New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-27
ley TELEGRAPH TO THE TRmusE.I

CRATIC.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRBUSEl
WASHINGTON, March 2G.-The Legislative, Execu-
tive and Judicial Appropriations Bill, as reported to
the House, is in some respects remarkable docu-
ment.
Beginning with the expenses OF the senate. the
Committee on Appropriations has cut down almost
every item when compared with the appropriations
of last wear, while it proposes to appropriate for
the expenses of the House of Representatives the
same amounts that were provided for the current
year. For instance the salary for the Secretary OF
| the Senate is now $4,S9G and the committee pro-
poses to reduce it to $4,000. The appropriation for
| the hire of horses and wagons in the Secretarys
Office for the present year is 81 200. while the
| amount provided in the bill for the next year is
| only 5000. The salaries of the principal
| Executive Clerk and the Minute and Journal
Clerks are now SO, 500 EACH and these the commit
tee proposes to reduce to $1,000 each. These are
only samples of the system which the committee
has adopted of reducing the salaries of all employees
of the Senate. 1t even does not propose to allow
the committees of the Senate to have as many per-
manent clerks as are employed. 1t reduces the
| number of pages in the Senate Chamber from four
teen TO ten the appropriation for hire of horses and
,nailwacons for carrying the mails from 80, 900 to
Sc. 600; the expenses of folding, from $4,000 to
SO 600 and all other expenses of the Senate III like
| proportion.
| But when the committee comes to the expenses of
the House no snch reductions are made The sala-
ries Of all the officers, clerks and messengers OF that
! body are to remain at present. Nor is this all
In one or two instances the salaries Of clerks to
be increased instead Of reduced and assistant clerks
for the Ways and Means Committee and the Commit
| tee on Appropriations also provided for. The
| theory Oh which the committee seems to have con-
L.. I,f;xy Of tha ia IN ont
down remorselessy all salaries and expenses OF the
Republican Senate, but to leave the salaries and
EXPENSES of the House as they at present or to
increase them. While the contingent expenses of
the Senate have been reduced the appropriation for
nockirq-boxes in the House is to be increased from
50 600 TO So 7lS; that for miscellaneous items from
500 600 TO $4,000; that for postage-stamps for
officers of the House from $500 10 5000; and that
for paees ON the floor Of the House from $4,000 to
$I4,7O0.
An important change is made in the organization
OF the clerical force at the White House Instead OF
the employees for the Executive office now detailed
from other departments the committee proposes 10
appropriate for special force of clerks, but the
number of them is by means sufficient TO transact
the business of the Executive Office In the several
departments the committee proposes not only TO re-
duce the number of clerks, but also their average
grade.
1t is unnecessary to 90 through each Of the de-
partments and TO show what changes the Commit
tees bin will make if adopted. few samples Will
be sufficient For instance. in the State Depart
ment the committee proposes to authorize the en-
plovment of clerks of class four instead OF IL, and
4 clerks of class three instead OF o; and to add
clerks at 81, 900, and 10 clerks instead OF ~ at
5000 each. The number Of chiefs Of bureaus Is 10