, 1876-02-20
4 Lack Of Currency to Supply the
Wants Of National Banks
I'm. # postmsster.Gcneral JeEcll's E1-
prieutes Hith ths Sharks and
YultureS.
&11eped Combination Between House
Democrats and New York Gold
Spectators.
COMMITTEE WORK.
tAxrA-r 4pPR0H3IATI1NH

s,.eirI Dispatch to The Ch1e1ao 1T1bune-
v,smxa1oS, D. c., Feb. 19.-The House Com
,;,,aa m Appropriations spent tue day at the
r.a.et,rv Department, in consultation with Sec
.s,,rv Bristow and other officials relative to
,hs so-called permanent appropriations. These
r.,,ds amounts required for the interest on the
.,.on,1 debt, the sinking fund.- the support Of the
,,.torns service, and 50 forth. The Committee
IN come To the conclusion that some OF the e1-
..,spa which ara now provided for by perma-
,ant appropriation ought to be classed with the
.,a;nsrT expenses Of the Government, and an
on,ly revised By CoogIess- There seems
h h. Democratic members to be no
,ssson vhv the expenses of tho customs
..-r;ca should be fixed at maximum By the
ra,nte md left to the discretion Of tho Secre-'
49, n the Tressury while the expenses OF the
;nternsl revenue service are left to Congress to
reyiew each year. There is q permanent appro-
nration hr Law for the collection OF customs
aa0 COO specific, aud 81: SOU 00o INDEFINITE and
snakine sG50O,0o0 in all Mr. Br1stow has
sdonta measures during the past sir months by
vhith the cost Of collecting customs will DO
radnced at leass 81, ,00Q 0C0 year. The Com
mites viii have no fault to find with the Secre-
raiy. who has anticipated them IN ret1enchnent
and reform, but they will probably propose to
t=Ee these and some other appropriations out OF
uoire carefully into all the details.
GENERAL. APPROPRIATIONS BILL
The Legislative. Judicial, and Executive Ap-
propriation bill will be reported to the House By
the Appropriations Committee next week 1t
vii be- st Iessr $3,000, 900 less than the appro-
prist;ons for thu present fsca1 year. It will go
through without much objection in its reduced
shape.
TIE oTHEE APPROPRIATION BILLS
are comiug OF slowly in:Committtee. sub
committee Of the Committee On Commerce has
resrly finished the River and Harbor Approp1ia-
tion bill, aud proposes to authorize an expendi~
tars Of about S., 0oo, 600 during the next fiscal
year.
The estimates submitted by the War Depsrt-
rcent amount to S14,130, 100, and it will be
c!ai18ed that q reduction ct nearly two
thirds Of the estimates is very large
present year, however, are only Sc, e9s, coo.
- thst the reduction as compared with the Re-
rnblcan figures will amount to bnt little The
Committee On Commerce does not seem to have
the courage to 1aaEe radical reduction IN this
class Of expenditures, but the Committee On Ap-
propriations has the power OF revising the figures
Of the Committee On Commerce, and will be
lSely to do so. The Democratic members Ger
tainlT will not s0stain in the House Terv se-
rare economy in river and hArbor appropriations
1or there is scarcely one Of them who has not
eome scheme OF public improvement in
us district which he wants the Government to
make liberal provision for. The River: and Harbor
til viii be ready for action b. the House about
the middle Of March,
Scne Democratic clerks have now been reach
ed in the Legislative Appropriation bill and the
Committee on Appropriations is in dilemma
Tbe Clerk Of the House THINKS he is unshle to
make any reduction in his force. Probably one
Q. t9o clerks in his Office will be
cut Of, but the important ques-
lion is one OF salaries. There aye
T. z-4A AlrT x@fx1FY IA fYra
& 900 and g, 600 ealarE, and rank in pay along
With the Chiefs Of Divisions Of the Treasury
Department. These Chiefs hare receiTed
$3.50. but, with the exception OF three or four,
they hare been reduced to fourth-class CLERKS W
the bill ~ drawn in committee. aud then sub
plies to all salaries Now the question arises,
What shall be done with the Democratic clerks
OF equal rauk- The Republican members OF
the Committee say to Mr. Randall and Mr:
Holman. Who together constitute majority OF
the Committee, 80 far as influence goes. tnat
theJ must either cut the clerks Of tho House
down tn 81, 800. and deduct 10 per cent, or else
they mus: pns the Chiefs OF the Divisions back
to ST. The proposition il strengthened by
the fact thas the Treasury clerks remain through
the entire year IN the Governments service,
While the Democratic clerks of the House "ofk
On an average but from nine to ten months IN
the two yeats having the rest Of the time to
attend 70 other business Or enjoy their Eaca-
tloos. The Democrats are finding out that the
democratic pruning knife is only good for hack
Ing away at Republican appointments.
RETREScHMEST F1GuREs.
In addition to the contemplated reductions in
the General Appropriation bills the House Com
n1ttee propose the following cutting down IN
some OF the prominent items Of expense Incl
dent to the public service, but not absolutely
esanlial to its efficient administration:
Amount
Estimate. proposed.