The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-08

EioctlOns.
Bills we're introduced and referred BY
Mr.. Dibrell to reduce the expenses OF
collecting customs.
By Mr.. Hinton-To aid the Washing
ton and Ohio Railroad in the construc-
ten of its road TO the Ohio river.
Mr.. Stevenson offered resolution in
structing the Committee for the District
of Columbia to examine into the expen-
ditures and management since the year
| 1862 Tor since their respective creation
! of government hospitals for the Insane,
Deaf and Dumb Institute, the Columbia
Hospital for women, District of Colum-
bia Reform School, and Frcedmen's
| Hospital, for sll of which annual spPro-
priations have been made by Congress.
Adopted.
Mr.. Pierce offered resolution in
structing the Committee on Foreign Of
fees to ascertain and report what sc-
ton, if any, has been taken by the ex-
ecutlve department of government in
relation to the connection of the United
States Minister at the Court Of St.
James with the directory of the social
ed Emma mine, and the prosecution of
the Maicho claim. Adopted.
The House then went into Committee
of the Whole Mr.. Hoskins in the chair
on the
Consular and Diplomatic ApprOpria.
tion Bill,
and was addressed by Mr.. Holman on
the necessity Of economy in public ex-
penditure.
In reply to Mr.. Monroe's argument
last week adverse to the suppression Of
the mission to Greece. He ridiculed the
idea of attributing any political import
ance to modern Greece, he proceeded
to quote from State dispatches de-
scrption gwen by our Minister to Greece
of the religious service on Easter, on
which occasion the King is mentioned as
wearing the uniform Of general officer
with ribbon of his royal order on his
breast, and the queen wearing white
satin robes, which "seems to steal the
color from her cheeks" A laugh by
Monroe His frierd Monroel should
not indulge in such levity. This was
State paper that he Was reading from,
containing special dispatches sent to the
State Department at the expense Of the
people.
MIR. Monroe said if his friend inferred
that because there were officials who
lacked good sense, there offices should be
abolished, by the same reasoning, if half
of what the newspapers said were to be
relied on, Congress itself ought to be
abolished.
Mr.. Holman continued the criticism
of the State paper, including the dis
patch from Bingham, the Minister to
Japan, descriptive of his reception by the
Emperor and Empress, and summed up
by declaring that this whole thing of
diplomacy was shame and an obsolete
institution. The only exception he made
was in the case of Washburne, Minister
to France, who, he said, had rem
dered important service to mankind in
the late French German war.
Mr.. Garfield said he sympsthized with
the Committee on Appropriations in its
laudable endeavors to cut down eI-
penses. There were several places where
The expenses might be reduced such a.
Notifications, public buildings, etc, but
he had been little surprised TO find the
reductions proposed in this bill, because
every intelligent man would admit that
the foreign service Of the Government,
both at home and abroad, had
been for years the most econom-
ically conducted, most honestly managed,
and most carefully kept up
of any department Of the Government.
He alluded to the fact that from 1903
TO 1856 there had been no change in the
salaries of our ministers and consuls
abroad. At that time some Of the high
missions cost tin the way Of salary, outfit
and inht) rs high as $4,000 year. In
1855 Congress had considered the whole
subject with great care and had liked the
rates of the consul and diplomatic salaries
abroad, making the salaries of first class
missions Sl7,60O year. That
had been considered q fair, and rea-
sonable compensation, considering the
cost of living ut that time and although
within the last 20 years the cost OF living
had doubled everywhere and in some
countries more than doubled, it was
now proposed in this bill to cut down
these salaries 20 per cent. II the object
was to fix it so that only rich men could
hold these offices and TO shut out poor
men, let Congress do it with its eyes
open. He did not care very much about
MANY of the missions that were
proposed TO be abolished; per-
! haps some of them could be
abolished without damage; but he
should regard it as great calamity the
abolition of the South American missions.
In no part of the world had the United
States so mucn right and so great duty
to be chief in council and in information
al affairs rs South America on the one
hand and Japan and China on the other,
and vet BY strange sort OF fatulty on
the part OF the Committee on Appropri-
ations it was on these couhtries that our
foreign relations were 10 be chiefly sup
piled. He would rather have FIVE or sII
European missions blotted out than those
South American republics, our neighbors
and friends. He besought the gentleman
TO strike somew here else than these South
American republics.
Mr. Randall-We strike all around.
Mr.. Garfield passed on 10 criticize the
abolition Of twenty-one regular Consu-
lates and other Consular Offices, making
forty-four in all. The chief ground OF
doing SO being that there Vas not
enough money received in fees from the
Consulstes to justify the payment OF
Consular salaries; and he contrasted
with this parsipony the liberality OF
| England, who, receiving but $1,000 in
fees from her Consulstes NJ the same
ports. paid out TO her Consuls there
ssl, 80 3 year. 1t was the same
IN regard to China and Japan.
The total outlay of the United States for
the japanese mission and consulstes was
s23, ,49s lover and above receipts), while
that of England for the same service was
s92,497. The total outlay OF the United
States in China lover and above receiptsl J
was $4,000, while that of Great Britain
was s2s5,697. He begged the House not
to cripple and utterly ruin the young
and growing commerce that should bind