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

then as now seeking employment, was
to the extent of its activity inadequately
remunerative. Our duty IN such a con.
diaion OF affairs was too plain to be mista.
ken. twas to iop off at once, and res
olutely, every extravagant and unne.
sessary expense. This we have par.
tally accomplished, and in q manner
which will in no degree cripple the Ad.
ministration in its legitimate functions.
But to secure even this partial result
without producing friction has required
long and patient examination, inves-
tigation and study.
A further plan of procedure adopted
was to reduce ten per cent. all salaries
over $1,000, and provide reduction
IN the force of clerks and EMPLOYEES
twenty per cent. These two provis-
ions, if fully adopted, would have Sc
cured much larger reduction of appro-
priations and the discharge of all SUI
pernumerary clerks and employees, of
which there are still large number.
The House considered this not an un-
reasonable reduction in amount under
the circumstances. But this reduction
has almost wholly failed because of the
obstinacy of the Senate and the Senate
conicrecs in relation thereto. A reduc-
ton in the number of clerks and en-
Ployees has been only partially realized,
as the House conferees were forced to
yield part of their recommendations
1t will surprise many when they learn
the fact that as many as one hundred
thousand persons receive pay from the
Federal Treasury. In order that no
harm should possibly come from reduc-
tion of force, we directed the attention
of the executive officers of the Govern
ment to the existing law in reference
to the hours of labor required from the
clerks and the comployees. 1t is to be
found in section 162 of the Revised
Statutes, as follows:
SEC. l62. From the first day of October
until the first day of April, in each year,
all the bureaus in the State, War, Treas
ury, Navy, Post Office Departments,
and in the General Land Office, shall
be open for the transaction of the pub
lie business at least eight hours in each
day; and from the first day of April un-
I'll the first day Of October in each wear.
at least ten hours in each day. except
Sundays and days declared public holi-
days by law.
Heretofore clerks have been required
to devote six l.ours day to the service
of the Government. Recently, on the
coming in of the Democratic House, by
orders to the bureaus, that time has
been extended to seven hours. If,
however, the terms of the law are adj
hered to, more actual hours of service
will be secured under the reduced NUM-
ber Of clerks and employees agreed
upon than we have now with the pres
ent excessive force.
Again, MIR. Speaker, as natural re-
suit OF the pro>tration of business, the
revenues of the Government have di-
mini>hed to an alarming extent, and
the warning held out TO us was one not
TO be disregarded, as il might turn out
in the coming fiscal year that the re-
duction would be so great that the rev.
enueS would fall below the amount re-
qulred to meet the expenditure of the
Government. In this emergency, il
was absolutely essential to provide for
reduction Of expenses rather than entail
any increase of our interest bearing debt,
or any addition 10 our present taxation.
Nay more: If the full measure of reduc-
tions recommended had been accedcd
to by the Republican minority in this
House, and the majority in the Senate,
then even with full revenue, the in
ternal and other taxes could have been
reduced to an extent OF say $40, ,0OO, 900,
with comparative safety.
| shall now proceed to an examina-
tion OF the several appropriation bills,
IN order of date as they were enacted
into law.
Appropriations last year, $50, 900 900:
department estimates for the wear end
ing June 80, 1877. S29. 9.533, 500: recon-
mendation of the House Committee on
Appropriations, S29.533, 500: House
passed S29. $50, 500: Senate Committee
recommended S2o, 533. 500: Senate pass
ed 1888, 500; law as finally enac ted.
Sl9,533.5o0 The respective commit
tees OF the two Houses and both Houses
of Congress agreed IN the amount TO be
appropriated for pensions, which was
IN full as indicated by the estimate
\ pleasant incident in connection with
this appropriation was the fact Of its
being, IN committee and In the House,
IN charge of a member Of the committee
MIR. Atkins Of Tenn formerly an off,
Ger in the Confederate army and men,
ber ofth Confederate Congress. Such
exhibitions give the denial to the pclit-
ical charge that the leading men Of the
South still bear any hostility to the
Union, for he was scrupulous in seeing
that no pensioner of the Union suffered
in the least degree. Many reforms are
imperailveiy needed in connection with
the distribution of Pensions. The Conn
mittee on Persons recommended the
transfer OF the Pension Bureau from
the Interior Department to the War
Department, where it formerly was. as
appears by their report, for reasons,
among others, as follows:
Pension agencies which now cost
annually $44S. 600. the Committee ON
Pensions report could be dispensed with.
and twenty efficient clerks, divided
equally among the four classes of clerks
known to the law, at a cost OF $50 900.
could do the work as efficiently and
with less delay than now occurs. The
work, il under the War Department.
could be done in the main by the re.
tired officers Of the army, with one half