The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-09-02

Senate passed, 81 1855, 1861 .27 the law as
finally enacted, s4,G70,117.7 The prin.
cipal disagreement between the two Houses
related TO the transfer ofthe Indian Bureau
from the Interior to the War Department.
The House believed that the management
Of Indians affairs could be more economi-
cally and efficiently administered by army
officers, alrcady underpay, than by civil Off
rs,under whom had grown up a widespread
system Of peculation upon the Indian as
well as upon the Government. One of
the grounds which induced the Indian TO
go to war against the white man was that
treaty stipulations in reference to the de-
livery Of subsistence and other supplies
were not faithfully fulfilled. An army
officer, holding life position dependent
upon integrity and good behavior, and
with strong desire for promotion, which
eau only occur upon the active and faith
full discharge Of his duties, Is more likely
to execute the promises of the Government
towards the Indian than the civil officer
who comes in and goes out with every
change Of Administration. And the pres
ent doublc-headed system Of dispensing
subsistence and supplies to the Indians
through the agency Of civil officers, while
restraining and keeping them ut peace by
the military arm, has been proved by
long experience to be not only enormously
expensive to the Government, but without
any adequate beneficial results either to
the indians or TO the Government. The
hand that feeds should be the hand to
punish in the case of wrong doing. View
ed as an economic question, we have
General Sheridan for authority, and almost
all the officers who have come into COLI
sion with the Indians, to show that the
opinion l here express is the just one.
The House authorized the transfer in the
Indian appropriation bill, having previous
ly passed separate proposition on the same
subject, which was transmitted to the
Senate on the 18th of April last, but
which the Senate never took up for con-
sideration or discussion. Incidentally,
however, they did discuss the clause in
the Indian bill, and voted it down, upon
ground that it was a change of law upon
an appropriation bill We think the
country had right to expect from the
Senate more consideration Of this subject,
and the House only yielded at last, when
longer persistence could result in unlimit-
ed extension Of the session without cor
responding good, The Encouragement
now existing, although unfortunate, is
well illustrated by the fact that the hostile
Sioux are armed with better weapons than
the troops put iasp the field against them.
At this very session we have been compell-
ed to pass a law prohibiting the Indian
agents from further supplying to these
hostile Indians improved arms and ammu-
milton. l doubt neither the propriety nor
the absolute necessity of the proposed
transfer, and only regret to say the propo-
sition has been defeated in the Senate
more by indirection than by open opposi-
ton. Let me pause for moment to
state fact which carries with its own
commentary. While there are in the
army 10000 mon, $4,000 of them in the
military division of the Missouri, embrac-
ing 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 combin-
ed hostile Indians under Sitting Bull
with force of less than 5000 men. We
are now asked to add to the army $500
cavalry, when it must be apparent to the
most casual observer that such addition is
entirely unnecessary if the force was taken
from where it is of no service whatever,
and transferred to where it is needed to
win success to our arms. | yet hope for
the transfer at the next session We have
made reductions, even under its present
inefficient management, Of 100000 or
Whereabouts.
CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
Appropriations last year, 81 ,374, 1856 /;
department estimates for the year ending
June 30, 1877, 81, 352 ,4S5; amount re-
commended by House Committee on APP.
preparations, 1922, 847. so; amount passed
the House, s9l2,747.50; Senate Commit
tee recommended 81 ,34l ,647.5O; Senate
passed, 81 BAL ,647.50. The House held
that our diplomatic service was conducted
with unnecessary expense, and that the
salaries paid to foreign ministers were ex.
cessive when contrasted with the salaries
paid to other governmental officers, while
at the same time officers Of the highest
diplomatic rank we're accredited to gov
ernments where charges daffaires, with
greatly reduced salaries, would be equally
efficient. The truth is that all important
matters between this and foreign govern
ments are to-day directly negotiated and
and adjusted through the ocean telegraphs
by the State Department at Washington,
and therefore in many instances the posi-
ton of foreign minister is little more than
a costly sinecure. Under what is known
as the "Orth bill" the salaries of these
officers were increased, and that increase
in manner we have taken off. 1t must
not be forgotten that our ministers abroad
arc not valuable for any service they rem
der to our commerce, but that, on the con-
trary, it is our consular system which is
brought into direct contact with the
American marine, and therefore we would
like to see that thorough revision Of the
consular system which will secure its i'm
provement and greater efficiency. The
claim because the consular system is not
only self-supporting, but has ian excess Off
ceipts from the payment Of fees, that
all the money received should
be expended in the service, is about as
just as to claim that the Custom House
and internal revenue, because Of receipts
beyond expenditures, should likewise be
administered with extravaganza. We have
not secured the reductions we sought aud
which we believed to be proper, but we
have at least accomplished enough to
reward us for our effort.
ExEcUTIvEA AND JUDICIAL
BILL.
Mr.. Randall then proceeded to give a
resume Of the legislative, executive, and
judicial appropriation bill. The appro-
priation in that bill last year amounted to
$4,000, 236. The estimates for this year
were s2O,s36,307. The bill as reported