Wilmington journal., 1876-07-07
from the New York E press. ]

From the New York E press.]
WHAT HAS THE HOUSE DONEf
This is fair question and deserves
fair answer. ''Nothing." is the an
swer if you read the Republican
papers. "Worse than nothing" if you
read some of the so called independent
journals, but the facts are the action
of The House, while it has exposed un-
expected and an hitherto unheard of
amount Of corruption, has also laid
the foundations for an immense saving
in taxes. While the revenue has fallen
off 81 | 200, 600 in the estimates of the
Secretary of the Treasury, the fact
that there was a Democratic House,
and the persistent efforts of this ma
jority in the House to save money and
taxes, has resulted in making the
income of the government equal to its
better result the coming fiscal year
than the past. But We are asked to
make specifications as to the retrench-
ment and reform policy, and conduct
of the House, and we give them with
pleasure
The present House of Representatives,
has done more real work during the
past six months than all the Congresses
for the past twenty years, and if it
could have the support of the Seuate
it would make the present Congress an
immense blessing to the people. just
here now are some of the results of
this good work in detail, which we
condense from the Baltimore Gazette:
First. 1t has not elected a speaker
like Schuyler Colfax, who used his
| high office to enrich himself. 1t has
not e.ected a speaker like James G.
Blaine, who used his position to inhu
ence legislation in f.vor OF railroad
subsidies; who act i us the agent of a
| firearms company; who sold rulings
| and legislation for SO much cash down
| in the shape of railroad bonds.
Second. Since it met last Dec ember
it has not been devising ways and
| means, day after day, to get money
out of the treasury. On the CONT ary,
| it has cut down the extravagant esti-
mates of the departr ents, and if the
Senate will pass it's bills has reduced
| the running expenses OF the govern
ment nearly forty millions of dollars
per annum Instead of making places
| for the creatures of the administration,
it has abolished every Office that was
| not absolutely necessary.
Th I'd. 1t has not legislated freed
mans bank into existence and placed
| it in the power of o lot of men to steal
the Savings of the poor colored men
| Of the South amounting to millions of
| dollars. On the contrary, it has taken
the robbers aud swindiers who did
tnat Infamous work by the throat, ex-
posed their rascality and directed the
otfic, rs of the government to send
their names before the grand juries.
Fourth. 1t has gone into President
Grants Cabinet and dragged out of it
| one of bis trusted advisers, who abused
his high place; who robbed the dead
veterans of the war; who aided in
cheating the living soldiers on tie
| plains who demanded money for
every appointment he made, and
brought him to trial for his many
crimes
Fifth. It has shown how the funds
of the SO called departments of justice
have been used for the purpose of con-
trolling elections in the South and in
the North; how the President put his
hand into the public treasury and took
out money to aid in his own re-elec-
ton. It has exposed tlle villainy Cf
Williams, the rascality of Davenport,
and the general corruption of that en-
tire branch of the public service.
Sixth. It has stretched its hand
across the water to London and saved
the honor of the country by collaring
the minister and ambassador extraor-
dinary, who was using his influence as
our representative to ''bull" worth
less mining stock and rob the English
people.
Seventh, 1t has shattered the Dis
trict of Columbia ring into thousand
atoms; indicted Babcock for com.
plicity with safe burglars; made Har-
rington a fugitive from justice, and
| exposed the rottenpess and corruption
of the present commissioners.
Eighth. It has instituted rigid
scrutiny into the management of the
navy department, exposed the corrupt
operations of the Cattells and other
plunderers.
Ninth, It has laid bare the straw
bid system in the post office depart
ment, and proved that the country had
been annually robbed of hundreds of
thousands of dollars for carrying letters
which were never written over routes
that never had an existence.
Tenth. 1t has exposed the infamies
of the Indian ring, shown the Indians
are driven on the war path that army
contractors may be enriched and the
Treasury bled.
| Eleventh. 1t has substituted silver
for the wretched fractional currency
as step toward specie payments, ma
tured a tariff bill which, if the Senate
would agree to it, would do more to
start our idle mills and furnaces and
factories. and restore prosperity to all
classes than any measure which could
be devised. 1t has taken the control
of our Indian affairs out of the hands
of the thieves who had charge of them
so long and placed them where they
| belong in the War Department. It
has reorganiZed the army and closed
thousand avenues of fraud and COR