Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-12
Our Washington Letter.


adjourn before the middle Of July. Fears are en-
tertaincd that these appropriations will not he
passed In season to become available Mt the omen
ing Of the next fiscal year
THE APPROPRIATION Bills
are the main business Of Congress, and they must
all he passed before the adjournment. OF the
twelve regular appropriation bills, but three or
four have been disposed Of The pension bill, ap-
propratng twen,y-nine million FIVE hundred and
thriy-three thousand Eve hundred dollars; the
bill providing for deficiency in supplies Of Sioux
Indians, appropratng one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars the bill providing for deficiency
in postal cards, amounting to sixty-two thousand
three hundred dollars, and the bill for continuing
work on building at St Louis, appropriatng sew
enty-fye thousand dollars, are the only bills Of
Importance that have passed both Houses Ofthe
remaining bills, the fertilization and harbor dc.
Tense bill appropriating three hundred and ~
teen thousand dollars has Just been reported to
the Senate for its concurrence, and will probably
pass without amendment the consular and diplo-
matte bill, appropriating nine hundred and twelve
thousand seven hundred and forty-seyen dollars
and fifty cents, has passed the House and been
returned by the Senate with one hundred and
twenty-five amendments, amounting TO a money
increase Of four hundred and twenty-eight thou
sand nine hundred dollars, aud is now again be
fore the House committee the military academy
BILL recommending two hundred aud thirtv-onc
thousand two hundred and forty-one dollars is
with twenty-four amendments amounting In
money increase to forty-nine thousand six hun
bred and ten dollars, with conference committee
the post-ofce bill Is still in the hands Of the
House subcommittee the Indian appropriation
bill has been but partly considered by the COM
mittee; the naval bill is in process Of prepaE-
ton, while the deficiency bills the estimates for
which are fortwenty-seyen million eight hundred
and fifty-four thousand four hundred and seven
dollars and thirteen cents, still remain for con-
sideration. The legislative, executive and judi
eial bill, recommending thirteen million nine thou
sand eight hundred and seven dollars and sixty
one cents, and which includes the appropriations
for Senators, Congressman, all employees at the
Capitol, and the officers, clerks and employees Of
the different departments Of the government is
now before the House. The debate upon it has
now been progressing for the past two weeks
The democrats have proved themselves adverse to
all attempts Mt amendments, and are evidently
bound to put the bill through the House in It's
present ridiculous shape.
THE SPEECH or COLONEL JOYCE,
of Vermont, on Thursday evening against the
bill was by far the best that has been delivered
throughout the discussion. 1t was the bodest the
most aggressive, and, at the same time, the most
argumentatve, Of any of the speeches that have
been given In Congress since the famous debate on
| amnesty As an attack upon the course Of the
democratic party in the House, ii was straight
T.. a.. 4. Il.
the head The Colonel demonstrated the fact
that he watched the proceedings Of the other
side Of the chamber during the session to some
purpose and in this attempt at making political
capital at the expense Of the government hecould
remain quiet no longer, but, in his most earnest
and convincing style proceeded to show mp the
| inconsistent and deliberately criminal course Of
the opposition. For fear you may not have seen
the speech, we cannot forbear giving few brief
extracts After uttering his earnest protest
against the injustice aud impracticability Of the
| policy laid down by the committee in framing this
bill, and giving the reasons why such a course
had been attempted to keep the party in power
the Colonel proceeded follows Now, sir, /
can but look upon it as beneath the humanity and
| dignity Of an American Congress to spend its val
liable time and the meney Of the people in hunt
| ing out some poor soldier or widow whose already
scanty wages they can reduce still lower and save
few paltry dollars to the government while
they are spending millions in bogus Investigations
and in schemes Of all sorts to bolster up the
waning fortunes OF the democratic party Mr.
Chairman every dollar You get in that way is
the price Of blood and in the name of hui
mainly and that old Jewish law which Christ
| nj a. baI I q,
money thus wrung from the hands of toll and Of
those who have reaped down your haryests, shall
be used to purchase field in which those who
vote for ii shall be buried and that not penny Of
| 1t go into the national treasury DO you suppose,
gentlemen, that in the role you now playing,
you can deceive the people by this bold and
shameless assumption of virtue, and this hollow
hearted and brazen display of hypocrisy If you
| do, the Ides of November will convince you OF
your error, Your political history is known and
read Of all men. You are now attempting to steal
the livery OF heaven to serve the devil in; but
you are already detected, and your assembling
has been exposed, and millions Of honest and in
| telgent men, who were last year cheated by your
promises, now hold you in derison, and look upon
you as a political organization beyond the pale Of
hope, aud as being banded together by despair Of
forgiveness, aud the universe, detestation Of man
kind! With unholy design you are now seeking
| to get control Of the government in order that
you may undo, vacate and annul all that has
been done and suffered during the past fifteen
| years, and then turn It ever TO men who for five
years sought to destroy it, who now submit be
cause they dare not rebel, and who to-day in
wardly hate the people Of the North, the Union
and liberty as bitterly aud intensely as they did
at Antietam and Malvern HILL" Colonel Joyce
closed his remarks by saying believing and
knowing as do that the provisions Of this bill
will discharge many persons from the government
employ, whose services and labor are absolutely
necessary to carry ON the business of the several
departments which must be done, and that the
salaries and wages Of those who are left, are UNI
justly and cruelty reduced, appeal to the candid
and sensible men in this House to forget for a
moment partisan politics and the Presidential
campaign, and join with me in so amending this
bill that no waste or extravaganza shall be com
mitted ON the side, or injustice and cruelty
suffered on the other"
During the Colonels speech the five minutes al
lowed speakers during the evening session ex-
pired, when Mr., Foster, Of Ohio, who possesses
many Of the manly and vigorous characteristics
of Colonel Joyce and who will be remembered as
one who enjoyed tilt with General Butler last
session, obtained the floor, and gracefully yielded
ais time to Colonel Joyce in which to conclude
his speech To-day, during the session for debate
in the House, Colonel Joyce spoke at length in IA
vor OF a speedy return to specie payments, his ar
gument being based principally on the resumption
act OF 1873, and ably supporting the money policy
of the Republican party
rHE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATIONS
are still progressing, but bearing no fruit Trenor
W. Park has testified during the week in regard
TO General Schencks connection with the Emma
mine, corroborating the General in hsseyidence
aud making fair showing as to the honorable
dealing in the matter Of both himself and Gen
eral Schenck. T. J. Phelps, ESQ., Of Burlington
is still here as counsel for General Schenck. and
has asked the committee to summon witnesses
for the purpose of n more complete yindication Of
his client The committee have this request un-
der consideration
Secretary Chandler, General Babcock and Colonel
Luckey have been examined during the week in
| regard to the Detective Bells testimony. Bell sat
at the table alongside Of Chairman Clymer, and
through him asked nearly all the questions asked
the witnesses This Is humiliating fact in re-
gard to these Investigations as Bell is a selfcon
ylcted thief and has added perjury to his other
crimes during this investigation. lIes however
| considered capable of running the examinations