The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-08-31

list Of reductions the progress of this
essentially important work is stopped
and the cadets are denied the privilege
OF hospital accommodations, thus
leaving to q future Congress to pro-
vide q sum sufficient to complete It,
as well as the other necessary build.
ings at the academy.
PENSION BILL.
I have already referred to the re-
duction Of S466, 500 on account of pen
siOns, stating that the amount appro-
priated was the exact sum recon-
mended by the Commissioner Of Pen
siOns, aud that the reduction was due
to the fact that We are now on the de-
scending scale on account OF PEN
sions.
CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
The reductions aud postponements Is
in the consular and diplomatic bill
foot up S42S, 1850. This is accom-
plished by reductions, first, OF the
salaries of all the officers of the
diplomatic service and, second, by
the discontinuance Of forty-four con-
sulates and the reduction ofthe salaries
OF TIE remaining consuls. As to the
wisdom of this wholesale reduction and
withdrawal OF our Representatives from
| foreign countries the future will sure
/ ly give a negative answer. We levy
tax on the commerce OF the coun-
| try for the maintenance OF our con-
sulRr system, and upon last years
basis, this tax more than paid all the
expenses Of every kind for. its sup
port. The arguments made against
these reductions by the two gentle
men from New York Mr.. Wood and
Mr.. Hewitt were not answered at
the time they were delivered, nor
have they been answered since. I
agree with them that the present Is 8
very inoppOrtune time to abolish any
of these commercial agencies by
which our commerce may he protect
ed and extended.
One Of the results OF the depressed
condition OF the industries of the
country is that the cost OF manu-
factured articles in this country has
been very largely reduced, thus en-
abling our people to export many of
our own manufactured products,
which heretofore we have been unable
to do. And now, simply to make
political capital, a democratic ma
jOrity of the House undertakes to econ
omiZe by Withdrawing consuls who
are 81 mply acting as aids to our COM
merce) from forty-four important for
eign stations and reducing the eff
cheney Of those on duty by a decrease
of their salaries, and this, too, st the
very time when of all others In the
history of our country this branch OF
our foreign service should have been
strengthened and increased. This Is
mOckery of economy; besides, in
taking the money exacted from the
commercial interests of our people |
and placing it in the Treasury to be
used for other purposes, no matter
how worthy, Is wholly wrong. The
implied pledge that the funds secured !
by this tax should go only for the sup
port or the consular system has been !
violated, and every interest connected |
with the extension OF our commerce |
and the increase OF our exports, now
SO much needed, must correspondingly |
suffer, If not fraud upon our COM |
interests, it is betrayal Of
trust, and is wholly inexcusabIe.
FoRTIFICATIoN BILL,
The reductions, compared with lsst |
year, are S535, 900, and as compared |
with the estimates, are $S,09l, 900,
To this reduction the minority of the |
agreed. The bill was re-
ported to the House by Mr. Wheeler,
and the House was unanimous in |
passing it. But for all this it cannot I
be called q reduction. 1t is simply /:
pOstponement. The estimates made
by the War Department show that
nearly S, 500, 900 is needed to be ex-
pended on the forts OF the country to
make them what they ought to be.
No one on the committee or in the
House objected to the pOstponement;
but no one can fail to see that it is
1i5 yom pfstAif fstAifh a aS0pnssE Or later must be
/ ,1astnonsn a tnefefore il il .;ss1Iiz se1liS
tiIne in the future be provided for,
EXECUTIVE AND JUDI
CIAL BILL. l.
The reductions and postponements
in this bill, compared with the appro-
Driations Of last year are S5,724, Az 30,
and from the estimates are s., ,S26, 49,
So. Two millions OF dollars OF these
several amounts are wiped out by the
failure to appropriate the necessary
on account OF Judgments OF
the Court of Claims, q half million
more by indefinite appropriations for
the miDts and assay offices another
half million by yre-appropriations /; and
the balance, $2,724, 900, can fairly be
ascribed to reductions. OF this sum,
$500, 900 apply to the reductions of the
pay and salaries of members aud Of
lieers Of the House and Senate, $780,
DO0 more to the salaries of the clerks
in the various Departments In WASH
ington, and probably another hum
ries in different parts Of the county.
The balanceis due to the reduction
Of the number Of the employees. Hav-
ing given the subject careful attention
from the beginning Of the session.
have been willing to make the reduc-
ton in numbers about 20 per cent,
and believe that can be done with
safety. The reduction proposed is
more than 25 per cent. l
have been satisfied from the start that
il the House bill had been adopted
the lose in the Internal Revenue De-
partment would have been ten times
the amount which is claimed would
have been saved by reduction OF force.
That this would have also been the
case in other Departnents-in the
Pension Office and OF all the offices
relating thereto, such as the
Second Auditors, Adjutant- Generals
and SurgeOn-General's Offices, the re-
ductions as proposed by the House
would have caused serious delay In
the adjustment of all matters relating
to pensions. This point is now con-
ceded by gentlemen in charge OF the
bill.
The gentleman from Peunsylva-
MIA stated in his speech to-day, IL 1
him correctly, that all OF
the Bureau officers of the Govern
ment refused to agree to the reduc-
tion in force /; am l right ?
Mr.. RandaiI.-Fhey all resisted 1t |
that came in contact with, 1 think
every one. |
Mr.. Foster.-I call the gentlemsn's
attention to Mr.. New, OF the Treasur-
er's Office,
Mr.. Rsndsll.-He did rscommend |
some reductions, but not to the ex-
tent which we desire at all.
Mr.. Foster. 1 called the gentle |
mans attention to the statements he |
has made heretofore upon this floor |
that these Bureau officers generally |
acceded to these reductions, but none !
of them aeceded to the reductions to
the extent made by the committee. I
want to do the Bureau officers justice. |
While they have not agreed to the ]
reductions proposed by the commit
tee to that extent, they have in all
cases agreed to q reduction and they
have manifested a most eOmmned.
able spirit, and 1 want to call the at
tention Of the gentleman from Penn
sylyania Mr.. Randall and the Atten-
ton OF the House to the fact that the
greatest opposition that the Commit
tee on Appropriations encountered
was from the officers of this House,
who organized a mutlny against It
and one night came very near upset.
ting it.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania
SAYS that the retention of the salaries
of members was forced upon the
House. 1t was the most beautiful
forcing ever witnessed. The gentle
man from Pennsylvania sat In his
seat 1 do not know where the gen.
tIemau from Indiana Mr.. Holman