The New York herald., 1878-12-18

the cost of the postal service last year, but had. on
Mr.. CLYMER DEM of Pa. stated that he was last
year on the subcommittee charged with drawing up
the Appropriation bill relating to the Post once De-
plrtment and no bill had been more carefully con.
sdered But there had been coneeainent on tne part
OF the department and the Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral his subordinates had been derelct III their
duty.
THE EcoSoMy QUESTION.
Recurring to the remark made by Mr.. Foster IN re-
gard to democratic economy he said il not for those
successful econopes there would have been to-day
deficiency in the Treasury which would have had To
be made up by increasing taxation making new
loans He proceeded to compare the appropriations
made by the republicans the Thirty ninth and sue
ceeding Congresses up to the Forty third and the
ductions made in thesucceeding Congress after the
democrats had gained control OF the House. he de-
cared that the average saving to the government by
the democratic party well on TO S30O00,O00a
year. and it it had not been for that economy the
Treasury would have been bankrupt.
Mr.. FOSTER. OF Ohio. expressed his amazement al
the statement made by Mr.. Clymer He admitted
that the saving the next year $G9500o but said
that the current year would show an increase OF
S4,o0ooo0. Under republican administrations liberal
appropriations had been mado that all the depart
could be properly and at the close OF each
year large amounts were returned to the treasury
Department. Under the democratic administration
too little was appropriated and then deficiency bills
had to be reported. Such deficiency bills amounted
to Sls o0 in two years. while in the four proceed
ing years there had been only s12 00o The actual
facts las shown by the figures OF the treasury
administration the reduction had been about
s200o00o0. while for the two preceding years OF re-
publican administration the reduction has been about
Mr. CIYMsn. of Pa.-You have never decreased an
appropriation since 1869.
Mr. FosrEn asked Mr.. clymcr if he denied that the
expenses of maintaining the government had been
decreased everyyear since 1867 save one.
HEwITrs FIGURES. 81
Mr.. HEWITT dem.. tof N. Y.)-I deny It and viii
give the gentleman my figures. He quoted from the
report of the Secretary OF the Treasury to the eject
that the expenditures in 1871 sl57 100000: in
si9l 900 900 in 1875 sl53 100000 1876 sioooooo
Then followed the democratic era. and in 1877 the
n9 Mona this ay wear fall below The
gentleman from Ohio had admitted that in republican
Congresses the deficiencies in four years had
democratic Congress had had to pay $1S.000 900 in
deficiencies. If the republican Congresses had paid
larger deficiencies the democratic Congress would
have had smaller deficiencies to meet; deficiencies to
the amount OF Sl30oo,OoO had been paid by the last
Congress to appropriations made in the Forty
second and Forty-third Congresses.
MIR. FosrER-I emphatically deny the correctness
of those figures.
Mr.. FOSTER said that as he had stirred up such
hornets nest the other side he would not continue
Mr.. DURHAM, (dem.1 of Ky.-I think the gentleman
has got stung than any one else.
Mr.. FosTER-But more have been stung on your
side. There never was. i'll my Judgment. greater
fraud pcrperated or maintained by any party than
the fraud of your democratic claim that you have re-
duccd expenses s30,00o,00o year.
such language from the gentleman from Ohio mr. Fos
teri when he accused the gentlemen on the democratic
side Of fraud in making statements which were OFF,
cia 1t not that courtesy which should char
acterze the intercourse between gentlemen on this
floor. Such language would do on the stump but
not on the floor Of the House.
Mr. BURcHAnD, (rep.) of H., asked M Hewitt why
he had not gone back in his figures for three or four
years. If he had done SO he would have found that
the republicans had decreased the expenditures from
what they were in 1867 or 1865.
Mr. HEWITT replied that he had commenced with
tentions the republicans had started in economzing
but how soon they had forgotten their good inten-
tons and increased the appropriations in succeeding
The general discussion having closed. the com
ments.
Mr. PHILLIPS. trep) Of Kan. moved to strike. out
the provso which prohibits the increase Of postal
service during the year beyond what it the 1st
day OF December. 1873.
The motion to strike out was advocated hy Mr.
Mitchell, trep.) of Pa and opposed by Mr.. Atkins
(dsm.) Of Tenn chairman of the Committee on Ap-
preparations. In the course Of his remarks Nj At
kns asserted rcpyng to Mr. Foster that half Of the
deficiencies for which the democratic party had
made appropriation had come down m. from ron the the
ocrats had been clearing up old scores.
e. MR. CoNGER BRANCHES OFF.
Mr. CoSGER. (rep.) of Mich also advocated the mo-
tion and in his remarks branched OF into the discus
sion Of the cipher dispatches, How, he asked, did
the gentleman the other side defend the insstate
ments against the cipher dispatches? BY crying
fraud-no, beg pardon, by silence, which Is ominous
as the grave. daughter on the republican sdc) No
living soul or the democracy, not even the d1Stin-
guished gentleman from Gramercy Park the head Of
the investigating committee is permitted to allude
the subject lest that gentleman should be called
upon to investigate IL as the country calls upon him
to do.
Mr.. sp.nKs, tdem) Of m.-You knew that the gem
tleman [AIr. Potter) not in his seat.
Mr.. CoSGER Of Michigan He was in his scat not .
minute ago.
Mr.. CoSGEr. Of Michigan-Then he started out
Mr. TucxEa. ldem.J Of Va, rose to make remark
toward AIr. Tucker)-fhe gentleman from Virginia
is In his seat, being fearful OF danger, when remote
from the scene of danger. uaughter) Why in
Heavens name has he not called UP the cipher de-
spatches loud laughter.) Is nobody on that side
honest enough, bold enough to speak about this and
when talking about the prohgacy of parties Oh,
Mr.. Chairman, 1 cannot blame any democrat for
auding to the cipher dispatches. There is no
man bold enough to defend them. There is no COM
mittee that dares to examine ten They stand there
arrayed aud backing up each other-onc, two, three
Even my long friend from Kentucky talludng to Mr..
Durham) rises here before he retres from the
OF his greatness to make an attack the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. FOSTER who accompanies him in his
exile. Laughter) Why could they not wait TO dis
cuss those questions amid the scenes of domestic
happiness to which they are about to return soon
The hammer fell and Mr.. Durham rose to reply.
As Mr.. Conger still tried to hold the floor Mr. Dur.
ham claimed that he had been recognized by the
Chair.
Mr.. CoSGEn-I guess not 1t was who recognized
the n-naughterI-but II the gentleman will
speak to the subject to which alluded. or II any
gentleman that side will, will gladly yield.
Mr.. DURHAM, of Kentucky-Ever since l have been
member have directed my attention to the matter
on hand, rarely ever going out OF the subject under
consideration for the purpose OF making merrilnent
Consequently disregard everything that my friend
has SAID iovial character. The cipher dispatches
viii take care of themselves suppose that the whole
country understands that the administration in
power foiscd there through fraud. and 1t makes
no difference whether the cipher dispatches not
show that tact. daughter on the democratic sidc.)
Mr.. coseEn.ls that tho explanation OF the cipher
despatchcsg Qaughtor.)
Mr.. DuRHAM--No. leave them to work out them
selves amused at my friend from Michigan,
who has scarcely got respectable town in his coun-
try and where railroad train is rarely talking
about postal cars Why. ii one OF them was to run
In tnat country it would his people Laughter)
Let him De content as am with having Star service
We glad to get il twice a week Why is he talking
about postal carsr Only for the sake of making fun.
lin an adnonitory tone TO MIR. Congerl Confne your
self To your section OF country and don't be put
ting on airs Shouts OF laughtcr.)