The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-20
could see Marsh, Who vas 70 be in the

| A. ne never nFehtneu huy tnlHk VI tue
kind; never heard any talk about any
money being paid 10 the Secretary Of
War, until the publication OF the article
in The New York Tribune in '72; ! never
had any indulgence from the Secretary Of
War, not common to other post traders;
l never paid the Secretary Of War a cent
for the appointment did not tell the
Secretary he had made a contract with
Marsh. l could have reduced his prices
| for goods, more, had it not been for the
payment Of $4,000 for the position; l
knew nothing Of anybody advising the
Secretary OF War in regard to the agree
ment between Marsh and myself.
The Impeachment proceedings were
temporarily suspended and tho Legisla.
tive business resumed.
suNDRY CIVIL BILL.
Mr.. Window, from the conference com.
mittee on the sundry civil appropriation
bill, submitted a report, which was read.
In explanation Of the report, he said
that the bill as 1t originally passed the
House Of Representatives appropriated
Sl5,256, ,S3l. The Senate added $, ,l26, 700,
and as now reported it appropriated
SlG,229,777. The total amount Of the re-
ductions made from the bill as it passed
the Senate was $3,153,747. The bundry
civil bill last year appropriated S32, ,6G4,-
$50, or Sl0,4l4,57l more than the present
bill.
He was unable TO see any great saving
10 the government in the reductions made
in the conference committee from the bill
as II passed the Senate, SO far as the
amounts were concerned. The conces.
sions were all made by the Senate con-
feress. He thought that it was the best
bill which could be got under the cir
cumstances. l.u..
He then mentioned the items consti-
tuting the reductions, among them the
following: Public printing and binding,
S491 ,770; general expenses Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, $50O,000; revenue
cutter service. $25640; Smithsonian
Institute, $4,000; examination Of Rebel
archives, $4,000; United States postal
guide, $4,000; mints and assay offices,
$64 900; public buildings at Cincinnati,
$5O,00O; Chicago, $250,0O0; new State,
war and navy departments, $3.50, 900; new,
building at 81. Louis, $50, 600; navy goods
and stations, 1886, 900; Improvement OF
Capitol grounds, 100000; temporary
clerks in Treasury Department, 100000;
signal office, 100000; testing iron and
steel, $4,000; survey Of public lands,
S72,400; collecting revenue from
the sales OF public lands, $166,2lG;
purchase Of Freedmen's Bank build.
ing, SS25,000. He commented on
the various items, and agreed that it
would be necessary TO pass large de.
liciency bill next year. As the bill had
been agreed on in the conference, il pro.
vided that the Public Printer should be
appointed by the President. That officer
had heretofore been elected by the Senate,
but The House for several years had dis
puted the right Of the Senate to do so,
and the Senate conferees thought II best
to yield. The House had reeeded from
its provision repeating the election law.
After long and tedious efforts this bill
had been agreed on, and he hoped the
report would be agreed to.
Mr.. Anthony opposed the reduction OF
the appropriation for public printing,
Mr.. Morrill, opposed the reduction Of
the appropriation for the revenue
cutter service. He also opposed any re-
duction Of the appropriation for mints
and assay Offices.
Mr.. Logan spoke Of the importance Of
continuing the work on the Chicago pub
llic buildings, and said he could not un-
derstand why S4500O0 was appropriated
for the building at 81. Louis and nothing
for that at Chicago. He read a Telegram
from the supervising architect OF the
treasury 10 the effect that the unexpend-
ed balance for the Chicago building now
was but S250,000. He also opposed the
bill because the appropriation Of $1,000
for alight in the crib off the city Of Chi.
cago was stricken out, and said he could
not understand why it was that
MILLIONS WERE APPROPRIATED
the other day TO improve unfmportant
rivers, and this small sum for light TO
protect vessels bearing millions Of dol
lars worth OF produce was not allowed.
Mr.. Edmunds said he would vote
against the report because 1t struck out
the appropriation OF $4,000 for the ex-
animation Of
REBEL ARCHIVES.
The action of the House conferees in
striking out this appropriation was
equivalent to saying that this evidence
should be locked up and be Of no use in
sitting out the false from the true claims
against the government. The most i'm.
portant and valuable evidence had been
found in-these archives, which protected
the treasury. He argued that millions
OF dollars had been saved by the South
ern Claims Committee on account Of the
evidence furnished by these rebel arch
ives. The attitude OF the House Of Rep.
resentatives was that there should be no
more inquiry by the government into
this fountain pregnant with evidence to
defeat fraudulent claims.
Mr.. Eaton said these archieves had
been examined and were all labelled.
Mr.. Edmunds replied 1t required con.
slant care to keep them in order.
Mr.. Window again urged the adoption
OF the report and said he had no doubt
there would be 4 large deficiency bill
next year, but it would be after Novem.
ber, and there would not be so much
trouble in passing appropriation bills.
This whole report was framed on the idea
that there would be a deficiency bill next
year.
The report was then agreed to; yeas 80,
naysl2. Those who voted in the negative
were Messrs. Anthony, Bruce, Conoyer,
Edmunds, Hamlin, Harvey, Hitchcock,
Ingalls,, Logan, Mitchell, Morrill, and
Spencer.
BELKNAP RESUMED.
The impeachment trial was then re.
sumed, H. T. Chesley, Chief Clerk Of the
War Department, was recalled, and testi.
fed that Gen. Belknap, in reply to 4 res
olution Of the House Of Representatives,
on the 18th Of February last transmitted
TO the House list Of The post traders, In.
cluding the name Of Evans. The record
Of the Department showed that the de.
partment Of Evans was sent 10 G. P.
Marsh; remembered the letter OF Marsh
asking that his appointment be made in
the name OF Jno. 3. Evans. Treated that
letter as any other business letter OF the
Department. The letter remained in the
Department for four years, and until the
resignation OF Gen. Belknap. Witness
could not remember whether he handed
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