since that time the expenditures have
run up to the sum OF % 900 900 for the same pur-
pose, but In this period the country has grown
FULLY thirty five per cent in population, and more
than tenfold in the character Of the business and
litigation intrusted to the Federal courts and In
the same time twelve new judicial districts have
been added to the judicial system Of the country,
to wit: l. Colorado, February q, 1851: Z. Nevada,
MSreh 2, 1861; 8. Dakota, March 2, 1851: 4. West
Virginia, December 81, 1852; 5. Arizona, February
2ss, 1888 iosn6 MMSSgSn February e.
1854; 9. New York, (EasrerR,) February IS 1855;
10. Wyoming, July Is, 1858; IL. Wisconsin, West
ern) June 80, 1870; Z North Carolina, (Wsstern,)
During this period a great war has occurred,
leaving in its wake large taxation, q large in
crease in customs duties, opening the door to
large frauds on customs and internal revenue
laws and requiring more prosecutions and larger
expenditures in this connection, and comforting
jurisdiction on the courts Of the United States to
try the many cases growing oIt Of infractions Of
the laws relating to our great internal revenue
largely increased by the late war, proceedings
growing out of frauds In bankruptcy, and civil
and criminal proceedings growing out Of the ma
tonal banking act, proceedings growing out Of
thelaW known as the enforcement law, the re-
moYal Of cases, such as proceedings brought in
the State courts against Federal officers thence
removed to the United States courts, and coun-
terfeiting Of the currency, largely increased by
the retirement OF all the State bank circulation,
and eonnned almost exclusively TO the counter
feiting Of the legaLtender and of the national
bank issues. These additional subjects Of litiga-
ton, intrusted to the Federal courts, by reason
Of the changes of the last fifteen years, have
necessarily vastly increased the judicial eXpendi-
lures Of the country. Still, your committee be-
lieve that they can be and they ought to be re-
duced, and that the reduction can be effected by
the Attorney General, If properly seconded and
aided by the judiciary of the country.
Your committee have no recommendation to
make touching the organization and workings Of
the Department Of Justice at Washington, as
they are not now prepared to say, and have no
reason to believe, that the force employed is too
great or the compensation Of the clerks and en-
ployees Of the Department too large,