The New York herald., 1876-08-15
DEFi~fENCICS

Senate passed. $40 s3l -
The law as nnay enacted sl6 7Zj o6
believe these denciencrs are less than usual and
heretofore because OF the kpowledsc by the depart
menrs that a democratic House TO be in authority
this year, notice having been given last year by The
minority OF tue F0rtythird Congress
,hat the practice o, allowing large WOULD
not be countenanccd The departments arc, however,
entitled TO pariia! credit, for their estimates OF def
ccncics this year considerably less than here
lore. The rigid rule will be again uprlIod, and
tho departments must govern themselves accordingly.
so.rIriCArioSs.
Appropriations last year $780, 900
Department estimates for year ending June
3o lo1I..... ., O00
Recon- OF House Committee on
Approprlatiohs .......-.............. S!a000
House passed. jlo,U0O
Senate Committee recommended. $3.50. 3l5 900
Senate passed. $4,000
The law, as finally enacted. ...... ......... 3l5 600
TINS was large comparative reduction, but believe
material interests will suffer therc rom eilher in re-
spcct 10 our iortncaiions or to experiments he
made in the trial vi armament torpedoes The
largest sized OF our recent war considered
Ineffective. Earthvorks experience has shown 10 be
tho best protection against artillery land iron
clscs on water Tho sums so lavishly expended since
tho war have not brought any adequate return In these
Respects III inc pas, ten years, up 10 ana ihciuong
tins year, ending June so, 1885, appropriated for
these purposes more than Sl3 0O0 0O0 large amount
OF which could us woll have been saved by the same
Character OF reductions which We have made this year.
SERVICE.
Naval service appropriation last year. 006 40
Department! estimates Tor tho year ending
Recommendations Of House Committee
on Appropriaiions.... ~. sos, 655 40
house passed. ......... !S,4ss ooo ~
senate Committee recommended. .... 10. l6I, 500 40
Senate passed Observation-Disclosures. H. oj7, 500 40
The law MS finally enacted ......... l., TAO, 3s5 40
Tho appropriations Tor tho naval establishment arc
largely reduced. IL branch OF the service where
inrge savings can be prudcntly made | need not al.
ludc at length TO thc sums heretofore expended and
the names al their expenditure. The department in
It's management, has been thoroughly examiped into
by Committcc of this House. and ther findings
print when renders further criticism IN this conncc
tion unnecessary. These reduced appropriations came
up to the full measure OF recommendations by tho
Naval Committee
Post Oce appropriations last year s. 3I6 205 90
Department estimate Tor the year ending
June 80 lot'.... o,aol, ,ouZ W
Amount recommended by House Commit
Tee on Appropriations 2, $50 906 90
Amount passed the House. 80 eO6 90
Amount recommended by Senate Commit
tee on Appropriations. .5S6 647 90
Amount passed senate. 1888, ,647 90
The law finally enacted. .......... s, ,967 49S 90
The reductions in this act arise mainly from tho
cutting of OF the salaries OF the higher class OF post
reduction of ten cent the to be paid
the railroads for Tho transportation Of mails, among
which Is what Is known tho ''iast mail" An
roneous impression prevails as to this latter service
TifE PAST NAILS
were not provided for by las. Speed was not taken
into consideration in determining The com pensaton.
Weight and The number OF postal cars we're and
the elements in fixing the pay 10 railroads This extra
Inc first established less than year ago by throw
ing an increase IN the quantity OF mail matter ihcss
principal roads, thus increasing the number OF postal
and with additional weight, causing an Increased
amount Of payment to special roads The compcnsa.
ton as nxcd by act of March, 1873 was = very great
increase over former rates Prior to that tlmc 1915
per mile on all lines was the maximum rate. Under
that act tho pay on some lines was increased
to- to-, s.os @ per mile per r,s year an. and on the
This Congress has reduced the rates Tor railroad
generally ten per cent, which is moderate reduction
The compensation star lines steamboat service
has bccn reduced far more than ten per cent since
Mprch, lSI3-in fact from ten 10 thirty per cent Tho
reduced price OF every commodity which goes into The
of running railroad Is tar greater than
These roads have reduced no compensation oil
their employees, and together with general shrinkagc
OF values, goes to show that tho amount fixed
comparatively higher than II at the time the for
rate agreed 10. am indebted to the gentle
man from Indiana (Mr. Holman) these lacts and |
conclusions and any one who knows his care and NC
curacy in such matters will at once accept them as
true and correct.
