Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-08-24

- ACoNSx <7s 1CSOs
- resources from three appropriation
bails--the Legislative, the Army, and
the $undFy Civil-and aggregates, as
stated, 81. .O00, 600. We ere advised by
the manager Of the Western Union Tel
egraph Company that they can perform
the same service with equal satisfaction
to the public for one-half the money,
and he is quite willing to undertake il
1t that reduction. This, we UNDER
stand, is also the opinion of many off,
GERS heretofore in charge of the War
Department. Our reductions, in view
ol this statement, have been very mod
efate, amounting TO 100000 in the
eeacryl expense provided for in the Sum
dry Civil bill, and OF only fffy enlisted
men in the army for this corps. At some
Of the stations the employees numbered
as high as seven, and by careful revis-
ion of the force at the several stations
this reduction Of fifty men will hardly
be felt.
The criticism as to the merits evil
IDENTIFY arose from want of knowledge of
the amounts appropriated in the several
bills. 1t would have been seen bv ex-
animation that the amount appropriated
for running the mints and ASSAY offices
was fully up to the necessities of the
country, even taking into consideration
the increased expense for coming SUBJ
sidiary silver recently authorized bv law
nh f,,k.~ ~f
Now as to the objection urged to re-
duction of appropriations for the con-
struction ofpublic buildings throughout
the country, and the building for the
State, War, and Navy Departments in
the city of Washington. The policy
which guided the House was to make
appropriations this year for no building
the construction of which had not vet
been commenced, and in making ap-
preparations for those already begun,
to give a sufficient sum to finish and
furnish those of smaller size, such as
the Custom House at New Orleans, the
Custom House and Post Office at Ra-
leigh, N. c., the Custom House and
Post Office at Port Huron, Mich, the
Custom House and Post Office at Par
kersburgh, w. Va, the Court House
and Post office at Lincoln, Neb., and
the Custom House and Post Office at
Rockland, Me-, giving the balance.
which we deemed wise TO appropriate
in moderate degree, to larger struc.
lures, so as to go on with the work slow
ly. The appropriation is two millions
less than last year, when the appropria-
tions for public buildings, new and old,
were unusually extravagant.
| AS to the appropriation for a new
structure for the State, War, and Navy
Departments in the city of Washington,
it was under the same rule. The ex-
penditures for this structure are made
an exception, all the others being un-
der the Supervising Architect Of the
Treasury Department, while this is UNI
der an engineer Of the army, Gen. o.
E. Babcock.
| For the repairs and preservation OF
the navy yards We gave S1OO, 900,
against $500, 900 last year. We deemed
that, for the legitimate purposes of re-
pairs proper at the different navy yards
and stations, and the preservation OF
the same 100000 is adequate, and be-
lieved the half million heretofore Civ
en- was diverted to other purposes not
properly chargeable to this particular
service.
| In reference to armories and arsen-
ais the reductions, except in one or
two instances of no small amount, were
those recommended by the late Secre-
tary of War, Mr.. Taft in his commu-
nication TO Congress revising the esti-
mates of his predecessor.
In regard to the judicial expenses OF
the Government, reduction was made
upon the recommendation of the Com
mittee on Expenditures in the Depart.
ment of Justice, and justified after
| thorough investigation by exposure OF
the most outrageous frauds upon the
Government, pcrpetrated by marshals
and other United States officers. the
most fragrant of which were i'm the States
of Arkansas and North Carolina. The
justice and propriety of this reduction
are undoubted.
The Preside mt further complained tha,
we had impaired the efficiency Of the
lighthouse service. Reference to fc-
ures shows the complaint to be withou,
foundation. The appropriation last We ar
was 81 ,999 900, and for this year So
OlS, 800, the appropriation for this year
being nearly $4,000 over that of last
year. Appropriations for lighthouses,
and fog lights were made after CONSUL
tation with the proper officer having
that service in charge, and we gave a
sum sufficient, as we were advised, for
all that was absolutely necessary during
the fiscal year. There were some
| which were desirable. for which we
did not make appropriation. but they
were not such as We thought to be de-
manded now.
Appropriations for the District OF
Columbia are generally included in this
act, and need not stop to give the
| reason why we sought to be cautious
in whatever We did. Past experience
has shown such protligacy in the man.
agement of the affairs of this District
that common justice to the people re-
quired We should surround all our ap-
preparations with every possible safe
guard. We authorized an advance from
the Treasury of the United States OF
the money necessary to meet the inter-
est on the public debt Of the Distric.
for the entire fiscal year. thus prevent
ing any default of prompt payment like
that which has heretofore occurred, al
though portion of the debt had been
reported by . committee of this House