The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-05-25
The Appropriation Bills.

The prospect Of an adjustment of the differ
cnces of the House and Senate oil the various
appropriation bills, is not very fiattering.
The Washington correspondent OF the Balti-
more American, Of the 18th says:
This week tho Democrats of the Senate and
House propose to hold a joint caucus with ref
erence to the appropriation bills. and agree to
some line of policy to which they will rigidly
adhere. 1t is conceded by many OF the lead
lug Democrats that Jhe close pairing down
process enforced by the House Appropriation
Committee is impracticable. and Senators like
Bavarl. Thurman. Gordon and Others will not
vote with their colleagues to sustain: the House
bills. In a little over month the rs
cal year will have closed, and unless some I'M
derstantling is brought about the, wheels OF
the Government will necessarily be ctogged
No one doubts if the Legislative bill is not
passed before June 3Otll, but that Secretary
Bristow. in view of his action on the exlaus-
ton of the appropriation for gas and water
for the public buildings, will close the Treasu-
nv and all its extensive qualifications for the
want of funds to carry it on. Likewise. If
the Consular bill fails to become law by the
same time, that President Grant will recall
our representatives abroad. The Republican
party is willing to meet this issue rather than
submit to the Gripping of the Government in
all its departments by the House. and if the
contingency is forced upnE it, to 60 before the
people with the defence that the Confederate
House is again eildeaVOring to destroy the
Government.
Anticipating that the Republicans, though
willing to unite in bringing about substantial
9 reform. and willing also to economize in the
right direction. will not give way and pass the
House appropriation bills, the Democratic
members of the Senate have suggested the
conference of the Democrats of the two Houses
in caucus. 1t is the intention to get full tX-
preston of opinion, and then appoint joint
committee of ten members to draw up re-
port Indicating the policy of the. Democrats
with reference 20 their final action OH the APP
preparation bills. What is desired to be
brought about is a policy upon which the
Democrats will unanimously stand, and then
il the Republicans fail to unite in passing the
5 bills to allow them to go by default, and de-
fenl their action before the country as fti-
tile attempt to stop the extravaganza OF the
Republican party.
1t is generally believed that the Senate will
persiStently refuse to allow the wholesale re-
.ductions of salaries made by the House i'll the
Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation bill.
Still, at the same time, it is also believed that
if the House will consent to reconsider its
wholesale, unwse and lily considered sweep
ing reductions. th:t a compromise can be
agreed upon. 1t seems that the House APP
preparation Committee has allowed Holman
to have his own way. and being an impracti-
cable man himself, the evidences of impracti-
cability are manifest in all the bills reported
from. that committee. The Democrats in the
: House know they cannot pass in the Senate
any of the bills thus far disposed OF by the
House. and the fact that the leading members
: of their own faith in the Senate refuse to join
+. i'm the House recommendation cOlvinces them
to great extent that they have made mistakes
which the country will not endorse. The de-
sire now is, first, to get unanimty among
themselves, and grant reasonable concessions
to the Republicans.