The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w HASIIlNUlON LIZ Il L ETA.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug 81, 1876.
The legislative, executive, and Judicial
appropriation bill, as reported from the
conference committee and passed by
Congress ON Saturday, contains, instead
of the proposed reduction of ten per
cent on all salaries of collectors Of Gus
toms and employees of the customs ser
vice, now ranging above 81 900, Il new
section, directing the Secretary to insti-
tute careful scrutiny of the present
force with a view to making any reduc-
tions compatible with its efficiency III
executive officers or employees of the
United States, not appointed by the
President, are prohibited by new sec
ton from requesting, giving to, or re-
cciving from any other officer or en-
plOyee anything of value for political
purposes under n penalty of dismissal
and fine. Some small reductions are
made in the salaries of few of the sub
ordinate clerks and other employees of
the various mints, assay officers, and sub
treasures throughout the country, By
the provisions Of the b;ll 7Gj clerks are
to be discharged from the Executive
Departments at Washington on the 10Th
. of October next Salaries Of the Presi-
dent and members of Congress remain
as heretofore; and provision is made in
f.f tho 4 s,,.l 4 (f.v,+,..T
Pacific railroads by an appropriation Of
$4,000. The bill, as it goes to the Pres
idcnt, aggregates S1j,573 800 showing
that the two Houses split the differ
encc," or very nearly 50, on the various
items in dispute. No bill ever intro
dUced into Congress was more stubborn
" contested, having exhausted the ingc-
nuity Of four conference committees in
the efforts made to compromise it, du-
ring the past four or five weeks.
The consular and diplomatic bill as
agreed to, practically abolishes the fol-
lowing missions, viz: Bolivia, Ecuador,
Columbia, Paraguay, Uruguay, in South
America, and Switzerland, Portugal,
Greece, and Denmark. Changes d16;,irs
are to represent us, however, in the four
last named at salaries Of 5000 each.
COnsUlates are abolished, no provision
being made for them, at Swatow, South
amptOn, Malta, VladiOOsteck, OportO,
Santa Cruz, Port Said, Nantcz, La Ro-
chelle, Port MahOn, Valencia, Stettin,
Maranham, Cyprus, Bucharest, Venice,
Milan, GaboOn, Turks Island, Habodadi.
Goderiek, and Windsor, c. W. 4 new
section Of the bill provides compensation
for officers mot otherwise provided for)
until such time rs they shall haye notice
(tO be at once sent them) to close their
Offices, and for the time allowed for
transit from their respective posts to
their homes. This bill has also used up
several committees IN the atttempts
made to come to an agreement, and a
strong feeling at one time was manifest
ed in the Senate to make no further cE
fort at a compromise.
The Indian bill viii probably be passed
to-day, and then, with Hawaiian treaty
bill and the school amendment (Elaine's
somewhat mOd;iied) disposed Of there
would seem to be no obstacle to aD i'm
mediate adjournment Between sixty
and seventy members were rerOrted ~
absent, with or without leave. On Satur-
day, and 1t Is not probable that raany Of
them viii return at the present session
rr~u
There Is much feeling existing against
Mr. Randall, among both Republicans
and Democrats, because Of his muIi.b
and Obstructive course a. heal Of the
appropriation committee, and it would
seem that he has forfeited about all the
popularity he gained last session with bis
own party. Mr.. Window, on SATURDAY..
made a speech, during which Inc re-
viewed in detail the economic measures
Of our ~refOrmers,' and made clear to
the dUllest apprehension the fsllacious
character Of their bOasted retrenchments.
It was admitted that his clear i,cisive
statements would badly damage and
render nugatOry many Of their cam
paign documents. He instanced the
action Of the House majority in refusing
the appropriation Of 5000 for continu-
ing an examination Of the rebel archives
in connection with the rebel war claims
filed, involving many millions of dollars,
and which has saved millions to the Gov
eminent already, by showing the disloy-
al character OF the claimants He said
that a claim Of $4,000 was rejected only
short time ago by the evidence fur
nished by these same archives. 1t is