Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-08-24

clause in the INDIAN bill. and voted it
down, upon the ground that il was
change Of law upon an appropriation
bill. We think the country had right
to expect from the Senate more con-
sidcration ofthis subject, and the House
OILY yielded at last when longer per-
sistence could result i'm unlimited ex~
tension OF tie session without CORES.
ponding good. The mismanagcment
now existing, although unfortunate, is
well illustrated by the fact that the hos
tile Sioux are armed with better wea-
pons than the troops put into the field
against them. AT thus very session We
have been compelled TO pass . law pro-
hioiting the Indian agents from further
supplying to these hostile Indians im@
proved arms and ammunition. I doubt
neither the propriety nor the absolute
necessity OF the proposed transfer, and
only regret To say the proposition has
been defeated in the Senate more by
indirection than by open opposition.
Let me pause for momcn; to state
fact which carries with it its own
commentary. While there are in
the army 26,9o0 men, $4,000 OF them
in the military division of the Mis-
souri,, embracing the whole Black Hills
country where the recent fights and
massacres occurred, General Terry
and General Crook have been left
until lately TO resist the combined
hostile Indians under Sitting Bull with
a force OF lees than 5000 men. We
are now asked to add to the army $500
cavalry, when il must be apparent Ia
the most casual observer that such adj
dition is entirely unnecessary If tho
force was taken from where il is of no
service whatever and transferred To-
where il is needed to win success to
our arms.
vet hope for the transfer at the next session.
We have made reductions. even under the PRES
ent inefficient management, ofS1Oo, 600 or there
ahouts
Appropriations last wear 1894. asi: dcpart-
ment estimates for the year ending June 30 1877,
81 $50 is5; amount recommended by House
Committee on Appropriations. S922. .SIT so
amount passed the House. S?i2.sI so Senate
committee recommended, ~ ,S+l. .Gi7 30; Senate
passed, 81 3ll, ,6i1 .5O-,hc Law rs finally enac-
ted
WIS conducted with urnsCczsarv .Npcnsc and
that the salaries paid to foreign Ministers wcre
excessive when contrasic,l with the salaries paid
to other Governmental officers. while at the sanir
time officers q: the highest iplonatic rank were
accredited to Governments where charges d al
tlircs with greatly reduced salaries would he
equally efficient. The truth is that al imror'Gnt
matters between this and foreign Governments
are to-day directly negotiated and adjusted
through ;he ocean ,eiecrap.s hy the State Dc
p1r:men,s at Washington, and Therefore in many
instances the position oi foreign Minister j. lit
tie rncrc than costly sia"curc. Under what ia
known the .'orth blIl' the salaries of these
otfi,rrs were increased, and tha, ia reaSc in -
measure e.havc taken of. II must not bc for
gotten tina, our Ministers abroad are not valuu-
hlc for any service they render TO our Conm,rrc,
lu' that. on the contrary. Is i our consular
TEN whCn is brought into direct contact " irh
the American marine: and therefore We won Il
like 10 see that thorough rrl i>un Of the Cun ular
system which will secure its Improvement and
greater efficiency. We claim. hccausc the con-
sIlar svsteTn is not only self supporting hut has
an excess OF rccci pts from the l,aymcn; ufic,4,
that therefore all the money received should hc
eSpenlcl in the service. IS about ~ ius' : ~
claim that the Custom House and internal rcvc-
unc. because Of receipts bcVoni expenditures
should likewise be administered with cxtraVa-
rancc. ", have not secured the reductions We
sought. and which we believed 20 b. proper hut
we have a, least accomplished enough to reward
Us for our effort
Mr. Randall 'hcn proceeded to give resume
Of the legislative, Executive. and Judicial Ap-
prorriaiion bill. TIL, appropriation in that III
last wear amounted TO SispG2 2HG The c<ti-
mates for this wear were $50. $50, 800. The III
as reported by the Committee on Apprupriai ons
WAS 3OO9. .s01: rs il passed the Hons II was
SI2 99s. sJ5: ~ il passed the Senate IL was SlG-
/, l,,,
The great STRUGGLE of the session had taken place
on that bill. The llousc h1i sought to reduce
the force AMI CCmIsrstiiUn of Government en-
ployoes. and the Senate had with equal ienacity
resisted such reduction. The result had lc,u
compromise eifcctnc reduction of S7G5. on tho
10th OF October lac defended the position Of the
IIouSc on the reduction of the Presidents salary
from $50. GOO TO S25. .000. and he expressed the
sincere conviction that the people would see the
matter in its true light. iS TO the proposed r.
ductiun Of the compensation OF Senators and
memlers the Senate had urged against the aho-
li,ion OF the franhinC privilege hut the Scnni"
had sinrc the passage o the bill voie'l ia restore
that franaing privilege, action hich certainly
v ould not escape Criiici-u. Anoih,r valuable
result which had been accomplished had hscn
the enactment OF provision against the political
assessment Of Government EMPLOYEES. He gave
the follow ing rcca ap;ula;ion Of the appropriation
bills:
The estimates Of the departments for tho year
were S2o3 90, ,925. The bills rs reported bv the
COMMITTEE on Appropriations amounted to $751;
e23 I35. The hills rs passei the Senate. SlSs,-
260. SOS; the balls enacted into Law Si4I, T}9,-
o7I. against apPropripriaiicns tor last year Of
Sl17, $50 327, being a reduction OF S29, ,9ii, 253.
Mr. Springer Dem, III. suggested tina, the
saving was at the rate of SiO2, 900 for each Con.
gresional district.
Mr.. RardsIi, in conclusion, said that early ia
the session he had stated il as his belief that the
cx;cnditurrs would lie reduced h%tw~n thirty
and foriy millions. This statement Of his had
hern regarded ms an eSaggeration, hut events had
demonstrated its correctness. lie regretted tn
Rouse had been compelled TO yield 10 the extent
Of ten and halt millions. He hoped and -
6eved in another wear the Senate would concur
with the ilouSe in that regard. s--1 he asserted
tha, with Chiei Magistrate acting in harmony
with the purIosc o! the present n"rse further
reduction could readily he mad. of $40 eoa 200.
Thc>e facts aud fcures speak for ,hemsslteS and
need no elaboration. Tn the result which they
demonstrated the msjcsiiv rested their ciaim a.
having earnestly and faithfully discharged their
duty to the people I; had not re,iucei esrsn-
tsIiure< much az il had expected, tut the fall
ure io do so was not its fault. lie believed ;ha;
the real, natural, safe, ard p-rmanrni way 10 the
resumption Of spe-ie rsymeni Was IN sse "dns-
ton O. Government exI.cnditrrs. Human fore
sight. however. eoel5 not M the esse; hour or
ds- when i, shoald take place, hut the truth Was
selfrvid-nt that If twenty or thirty millions was
saved, not only wcsn tie means % speedy ~
suraption lie provided but that conhienre would
he established v hich mus, inevitably prec,de the
icsirrd result.
As Mr.. Randall closed his sPssch he wsswarns
II spsixaard on has own SIDE Q: the hesSe.