The New York herald., 1877-11-14
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

WASHINGTON, Nov 49, 1871
Tho reading OF the Journal was not finished until
1--WE minutes to ono O'Clock.
The following bills were introduced and referred:-
BY Mr.. BANKS, (rep) OF Mass.-To extend, facilitate
and cheapen land transportation Of freight
and passengers, and to promote industry and labor
without further Appropriation OF public property or
Increase OF tho public debt.
BY Mr. WHITE. (rep) of Pa, resolution instruct
ing the Committee Public Lands to inquire what
assistance be given by tho government to citizens
who desire emigratc to the West for the purpose Of
engaging in agriculture.
BY Mr. TowssHEsD OF Illinois, resolution instruct
ing the Committee Banking and Currency 10 in
qure into the expcdicncy OF winding the national
banks, withdrawing their circulation and substituting
IN lieu thereof greenDacks or other similar currency
THE DEFICIENCY BILL
The House then, Mt fifteen minutes past O'Clock,
wsnt into Committee Of the Whole (Mr. Blackburn, OF
Kentucky, in the char) on tho Deficiency bill The
total amount appropriated by the bin is S. 2lO sos, Of
which ST. 466Ss is Tor tho pay OF the navy s31l o53
for payment Of the amount due Seigman Brothers, Of
London; $1,000 Tor miscellaneous claims and $4,000
for the pay OF The marine corps
Tho bill also. provides for the payment OF United
states Judges authorizes the Secretary Of tho
TO rent hre-proo building IN Washington until
the Interior Depart mcnt building rs repaired.
SPEECH OF MR.. BLoUNT
Mr.. BLoUST, tdem.) Of Ca (snember Of the Appro-
priations Committee, having charge OF tho bl, pro-
ceedcd open tue discusson He referred TO the tact
that tor 1872, 1873 1874 and 1875 the estimates Tor
1876 So 600 co., but that suddenly when the House
became democratic, the estimate amounted to
estimate or 70 ass was s7soo oSo he
beginning of last Congress sub-com-
ml,oo Of the comP,se on a.
called at the Navy Department TO ascertain why the
estimate ;or pay was SO high, ana they were informed
In that same bill The Of the navy reduced
1000 making the number 1900 men. they were
could u be u reduced @ 900 more, and Z. Was VAS
reduced half million. Alter the adjournment an
order had been issued by the Secretary Of The Navy
the purpose OF which was to excite the navy against
the majority side oi the House. Last session every
dollar asked for by the department had bcen voted
cept $500Jo Ho was surprised, therefore, that The
present Secretary Of the Navy should claim that the
present deficiency belonged TO tho last fiscal year.
II the appropriations wcrc made up to tho absolute
requirement OF then tho Secretary had, in
violation o law, taken from the Treasury $4,000, 0o0
or $4,000, 900 The appropriations made Tor tho
different bureaus had been used indiscriminatsly.
For instance, thcre was "A deficiency IN the
pay OF the Marine corps. although every
dollar needed pay tnat had been appropriated
but IL had been used tor other purposes. Tho COM
mtce had reported the amount necessary 10 pay the
Marine corps but that TACT would not prevent iuli
Investigation into tho circumstances. The House
owed TO the people OF tho country to pursue that
Investigation reenilessly, and u would do It,
Mr.. EDEN inquired whether some means could not
be devised prevent suci misapplcations OF lands
BLouyr replied that all necessary legislation Tor
the purpose aireaay existed. The only remedy Tor
the evil WAS in tho moral sense OF tho people, VINO
should hold 10 just accountability those who bad been
years permitting an improper use oi the iunds IN
tho Treasury.
Mr. GooDs. (dem.) of Va, another member Of the
Appropriations Committee, held that would be profit
able to make the investigation referred 10, aud hs
hoped II would b. prosecuted earnestly and I'M
partially but Whatever might bo the re sponsibty at
laching Congress to the department regard
the deficiency the appropriation should be made with
delay The officers and men Of the navy should
ho l..ff nAnpp
lenders. be complimenied tho present Secretary Of
the Navy certain portions oil his report wherein he
says that the difficulties nave arisen from the improper
diversion OF funds which mad been appropriated 10
special objects, and had been used Tor other and differ
ent Objects.
SPEECH or MR.. HALE
Mr.. HALE, (rep.) VI Me-. also a member OF the APP
preparations spoke oil the pressing wants OF
tue In the army aud navy ana Of the Necessity OF
making immeaiate provision Tor their payment. Ii Q
criticised the speech OF Mr.. Blount containing
sucn Information as the House and country
titled TO expect but as making an attack on the late
Secretary oil tho Navy. This bill did not legtmatey
Involve any political discu sslon. The present Secro
tary OF the Navy mad explained the matter In . lew
brief sentences, as iollows:-
Tho present deficiency in tho fund pay Of tn
10 time the late when both the estimates and
Is OF spa y
but 70 series OF years and has been occasioned
on q The s,asr having out Of the a., nine
years considerably less than the estimates
Mr. HALE went argue that tho fund for the pay
OF tho navy not OF those furds which wnen
unexponued required to DO turned into the Treas
ury ut the end OF two years, but was a continuing
fund, Of which paymastcrs had bccn In the haot
OF paying all of expenses for tho navy
which were afterwards credited back 10 the
nav fund Ii the late Secretary
OF the Navy (about whomsmembers onthe other sue
could not lasn themselves into sufficient iuryi. who
had changed the prior system Of having these ac-
counts balanced at long intervals and who had re-
quired them to be balanced every threo months.
| The pay fund had been mado the PACK horse
| on which everything else had ridden, and when
the reckoning day came In the rreasury Department
TO pay what had been used for other bureaus IL
was often found those bureaus bad no balances
credit aud 80 the pay fund had 10 suner he
did claim that that was good practice lie ala mol
think It was He believed TO DO good thing that the
present Secretary OF tue Navy had looked the question
farIy IN the aud had declined 10 go forward and
anticipate apply the principles fairly applicable 10
continuing fund, but had shut down ana ad no would
not allow the pay fund 10 DO cDcroached upon by any
other funds. 1nat Is all that there was IN this pother
about the Deficiency bill ana in these charges OF bad
! conduct and extravaganza as something that de-
/ served renewed investigation on the part OF the
| late Secretary OF the Navy. He was now private
| citizen, ana entitled to all tho rights Of private
citizen The late Secretary might DO scrutnzcd from
4 m would not found single