Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-03-24
SUMMARY OF BILLS FOR 1878.

| Legislative and executive Dill. lo,1l4,'oo W.
Military academy bill............ 2s6,5oi M
Indian bill ...................... 4,75l .499 =
Deficiency bill 239s. go j3
Naval Dll! lo 1890 ~
Sundrv civil bill 9,590, 800 81
Total OF ten bills................Sll9 ,129,93c -
Total of same bills last year, 1873 ,oi2 %
There were passed
IN ADDITION TO THESE.
two small bills, the house deficiency bill,
Sl39, 4,9S, and the printing deficiency
bill of S35O,O00 The house committee
on appropriations attempted reduction
of about $300,00O in the naval appropri-
alton, but failed in the effort. The bill
as passed apprOpriates about 100000
more than last years bill, but this is
81. 100000 less than Robson and the
senate wonld have had it. The senate
attempted to raise the amount of the
paw of the navy over a million dollars
above
THE HOUSE FIGURES,
but they split the difference, and fixed
it at $4,000 The house sought to
fix the item for the bureau of equipment
and recruiting at 100000, but finally
allowed $4,000. OF this amount S10,-
600 is Immediately available for provis-
ions and clothing. The item for the
bureau of construction and repair is
81, 80 900, which is almost exactly one
half less than the senate demanded
The item for the bureau OF engraving is
S942, 900, for which the senate demanded
$4,000, 900.
THE MAIN POINT
on which the senate yielded was its de-
mand that 100000 for construction
and repair and $75O,0OO for engineering
should he Immediately available. This
would have helped out Mr.. Robson and
the new administration beautifully, but
they yielded to prevent an extra session.
The bill is in all its minor details the
same as the bill last year. The house
Welded the scheme for a mixed commits
sion on the navy, which was Whit.
thorne's pet hobby, and which was at
tached to this bill.
THE GREATEST VICTORY OF THE HOUSE
was on the pOst-offie bill, which they
succeeded in reducing a million below
the appropriation of last year, in spite
of the growing demands of the depart
ment. The senate undertook to pass in
this bill subsidies of half a million for
the Pacific mail steamship company's
Asiatic line, and the same amount for
the mail service between New Orleans
and Rio Janeiro. The schemes were two
of the greatest jobs that appeared in
congress, and their defeat was great
good fortune for the country. The
second one was merely a cover for sale
of one or more iron steamships by John
Roach, of Philadelphia, the provision
being that the ship should he accepted"
by some naval officer to be appointed by
the secretary of the navy. The follow
ing are
THE PRINCIPLE ITEMS
of this bill: Compensation of postmas-
tiers, 81 $50, 600; payment Of letter-car-
riers, 1885, 900; rent, light and fuel,
500, 900; clerks in post-Offices, 81, $40, :
900; advertising, 100000; stationary,
S55,OOO; miscellaneous incidental items,
$4,000; inland mail transportation,
50, 100000. Or this amount the bill
says $50, 900 may be used for
THE FAST MAILS.
The department demanded $3.50, 900.
Other items are as follows: Compensa-
ton to railway post-office clerks, 81 ,225,-
900; route agents, s1,00O,OOO; mail
route messengers, $50, 900; local agents,
$4,000; mail messengers, $4,000 !;
mail-bags and bag catchers, 100000 ;
manufacture of stamps, Sl5O,747; man.
ufacture of stamped envelopes and news
paper wrappers, 5000, 900; manufacture
of postal cards, $500, 600; transporta-
tion of fsreign mails, S25O,OOO.
THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY APPROPRIATED
and available under this bill in excess OF
the revenues of the department is 81.
52,725. The amount of $4,000 is
appropriated to continue the post-ofiice
} commission, so-called. and the bill in.
structs the postmaster-general to cause a
careful inquiry to be made into the com
pensation paid to clerks in post-offices
with view to more equitable adjust
ment and reduction thereof. He is also
required to inquire into the number Of
letter-carriers in cities, and to reduce
the number of them and the number o.
deliveries to the reasonable require
, ments of the public service. The efor,
. to reduce the pay Of the carriers in thil
, hill failed entirely