The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-08-17

'iemah from Pen.sy ivabia. the mino rity
o. the crm1. ee had entered on its duti,
with the intention 10 aid .he msjoIity in /
making all practicable reductions in the
expenditures Of the government. The re-
dnctIon which the minority thought could
have been safely made vas 81 00p, 900: As
II vas, he felt sure further appropriation
amounting to 100000 would lie made
next session to defray the expenses Of the
government for the present fiscal year.
And what was the purpose of this reduc-
tion OF appropriations? Was it to aid
Gov. Tilden TO resume specie payment in
1S19, or was it to pay . vast number of
cotton claims which were ready to be
launched on Congress next session? Why
had not those who proposed . reduction
Of taxstion, or reduction Of appropria-
tions without q reduction of taxes, been
appreciated by the people?
He alluded, among other things, to the
fact that the House had refused to appro-
pirate single dollar for judgments Of
the Court OF Claims, being q direct and
square repudiation Of claims against the
Government for the mere partisan purpose
OF reducing expenses. He submitted table
showing what items should be deducted
from Mr.. Randalfs table Of reductions. He
admitted that after these reductions were
made the net amount of the reductions
then made was S2i, ,i66. $50. He asserted
that the reduction of the military academy
bill (Si0,O00) was due to the reduced pay
OF cadets and professors, and S523, 900 OF
postponement; that OF the reduction in
the consular and diplomatic bill, S3i0, 900
was accomplished by violation of trust
and an injury to commerce that a poet
Ponement Of $3.50, 600 for Notifications had
been made; that In the legislative bill
over S3,OOO,OOo was poItponement, and
over one-fJurth Of the S2,72i, 900 worked
injury that the reduction OF 81 ,jO0, 900 in
the navy bill did great injustice to the
navy ofhcers, and that over :, 600, 900 was
4 postponenent that in the army bill
| over S4,ooo,oOO was postponement, and
| that in the sundry civil service bill over
Sll,OOO,OOO was postponement, and the
reduction OF 81 900 was due mainly to the
| substitution OF silver for fractional cur
| rency.
He set down the figures OF actual re-
| duction at S103553s9 and OF postpone
ment at S2i ,2243, ,9O9 He claimed to have
| shown, beyond question, that the reductions
were only about 10 millions instead of %
millions and that the balance was simply
have TO be provided for in the future and
that Of the 10 millions a considerable por-
ton was obtained by crippling the govern
ment machinery. Never in history had
current facts been distorted as they had
been in this matter by the Democracy.
There was no evidence of reform on the
part Of the Democratic party. So far as
legislation was concerned the House had
been an absolute failure.
In conclusion, he recapitulated the servi-
ces Of the Republican party, and declared
that the people who saved the republic,
were ever walchful and on the alert, and
| would not trust with power those who
sought to trail the old flag in the dust, and
substitute in its place the ftars and bars.
The Speaker laid before the House mes
sage from the Presireut in regard to the
river and harbor bill, stating that if it had
been compulsory to expend money there, or
appropriated, he would have vetoed it, but
as il was not, he would take care that no
public money should be expended on use
less works, or upon any that were not clear
| ly national. The message createI quite
| sensation
Mr. REAGEN Immediately rose and
moved it's reference to the committee OF
commerce, of which he was member, and
from which the bill had been originally re-
ported. He criticized the President for as
suming that his personal judgment and dis
cretion were to determine how ar appro-
priations in bills were to be applied and OBJ
iected, defined and characterized that as an
act of personal government. A long
discussion continued, several members on
both sides of the House speaking, after
1 IL
mittee on commerce, and the House took
recess until o'clock.
| There was great confusion on the re-
assembling of the House, and an attempt
made to take a recess till o'clock to NOR
row, but it was defeated. There being no
| quorum, the call of the House was ordered
| An attempt was made by Mr.. Kasson to
take up the Senate bill to increase the cav
airy force for the Sioux war, but objection
| was made by the Democrats, and the dis
cussion drifted into politics.
| Mr.. BANNING moved to suspend the
rules and pass the bill authorizing the
| President to accept the services of 80 o
| volunteer cavalrymen for six months, and
| appropriating 81, 900 900 for that purpose.
The motion was adopted and the bill pass
ed by l2O to Al.
Mr.. RANDALL moved to suspend the
rules and pass the bill for the payment of
| a full months wages to the recently DIS
charged employees of the bureau Of en-
craving and printing, the amount being
S29, 500 and to be confined to those whose
wages did not exceed S3 day. Agreed to,
and the bill passed.
Adjourned.
Monday night the session Of the House
continued until 6 o'clock in the morning.
Most OF the time after midnight was taken
up in diliatory action and maneouvers TO
prevent Mr.. Cox resuming his speech in re-
ply to Mr.. X asson. At last, about O'Clock
in the morning, truce was effected be-
tween the opposing forces, and an oppor-
tunity was afforded to both MIR. Cox and
Mr.. Kasson to make due apology to the
House and to each other for the exhibition
| OF any angry passion or their violation OF
any parliamentary decorum that either
might have been guilty Of.
After that, Mr.. HEWITT took the floor,
| and in a speech which was frequently ap-
plauded by his own side of the House, de-
tended Mr.. Tilden from the assault made
on him by Mr.. kasson and eulogizing him
| as the stan'. ard bearer of the National De-
mocracy.
The Senate amendments to the bill to
defray the expenses Of the District OF Col
umbia were non-concurred in.
Mr. MORRISON, chairman OF the COM
mittee ON ways and means, stated that the
committee had taken evidence in the al
legged improper Use OF morey to aid in the
passage of the Hawaiian treaty bill, but
there was nothing in the evidence showing
the justice of such allegations, and moved
that the committee be discharged from its
further consideration. 50 ordered.
Mr.. Banning moved to non-concur in the
Senate amendment to the House bill for
volunteers to aid in suppressing the Indian
hostilities He explained that the House
bill provided for five thousand volunteer
cavalry, and that the Senate amendment
provided for the increase of the regular
cavalry regiments to one hundred men for
each company.
He asserted that the existing Law already |
authorized that increase, but that il men |
were needed for the Sioux war, they were |
needed Immediately, and could be got on
the frontier, where men knew the Indian |
character and how to fight Indians.
Messrs. GARFIELD and THORNBURG |
favored the Senate amendment. After a
further discussion the amendment was nom |
concurred in.
Mr.. HUNTON, from the judiciary COM
mittee, made q report exoneraiing the
chairman of that committee, Mr.. Knott, in
connection with the Josiah Caldwell tele- |
gram. He at the same time presented .
paper written BY Mr.. Hurd, to the effect
that when he stated, on q former report |
being made that there was to be no dis /