New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-16


onds Rut the House Committee cannot DE
justified in its distribution Of expenditures. 1t
imp,ired the postal service by stopping the
fast mail, which the commerce OF inc great
cities had found most beneficial, and yet
did not cut off the appropriations I'r
service On many useless routes oil8il-
ally established in order to serve he
schemes of local politicians. 1t reduced army
expenditures, but not with good judgment IL
reduced the Legislative, Executive, and J"Gi-
ciai bill, but left many wasteiul expenditures,
while cconomi2ing in other directions so much
rs to cripple the service The appropriation
for the Indian Bureau was so far below the
needs of the time that the House Itself finally
asscntcd to material INCREASE. FINALLY, IT'S
River and IIarbor bill, passed without c0nsld-
Grafton, was one of the most shameless tn
umphs of iobbery ever witnessed. The House
did not propose too great reduction. ltS
fault is that it cared more for partisan Gdyan-
tage than for the public good, and While
sparing grossly eNtravagant expenditures he
cause they might help the party or some mem
Der, curtailcd so far in other respects as 10
break faith with public creditors, and lessen
the usefulness of the Government to those
whose taxes support 1t.
The Senate, we regret to find, is open to the
same criticism. 1t added twenty millions 10
the appropriations, but not altogether WISELY
nor with strict regard to the puhhc eoou'
There was selfish parlSanShp III that boiy'
also. II deserves credit for greatly improving
the Rivprsnd HarbOr bill, and for insisting
upon some necessary appropriations In the
Postal Civil, Indian, Deficiency, ana west
Point bills But it merits censuro Tor It's
course respecting salaries, and many items OF
army and naval expenditure.
The result of the prolonged struggle III con-
ference committees has been, on the whot'
much better than il usual. Having consented ~
its votes to reduction of about Tl"ooo,ooo,
the Senate yielded over Slo,ooo,ooo more
after conference, about S2,OOoooo Ill the
Navy bill. 81 $50. 900 in the Legislative blll,
SO. GOO. 900 in the Sundry Civil bill, S22'o,-
600 in the Army hill, and about Sl,OOO,Ooo
in the Postal bill. Each House was disposed
to insist the more strongly where II believed
that public opinion would sustain 1t, but I'M
fortunately, each insisted also upon some
changes which were prompted by partisan or
personal interest.
Az result. we have reduction of about
500. 600. 600 in these appropriations, though
in some other bills, not of the regular list,
there has been an increase of about $1,000
600. More than six weeks of the fiscal year
have PASSED. however, 80 that, strictly speak
ing, the appropriations are about Sl52'oOo'-
GOO for fen months and half against about
S177 ,OOO,O 900 for twelve months last year.
How large deficiency appropriations next year
lazF
unjust reductions it il not possible now to
Judge The people will heartily Tcjoic" that
large saving in expenditures has been made.
and in many respects a proper saving lhcy
will regret that a less intense partiaanship did
moi permit a saving both greater and more
iudicious in details.