Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-01-14
WARRINGTON,
The House Appropriation Committees
Recommendations for Reduction of
Diplomatic Expenses.
Proposed Investigation of the Treasury
DepRrImcnt-The Tempest i'm n Tea
Pot 10 End in a Committee
Room.

WASHINGTON, January 13. - Th'
b )use committee Oh appropriations hello
meeting to-day. The secretary o
| stale and all the members Of the foreign
| sttAirs committee being present to con
| slider the diplomatic and consular sp
propriation bill. Secretary Fish sale
| he Thought it inadvissble to make the
| consultations or reductions now pro-
| posed In regard TO a number of oul
| foreign missions. He showed, however.
what changes or reductions can be
made with least inconvenience and de-
trin1enL to the public service. Both the
secretary and Mr.. Banks showed thai
in case any reductions are made, II
would be extremely incdvisable to re.
duce the salary of cur minister to
Russia below the amounts proposed fol
our representatives, at the courts OF En-
gland aud Germany or France. The
bill as it stands fixed twelve thousand
dollars es the salary for the first named,
and at fourteen thousand dollars each
for the three latter. 1t was ordered that
s copy OF the bill be furnished to each
member OF the foreign affairs commit
tee and appropriation committee.
Congressional.
WASHINGTON, January BIN the
senate, after some oteeT business, Sena'
tor Davis [ West VS. moved that com.
miltee be appointed 10 investigate the
affairs of the treasury department,
charging that he had discovered discrep-
snciss involving large amounts, causing
them to differ widely from
treasury department in the same year,
be quoted extensively from the annual
reports of the navy, war, pension and
Indian affsirs departments, making
comparisons as to the receipts and eX-
penditures for several years, and claimed
that the figures in some years show an
increase iD the expenditures and public
debt in an aggregate of many millions
Of dollars and large decrease in the
revenue collections. The amounts were
increased or decreased as occasion might
require by an addition or subtraction
from the loaus of the treasury books,
and il there were errors or frauds an Op-
portunity was given to cover them up.
Under that head he also quoted from
the public debt statement for several
years, and claimed that there were gross
discrepancies between the figures Of the
secretary of the treasury and the
register Of the treasury, and also
that the figures had been changed.
The matter was discussed at length
between Senators Davis and Boutwell,,
up to the hour OF adjournment. In the
house, which was crowded in anticips-
ton of q lively debate on the amnesty
bill, some measures were adopted look
ing to a more economical administra-
ton of the printing and Judicial bureaus.
The house then resumed the coDsidera-
! ton Of the amnesty bill, Mr.. Blaine
taking the floor. After very exciting
debate, the tempest in a teapot was
closed by Mr.. Randall who moved to
refer the bill with the amendment of.
fered by Mr.. Banks, OF Massachusetts,
requiring an oath to be taken, but not
excluding Jefferson DAvir, to the judici.
ary committee, and it was so referred.