National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-03-13
FORTY-FIFTII CONGRESS.



Of our foreign service and at the same time to
expose the hollowness of the cry of economy
which was always coming up from the other
side Of the House. The gentleman from Mis-
sissippi (Mr. SINGLETON, who reported the
bill, dwelt at length upon the fhct that econ
omy and retrenchmcnt was an absolute me-
c,ssty and that IL could not be enforced In a
better place than upon this bill. The gentle
men on the other side were continually harp
ing on that word economy. They pared down
on the appropriation bills while they were ad-
yocating and urging private and public claims
which would take millions from the Treasury.
lie had taken the trouble to 20 to the calendar
and examine the bills pcndinp there at the
very time that this consular and diplomatic
bill was reported,
Mr.. HALE then referred In detail TO the
bills pending, in which the Southern people
were interested and said he failed to discover
that gentlemen on the side who demand
ed q Punching economy had said word or cast
a vote in opposition 70 these claims. 1t was
only the other day that bill wns pending for
the payment of Southern mail contracts, and
he had no doubt that his economic friend
from Mississippi would have voted for that
| bill bat for the opportune exposure made by
the researches ofindustrious gentlemen on the
Republican side of the House. He found
pending on the calendar or in committee bills
| to build Mississippi lcycc, and to refund the
cotton tax, aud he presumed that all gentle.
men on the other side who voted to pare down
appropriations would vote for all of these bills
| The gentleman from Mississippi Mr.. SIN
GLEToN) had himself offered bin to enlarge
the jurisdiction of TIE Court of Claims. The
| object was TO confer upou Il nm authority now
exercised by the Southern Claims Commits
sion. The Claims Commission had saved hun
drcds of thousands Of dollars to the country by
examining rgidly into the question of LOYALTY.
The gentleman wns aware that the Court of
Claims could not take tho question of loyalty
under consideration IN any case
Mr.. EDEN. What party was II that passed
the law organizing the Southern Claims Com
mission2
Mr.. HALE. The Republican party, o.
course
j Mr. HERBERT, desired TO know whether
1t was economy to refuse to pay Just and hon
est debts. He asserted that the object of en-
larging the Jurisdiction of the Court of Claims
was to secure payment for claims which be.
| came due prior to 1860
Mr.. HALE said the House was told, with
| reference to the bill to nav Southern mail
contractors that 1t would take only limited
amount of money; but an Investigation had
shown that 1t was not safe TO trust the bill
The hill which the gentleman Mr. SINGLETON
had introduced, to enlarge the Jurisdiction Of
the Court of Claims would open up wide
|, door for demands upon the Treasury.
Mr.. SINGLETON said IL was certainly inst
5 and right for the Government TO nav its debts
| Mr. HALE had no doubt that many of thes,
claims were lust and proper; but when gen
tlcmcn clamor so loudly for a cheese. parina
economy on appropriation bills. they should
not urge these numerous priyate claims Al
the gentlemen on the other side who cano
for economy will vote for all these bills. They
$ will do IL because their proplc make the dc
\ mand. The proplc of the south are moor. aut
they believe II but fair system Of reprisa
-. that the Treasury should make thinus good
The whole idea Of Southern politics is tina
q war. In Their secret hearts the people of tin
+, South do not want government with less ex
penditurc. They will talk economy on an an
propriation hill, and then come into Congress
q with demands for claims,
uc did not feel like string ouiotlv hero IN,
hearing this talk about economy withou
|, making m cynnsurr of its hollovness nm,
. whenever he hoard lcctnrcs IN cconomv from
the other side he would bring out these fact,
= Mr. HALE then went on tn denrrcatc TN
i system of economy recommended in appro
= priation bills, and said the result of nayin,
such small salaries was Tat none INT rial
man could "G;,rJ h" accom- fopa;,r ~" anno;n,
Il mcnts, He contr,,sted tho salaries Maid by tn
Il United States ard by France and England
and contendcd that those maid by this countr
were bcpynrIy.
d Mr. WHITTHORNE EXPRESSED SUNRISE thu
e Mr., HALE shouli connlain of the Hills "a
= claims, in view of the iact that hc belouge
10 n mar, a. which Ia al roIhoJ tI, cou,tr,, Z,
d wears. If nil the lust drbt, and claims du
'e Southern people were paid, they would nc
ID amount to a fraction of what was taken fror
tho country bv tho Credit NobilIier system
" He then went on TO arpue in favor of such n,
&c gotiations with Mexico n, wouId SECURE great,
re and better commercial relations with III,
ii country. lie also referred 10 civil-servi,
w. reform. and said he was in favor
C. that sort of reform which would n,
nj Republicans out of office and he b
nr lieycd that would be for tho best int
or csts of the country, and that the civil servi,
would be improved thereby.
NJ Mr. DUNNELL spoke of the importance
n the consular system to commerce, and though
, it should be fostered and advanced in eyel
way. lie announced himself US in favor
subsidies; he was not scared at the word, 4
he believed that commerce would be advance
ID by 1t. He referred TO the fact that by her Ii
al eral subsidy system Great Britain and Fran
." had secured nearly all Of the carrying trade
se Brazil, which properly should belong to d
tie United States.
20 Mr.. CANNON (lll.) asserted that 1t hi
been shown by u recent report of the Postma
ter-Gcneral that Great Britain did not p
m any S"nSi"E Ior carrying inc DiaHlIilah maj
hr. "ADDEhi. Sald tneIe was no iouhd
n toh Tor that statement Inc report OF I
the subject came nm properly he would sb,