National Republican., 1877-11-09
HOUSE OF REPREsEYr4TTvEs.

On motion of Mr.. ATKINS, the House re-
solved itself into Committee of the Whole
on the army appropriation bill, Mr.. Cox, Of
n. Y, in the chair.
After the bill had been read in committee,
Mr.. ATKINS said no was uncertain as to
the wishes Of the House on the >ibiect of
general debate. Neither he nor the commit
tee had any desire to restrict debate, and he
moved that the committee rise for the purpose
of limiting general debate on the bill.
The committee rose, and after q little dis
cussion two hours was fixed as the time and
at 1880 p. IN. the House went into committee
| again.
Mr.. ATKINS said he would occupy but a
few moments In exclamation of the features of
the bill. He gave II as his opinion that the
Appropriation Committee had nothing to do
with the delay In calling an extra session Of
Congress. That belonged to the judiciary.
He said there was but one item in this bill
that was not in former bills that was an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for converting smooth
borcs into rifcd cannon. lie said this would
make twenty five excellent rihed guns out of
the comparatively worthless Rodman guns, and
the committee thought this sum could be ex-
pended in these experiments. He next went
on to 81 ow the manner in which and the items
on which the committee had been enabled to
reduce tho amount of appropriations. For
horses for the cavalry there had been ma
terial reduction In consequence Of the termi-
nation Of the Sioux war, which left supply OF
horses on hand. In the matter of clothing
there had been an increase Of appropriation
because the supply left at the close Of the war
had in part furnished the clothing for preced-
ing years this had now been exhausted, and
the estimates this year were for all new cloth
ing for the army. Tho appropriations were
made on a basis of an army Of 10000 enlisted
men He believed the army should be re-
duccd to 1900 men, but the committee had
| tK,,A Enr
this question.
Mr. ATKINS yielded ten minutes to Mr..
Woop, w o said he had sought the floor not to
discuss the army bill, but to make some gen.
eral remarks ON the receipts and expenditures
of the Government; but as he might desire to
occupy more than ten minutes, he would yield
the floor and seek some other opportunity for
his remarks.
Mr.. FOSTER said he believed the appro-
priations should be for an army Of $4,000
men; but, In view Of the necessities of the oiii-
GERS, who were paying $1,000 day in interest,
he had not tho heart to make any captious OPP
position to the present bill. He predicted
deficiency next year of 50 100000. He said
tho boosted reductions of last year had, when
the books came to be written up came down
| to Sl7, 900, 900, contendng that the appropria-
| tions were not sufficient; that tho reduction
was injudicous and an invitation to Indian
wars and border raids. The minority, ho
said, would test the sense Of the House on one
or two points, and make no further captious
opposition.
! Mr.. CONGER spoke Of the inconvenience
and suffering which had resulted from the
| failure to make provisions for the officers and
men of the army, and hoped that at proper
time an amen incnt would be in serted allow
ing the interest which tho officers had been
compelled to pay for money on account of the
| non payment of their salaries
lie next argued that the present force of the
army was not enough to make 1t effective or
| economical.
Mr. PHILLIPS said that he had been in.
formed by Adjutant-General Townsend that
there were 1900 men in tho army.
He contcndcd that the increase in cav
airy was to be set off by II reduction of the in
fantry. As an evidence Of the want of force,
he pointed to the fact that when General
Milo attacked Joseph he had but 1876 men.
| Mr.. DURHAM advocated reduction OF the
army, and said in his opinion the army should
be reduced to 1900. Referring to the clauses
in the last bill, restricting the use of tho troops
In the Southern States, he said il the same cir
cumstauces existed now as existed then, al
though as u rule he was opposed to general
legislation In an appropriation bill, he would
not vote a dollar without such restrictiO ms
He said that in the next army bill he would
endeavor to have the army reduced to $4,000
men.
Mr.. SINGLETON said that when Gen.
Sherman was before the committee he stated
that through death and dcscrtion there were
| not now in the army 10000 men, and the com
mittee had made provision for the number OF
men actually in the army. not considering
| itself the proper committee to consider an in.
crease or reduction of the army. lie said II
the troops sent to the South to control the
elections had been sent to the assistance OF
those engaged against the Indians, the Custer
massacre would have been avoided and he
would have been living man to-day.
At 2:3O Mr.. HOOPER moved that the com
mittee rise for the purpose of extending the
time Tor general debate. Rejectcd-A to 1O5
The bill was then read by paragraphs, un'
der the iivc-minute rule.
Mr.. SCHLEICHER moved to strike out the
clause restricting recruiting to the present
number of men in the army. He said that
from deaths by sickness and in battle, and by
dcserion, it was possible that there were not
more than Ia, 900 men in the army, so that the
practical effect of the bill was to reduce the
army IRON 5000 to 1900 men. This roduc
tiOn of the army he deemed unwisc, and IN
support of this view he rccitcd the outrage
on the Mexican border, which could not b,
prevented for want of troops. This was mo-
the way to keep the peace down there. ii,
thought, too, that 1t WAS unwise to disbant
the troops in front of the Indians, and invit,
war The Indians respected force ant
sr myth, and show Of 1t would lrvrnt thI
Ecut sSity for Il resort to force.
MIR. BIOUNT maintained that the army wa
ample for all purposes of the GOrcrnmcnt /
this was TO be the ERA OF good feeling" tn,
number of men could be still further reduced
Mr.. CALKlNS said he favored All incrcas,
to $1,000 men. 1t was idle to send an INSULT
cicnt force to provoke tho hostilitics oil the In
dans, or station only sufficient force on tbs
Rio Grande to excite dcrisiOn and provoke col
ision. The recent riots in the North hut
shown that we must rely for protection on
something better than than the State militia
Tho army was trained and could bo relied up
, on; they were without sympathy on occasions
of this kind.
, Mr.. LlrrRELL asked II the gentleman
, would use standing army to put down thu
rights OF the workingmcn.
Mr.. CALKlNS Oh, no; not at all.
Mr.. LuTrRELL. 1t looks very mucl
like 1t.
Mr.. TOWNSEND. 1t is to put down tn,
heather Chnee. Laughter.
Mr.. ATKINS COntendcd that large stand
ing army for police purposes was umamerican
aud ii that policy was to be adopted 100000
men would not be sufficient.
( Mr.. BLACKBURN offered an amendment
prohibiting recruiting to u number Of l50O(
, men. He denied that the remedy for tho dis