The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-15
A SPICY DEBATE ON THE ARMY AP.
Preparation BILL.
Several Amendments Made But No Ac-
tiOn Taken.
SENATE.

SENA l..
WASHINGTON, NovemberS.- During the
morning hour, a number of bills were in
troduced and referred,
Mr.. Matthews offered q bill supple
mentary to the act to provide for the re-
sumption of specie payment, approved
January ii, 1875
Mr. Edmunds (Vt) submitted reso
luton instructng the Committee on the
Judiciary to inquire and report whether
any leg sIation is necessary in order tc
authorize the payment out ofany moneys
received or to be received from the Re-
public of Mexico, or otherwise, to Amer
lean claimants, awards made by the
Commission created under the treaty be-
tween the United States and that Re-
public, ratification whereof was ex'
changed on the lst of February, 1863
Agreed to.
Railway Affairs,
The resolution submitted by Mr.
Maxey, on Tuesday last, calling upon the
President for information as to the num-
ber of miles of the Northern Pacific Rail
road constructed, what changes have been
made, &C., was called up.
Mr.. Chaffee submitted long pream.
BILE regarding the Union Pacific railroad
and its branches, with a resolution that
the President of the United States he re.
quested to inform the Senate what legal
impediments exist which prevent him
from executing the laws in accordance
with the obligations accepted, and the
agreement made by the Union Pacific
Railroad Company and branches with
the United States asstipulated and agreed
upon in the several acts of Congress
Laid over at the request of Mr.. Chattee,
who gave notice that he would call it up
early next week for the purpose of SUBJ
hitting some remarks.
Mr.. Edmunds introduced bill TO grant
to the widow of General Amos B. Eaton
a pension of $50 a month. Referred.
The Senate chen, at 1925, went into
Executive session, and when the doors
were reopened adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
At 1910 the House went into Commit
tee of the Whole (Mr. Cox, of New York
in the Chair, upon the Army Appropri-
alton bill.
The general debate upon the bill was
limited to two hours, and the House was
addressed by Mr.. Atkins, Chairman of
the Appropriation Committee. He stated
he did not regard it within the province
of the committee to inquire into the ac.
tion of the President in not calling an
extra session of Congress before the
present fiscal year. 1t was however, a
legitimate subject of judicial enquiry.
He explained that the estimate of the
War Department for the present year
amounted to $30500000 while the bill
appropriated $25700.000, a decrease of
100000 from the appropriation last year.
The bill had been drawn ~ on a basis of
% 600 men for the first four months of
the year and 10000 for the remaining
eight months. The General of the
Army had been before the committee
and had stated positively there were less
than 10000 men in the service at the
present time. He Atkins was in favor
of reducing the army to $4,000 men. but
did not think this was the proper time,
since the army had so long gone without
pay and the question of reducing the
force might delay the passage of the bill.
With regard to the restriction placed
upon last years bill, it had been left out
because the committee did not feel that,
in view of recent events, in view of the
action of the President in carrying out
the Constitution, in carrying out the
doctrine of non-interven-
ton, and in allowing States to regulate
their own affairs it was necessary to place
a restricting clause in the present bill,
but if the same circumstances existed
now as eight months ago, he would have
stood fairly by restriction, no matter
what the consequences might be,
In answer to a question by Mr.. Hook
er, Mr. Singleton, (member of the APP
preparation Commttee), said that Gen.
eral Sherman had stated to the commit
tee that at the time of the Presidential
there were in the Southern
States four regiments, of three hundred
men each, two of which had been since
Withdrawn.
Mr.. Schleicher inquired whether the
Committee had taken the trouble to ex-
anime whether the strength of the army
was sufficient for the projection Of the
border.
Mr.. Atkins replied that the army was
sufficiently large for the purpose.
Mr.. Foster (member of the Appropra-
lion Committee) remarked, in reply TO
Mr.. SchleiCher, that the committee had
taken pains to inform itself on the sub
ject, and all the officers said the present
force was not sufficient.
Mr.. Atkins said he would now yield
ten minutes to Mr.. Wood, but he [ Wood
said he had no disposition to participate
in the debate on the bill. The remarks
which he proposed to suomit had refer
ence to the general condition of the ex
penditures and receipts of the govern
ment, but as his statement wovld occupy
longer Ehan ten minutes he wovid take
some other opportunity to express his
views.
Strength of the Army at the Present Time.
Mr.. Foster said it was the opinion of
the General of the Army that on the lst
of November there had not been more
than 10000 men in the army. To day a
statement had been read from the Pay.
master General asking for an increase of
the pay appropriation because of mis-
take made as to the number of men, his
information being that the present force
is about % 600 men. The difficulty into
which the Committee on Appropriations
had fallen arose from the fact it felt it to
be its bounden duty to reduce the appro.
priations for the army and to reduce the
army itself. Members of the minority
had no desire to embarrass the action Of
the majority. They believed, however,
that force of 10000 was as small as the
needs of the country warranted. They
were not disposed to make factious oppo-
sition to the action of the majority. They
would, perhaps, test the sense OF the
House on one or two questions, but not
further. They had no heart to 90 so
when they knew that the officers OF the
army, up to this date, had lost perhaps
l. 4 nd