Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-01-27
statutes in relation to the assignment of

and forty-oue dollars, and was addressed
by Mr.. Hale Me. He reminded the
chairman OF the committee on Rppro-
pristions Randall that in the economi-
cal career which he proposed to run he
wss not tresding on new ground. The
committee on appropriations Of the last
house, under the craftsmanship of his
friend from Ohio (GsIfield), had been
all over that ground, and had at the last
session reduced the ordinary expenses Of
the government to the amount Of over
twenty-four million dollara, This had
been a great work. The gentleman
from Pennsylvania could continue this
work, but could not originate it. He
gave the figures to show the reductions
for the last TWO years, which amounted
to over thirty-one million dollars, and
be remarked that the committee on ap-
prOpriations OF the last congress might
be well proud OF its work, and particu-
larly in E1iJing the government rigidly
" spending only what had been sppro-
prtated. He did not wish it to be as
sumed that no check had been thrown
over the Wasteful expenditures until the
Democratic party had been placed at the
head gates. He warned his friend from
Pennsylvania (RandalD not to waste his
time and efforts on a field which had
been already cropped. There was still
ground which was worth going over, and
he wanted to help him in going over
that ground; but still he wanted him
(Randalll to bear in mind the French
proverb that "the man who goes for
placked geese comes back empty-hand-
ed" Passing on to the discussion OF the
bill under consideration, he strenuously
opposed any reduction in the pay Of the
Professors or cadets, and he said he
would strike no blow, directly or indi-
rectly at that great military school
which had furnished some OF the great
est commanders of the present day. The
people had not been complaining of the
salaries of West Points professors or
cadets. What they had been complain
ing of was the railroad subsidies and the
like. They were demanding that rings
and frauds should be broken up; that
the Indian ring, if it had any existence,
Should be broken up, and that the
whisky ring should be broken up. Con-
gress could not legislate too closely on
those subjects. 1t could not sustain and
uphold the administration too strongly
in its effort to break up these rings.
Congress might also cuItail the extrava-
gance in public buildiDgs-enOrmous
structures which were not needed, or, at
any rate, not needed to-day. On these
subjects both sides of the house could
ilin hands and retrench and save money,
but In the matter of salaries fixed by the
government, he asked if any body be-
Iieved that the people were complaining
that their public servants were being
paid too much.
Mr.. Hamilton n. J. a member Of
the committee on appropriations, haV-
ing charge Of the bill, replied to the
structures of Mr.. Hale, and asserted that
the figures and facts showed that
there was large room for retrenchment.
The estimates sent in for the military
academy amount to four million three
hundred and seventy-five thousand dol
lars, but the committee on appropr1a-
tions had cut them down to two hum
dred and forty.three thousand six hum
dTed and fCrty-one dollars, and the COM
mittee believed thst that reduction
could be- made without impairing the
utility of the establishment to any great
extent. 1t was q mere looping of OF
extravaganza. He asserted that the
present compensation of the superinten-
dent of the academy was better than
that OF any government officer except
the President, receiving as he did, one
way or arother-by. direct pay, by allow
ance for forage, allowance for quarters,
rations, and one thing and another
about seven thousand dollars year.
He referred to the salaries OF the other
officials, and said the salaries could be
reduced as proposed and still leave ade-
ouate conversation. This bill, he said,
proposed that army officers stationed at
West Point should have the same pay
and allowance as they had in the army.
He submitted that the objections urged
against the bill were not well founded,
and reminded the house that the road
toward economy was now open, and
that it was in the discretion Of the house.
to say how far it should be pursued.
Mr., Hurlbut opposed the economical
features Of the bill, and suggested in re-
ply to Mr.. Hamilton n. J. ], that all the
time when his (Hamilton's) brother was
a West Point cadet, receiving twenty
eight dollars a month, members of con-
gress only received eight dollars day,
and that it might be economical for
MIR. Hamilton to remit to the treasury
the surplus pay which he now received.
Laughter. In his judgement this bill
struck deliberately, wilfully and ignor-
antly all thres of them. Laughter.
At the well-being Of a great national in
etitutioD, whose record was clear to
every man in the house. Even the gen.
tlemen from the south on the other side
of the house had attested the advanta'
ges OF the great training and high teach.
ing that Institution gave to Lee and
Longstreet and StoneWall Jackson, &c
that no sectional question could be made
out Of this national academy. The
question directly was whether this scad'
emy should be maintained on that pure,
liberal and benign footing which its
importance demanded, and which the
dignity of the nation required. He hsC
been astonished at some OF the
propositions in that bill-proposition'
which he should like to demonstrate
could be the result of nothing but 9
bastard and blundering economy. BE
ventured to say that the members Of the
committee on appropriations did moi
know how many clerks there were II
the institution to be provided for. They
| had undertaken to strike with one awk
ward, left-handed, cowardly blow a
men whom the nation had sent there t
| be educated, not for their own benefit
| but for that of the nation, and also a
| other men, who by law We're entitled II
| the advantages of their longevity; pay
which the gentlemen on the COMMITTEES
on appropriations did not seem to know
! the meaning Of. He warned the gentle
men Of the committee that there was n,
single institution OF this country which
they had better be more careful in inter
! fering with than the WestPo oint militar.
academy. There had been a time whel
it might have been popular to interfer
with it, but that time was past. Ther
had been q time when it was CONSIDERS
popular to attack the army, and he sup
posed that would be the next step, bu
| that time was, he could tell the gentle
men also past. Both of these instit ution
were rooted and grounded in the faitl
and belief of the American people, il
their efficiency and usefulness, aud an.
attempt to cripple or diminish eithe
would damn to perpetual oblivion tn
men or party who undertookit. CcminI
down to the details OF the bill, he spok
Of the hospital at West Point as an oil
dilapidated rookery, entirely unfit for il
purpose, and he intimsted that the com
mItIee on appropriations had throw
| out the estimate for the erection OF
new hospital, or for furnishing it.
Nr. Hamilton n. ] ] replied that To
estimate had been referred to the com
mittee on public buildings and ground