BENEFITS OF FAST MAIL
After all that bc SAID the benefits OF the fast mail
are divided between the railroads receiving the IN
creased pay and the newspapers OF great cities in
quick transit their papers In this day of
graphing the newspapers OF tho various cities Of the
the important news of tho day, which renders con,nu-
ancc OF these high rates unnecessary even for tho
people, in receiving prompt public Information.
THIRD CLASS NATTER
The Post 0fcc Appropriation act for the year end
ing June So 1885, raised the rates Of postage third
class mail matter rs to take it iron the mails and
give the monopoly OF It's to The express
companies, while at tho same ,imc the postage on |
news spapers WAS doubled.
TINS latter imposition has been removed by the legis
aiion OF this year. bu, the Il st st remains burden
upon the people behalf of the express companies.
and IS estimated as worth to those companies $500 900
per increased receipts IRON transportation OF
merchandise, sc. The House every opportunity |
sought 10 accomplish full repeal OF both provisions,
but the Senate obdurate and refused to conccdc
the repeal of The merchandise portion OF the act
ARMY APPROPRIATIONS
Appropriation last year. So, 1888 $50 90
Department estimate Tor year ending
June 80, 1871. .................. 81 ,3iS 74S 10 !
Recommendation OF House Committee
on Appropriations. 23,l55,077 II |
House passed. d..................... Bib Sl9 81 |
Senate Commtcc recommended ...... -, .,s77 20 |
The law finally enacted. ...... % 9s7 le7 30 |
Tho Army Appropr ia,on does show that cx- |
tent OF reduction which intended and hai
hope we should obtain At the opening OF the session,
because of our Indian troubles, and of tho
termination OF The Administrations TO keep large
IN the South The House bill nxcd the army q, 900
soldiers relatively divided between three arms of
the service and ought addition the CON-
pensa'ions oi certain officers which were deemed dis
proporionaic anu too hisn. The manner OF payment
OF these compensation, is N some respects hgrly oh.
Jectionablc rendering u almost impossible TO compute
with accuracy the py received by officers he army
The Senate was rcsoue ag INST all these changes aud
the House compelled yield, and only succeeded
in securing the following lcsislilion:--
Here MIR. Randall quoted the section OF the Army
bill for The appcn mcnt OF a commission reform and
rccrgani 20 the army and continued
The result Of The oresolng, II. IS beloved will u-
too garing not 10 demand immediate change.
sUXDEY CIVIL
Appropriation las year ........... $26 644 $50 90
Department estimates for year ending
June So 1871. 81. $50. AIS
Amount recommended by House Com
mitee on Appropriations ........... IL S55 326 81
senate Committee recommended. Is sol, col -
Senate passed.. 10 g5a lg6 80
The law as hnay enacted. ......... Ii, 351 qO5 A.
This act which covers the sundry civil expenses OF
tho government is that upon which II ATTEMPTED 10
nsran ali doubtful schemes and unnecessary expenses
which To any other general Appropriation bill would bo
ruled out OF order us german.
REPLY TO Tus fgtsipE>rs MESSAGE
In reference TO tnis particular President Of tho
United states saw It, although approving the same to
send message condemnins tho character OF our rcduc
ton propose now, and herc. with due respect 10
the Chief Magistrate. 10 inquire INTO the justice of his
criticisms. in the rrst place he says
Notably among the asi class the in the ordi
appropriations Tor the revenue cutter SERVES.
TO ine prejudice NJ the cnstOnis
THIS criticism IL completely rcfu,cd by a plain state.
OF the iacts which show that amount appro-
priatci Is IN OF the amount expended IN the
cutter service during the fiscal year The
EXPENDITURES tor the ending June 30 1874 wcrr