The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11

THE CENTENNIAL APPROPRIATION
Speeches of Senators Edmunds and Morrill,

Speeches of Senators Edmunds and Morrill,.
While the bill appropriating million
and a half was under consideration in the
senate, both the Vermont senators made
brief speeches on the subject. That of
Senator Edmunds has been quite freely
criticised. We give abstracts Of their re-
marks:
SENATOR RDMUNDs.
He thought that congress has power to
appropriate the money under the clause
in regard TO the common defense
or general welfare of the country
The preamble of the bill which passed the
house, he said, should be struck out, as the
bill itself is not open to any objection on
constitutional grounds. 1t lie unfortunate
though that the enterprise stands IN the at
titude which it does. Had it met the sup.
port of the people of the United States, as
was expected, there would be no demand
now for an appropriation. There would
have been funds to carry 1t on without i'm
posing taxes upon the people for that pur-
pose. On the oath of June, 1S73 the gov
ernor of Pennsylvania addressed commu-
nication to the president, informing him
that provision had been made for the cree
ton of suitable bulldogs. BY the act of
congress, the president had to rely entirely
upon the governor of Pennsylvania, and the
evidence which the president had was
this certificate of the governor, and upon
this the invitations were extended to the
foreign powers. If the governor of
Pennsylvania was correct in his statement
hat .,,tf k.I l.
how comes ii that congress is asked today
for 81 800, 900 to complete the work ? In
asmuch, however, as foreign governments
were not informed of the whole truth, he
said the government is in honor bound to
make it a success. Foreign governments
have been kept in ignorance of the precise
condition of affairs, and their citizens have
made extensive preparations for going into
the exhibition. What should be said of
congress now being obliged to appropriate
81, 500 900, which it never intended to APP
propriate, and against which every care
had been taken by the statutes previously
enacted With that, however, foreign
governments haye nothing to do He (Mr.
Edmunds) believed 1t would turn out tina,
the $l,s00,000 now applied for would
not be adequate to carry the exhibition
through as it should he, and congress
would be called upon notwithsiand
ing this act repeated with all the
other acts contained, that the government,
should not be liable for more money. 1t is
OF no use tor congress to delude itself any
longer with the idea that it is not RESPONSE
BILE for the success of the exhibition, and
he would not be surprised il they were
called upon for another 81 800, 600 or pro-
badly 1000, 900 or 81, 100000. He had nc
doubt that from this time on what the cen.
tennial authorities do congress must guar.
antee. The exhibition will he a success.
The house bill provided that the profits
should not be expended among the stock.
holders until after the 81 800, 900 had been
reimbursed to the United States, but the
house bill had failed to provide that this
provision should be assented to by the cen
tennial commissioners. They were pri-
vate corporation, and he very much unes.
toned the power OF congress to de-
clare how they should make their
dividends. He submitted an amend
ment providing that the act shall
not take effect until after the centennial
commission aud board of finance have filed
in the treasury of the United States reso-
luton. duly passed, declaring their assent
to the provisions of this act. The money
which Pennsylvania has invested in this
enterprise is invested in permanent build
ing, which ia to remain for all time to
come, and therefore her contribution is
only the use of this building during the ex.
hibition. The city of Philsdelpha has in
vested her contribution in another build
ing, horticultural hall, which was also pri-
vate property, and therefore folmed no
part OF the assets of which dividends could
be declared.
Mr.. Morrill, (rep., Vt.)-The entire con-
tribution of the state of Pennsylvania and
the city of Philadelphia is about so ,5O0-
900. So there is about $1,000, 900 left.
SENATOR MORRILL,.
Mr.. Morrill, said he had reached the con-
clusion that to gQ back arni,, ah" he would
vote for the bill. He would have preferred
a national celebration and the erection of a
building at Philadelphia for it, which
would have been credit to the country.
He would have had that building of iron
and such material that it could have been
taken down after the exhibition, and
brought to the national capital to be cree
ted for an art museum for all time. He
would have copied the open and manly
manner of Pennsylvania in erecting build.
ing which could haye always been looked
upon as a monument. He believed con-
gress had power, under the constitution, TO
appropriate money for the exhibition.
Money had been appropriated for the exhi-
billions at London, Paris and Vienna, and
certainly if it could be appropriated for
foreign ones it could be for one at home.