Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-26
Quite q Skirmish I'm the House on the
Proposition to Reduce Salaries in
Army Circles An IntimatiOn
that Such Work Should Be-
gin Elsewhere.
Sharp Words Between Representatives
Banning and Garfield, and Cropping
Out of the Hatreds Of the Re-
belliOn-The Old Schedule
Remains.

Phillips will, at the first opportunity, intro
duce In the house and ask immediate action
on bill, as substitute for the pending bill
declaring the contract between the secretar
of the treasury and the syndicate for the sal
of four and-a-half per cent bonds of tn
United States to be contrary to the Lawful
text of the measure. 1t is as follows
Be it enacted. etc., That all sales OF bond
OF the United States, except for the purpos
of refunding the Debt. as now provided 70
by law, is hereby prohibited; and for the pur
pose of refunding the debt at lower rate O
interest public subscription books shall b
kept open at the treasury of the Unitet
States and the sub-treasuries thereof; ant
should it be necessary for the secretary of tn
treasury to effect any sale or sales of bond
authorized to be sold by law he shall only d.
so on the sale or contract made to the loves
| bidder or bidders, due notice thereof beinl
gwen by publication.
The treasury now holds $348, 1894, $50 ii
United States bonds to secure the national
bank circulation, and $13, 1868, 900 to secure
public deposits United States bonds depos
tied for circulation for the week ending to.
| day, 81 100000; United States bonds for cir.
! culation withdrawn for the week ending to-
day, $645, 500 national bank circulation, out
standing currency notes, $685., 683, 112; gold
notes, 81, 432, 100; internal revenue, $685..
| 64S; customs, $275, 249; receipts of national
bank notes for the week ending to-day, COM
pared with the corresponding period last
year-l677, Sc, 717,0 900; 1873, $5,877, 900; re-
celpts to day, 1927 900.
Outstanding circulation OF legal-tender
notes and fractional currency this day: Uni
| ted States notes, new issue, 1851, 147;
| United States notes, series 1859, $50, 124,
082; series 1874, $50, 047 ,5o2; series 1875,
$135, 877, 905; series 1873, $206, 200; total,
| S346, 68l ,0l6; fractional currency, SIG, 732,
| $50; grand total, 1868, 413, ia.
Snh TO no to
| day, 1856, $50
During the discussion of the army appro-
prlation bill in the house, to-day, the section
! having been read which tixes the paw of army
officers, Mr.. Hewitt move to amend il, max
ing the pay of storekeeHer $3.50, by except
ing the storekeeper at the armory at Spring
fed, Massachusetts, who IS to receive the pay
ard allowances Of major. Agreed to.
Mr.. Reagan moved to amend the section
by reducing the pay fixed in the hill as fol-
lows: General OF the army, from Sl3, 500
to $4,000; acknowledgement from $11 900
to 5000; Encouragement from 1880 to $4,000;
brigadier-general from $500 to $500; colo
from $4,000 to $2700; major from $500 to
$2400. He con1rasted the pay OF the civil
officials In this country, and the officers of
foreign armies with that of American officers
to show the disprOportlonate pay of the lat
ter. He denied that he was prompted by any
d
Mr.. NJ Cook suggested that the members
of congress should reduce their own pay be-
fore attacking the pay or officers of the army.
Mr.. Reagans reply was to the effect that
the members of congress, having such high
and important duties to perform, and their
votes and acts touching the most vital inter-
ests of the country, were not too highly paid.
Mr.. Foster lntlmated that Foster, q Rea-
gan, a Finley and Springer were hardly
entitled to as much pay as a brigadier-gen
eral.
Mr.. Banning-They do not get it.
Mr.. Foster remarked that no one denied
that the pay OF the general and lieutenant
general was high, but it had been so fixed as a
reward for the distinguished services of those
officers In putting down rebellion, and he
was sorry that gentleman who had been
connected with the Confederate government
should have moved to reduce the pay of these
two officers especially.
Mr.. Banning said that the Confederacy
knew the need of economy.
Mr.. Garfeld-Do you speak for it?
Mr.. Banning-Yes, speak for it, in that
respect, and for your government, too.
Mr.. M Cocktail it ours.
Mr.. Foster-The people will consider this
reduction of pay as all can't unless you take
hold of your own salaries and reduce them.
Mr.. Harrison-The gentleman is less par
Gcular as to the salary of members since the
redistricting of OHIO. [Laughter.]
Mr.. Reagan replied to Mr.. Fosters intima-
ton about the Confederacy, and claimed that
all members were on the same footing, and
had the same rights and duties.
Mr.. Bragg moved to amend by fixing the
pay of general at twelve thousand dollars; of
the lieutenant general at eight thousand dol
lars; of the major-general at six thousand
dollars; of the brlgadier-general at five
thousand dollars, etc.
Mr.. Reagan accepted the amendant as a
enhcfIfnfn
Mr.. Williams Mich. argued against any
reduction below the sums fixed in the bill.
Mr.. Banning read from the testimony of
General Sherman in 1876 to the effect that
whenever greenback and gold dollar were
on an equality, the pay of army officers might
DO reduced fifteen or twenty per cent.
1--WE have, continued Mr.. Banning, made |
the greenback equal to gold dollar
''Oh, no, said Mr.. Foster" we have"
Laughter.
''He did not mean it. said Mr.. Garfield in |
an undertone to Mr.. Foster, abiding to some |
remark of Mr.. Banning's.
He did not mean it, said Mr.. Banning,
catching at the remark and applying it diff |
ferently, ''the gentleman will not be guilty |
of saying that the distinguished officer said |
anything which he did not mean.''
Mr. Garfield merely said you did not |
mean anything by your insolence.
Mr. Banning-You mean your impudence; |
my insoiehce II HoI equal 10 tnaC. laugh |
ter. These salaries are too large; they are |
out of all proportion; they were established |
when currency was thirty, forty or fifty per |
cent. below par, and the gentleman who |
shook the bloody-shirt in the face of the |
member, because he has served in the Con-
tederacy, resorts to an unworthy argument. |
The country is tired of it. What the people |
want is a reduction of the expenditures.
Mr.. Foster repeated that the people would |
not approve of this cutting down of the pay
OF the army officers, unless the Democrats |
would cut down their own salaries.
MIR. Tucker-Did not this house pass bill |
last year reducing our salaries?
MIR. Foster-Yes, but you yielded to the
smallest amount of force imaginable. When
the senate refused to concur, you could not
get enough to order the yeas and nays on
the proposition. My friend, Mr.. Morrison,
DID not raise point OF order to them. Even
Mr. Cox did not rise. Laughter 1t was
the most beautiful piece Of farce ever seen
In this country.
Mr.. Hewitt my. said that when the gen.
tieman on the other side sought to check
economy By throwing dart into the face of
any member who felt constrained to offer an
amendment In that direction, he committed
an offense against good manners and cour-
tesy which 1t was very hard to palliate.
Mr.. NJ Cook argued against a reduction of |
the pay OF the general, lieutenant general, or
of Major-General Hancock.
Mr.. Finley asked Mr.. M Cook whether he
thought the services of the general of the
army were worth twice as much as his own
[ NJ Cooks
Mr.. M'Cook-Unquestiona
Mr.. FINLEY only wanted to know how
you rated yours.
Discussion having closed, the committee
voted on Mr.. Bragg's amendment as ac-
cepted by Mr.. Reagan.
The vote on the reduction of the salary of
general to twelve thousand dollars was 60
for to "a against. All the other clauses in
the amendment were also rejected and the
pay of officers stands as fixed in the bill
named.
After the consideration of other amend
ments the house adjourned to Monday.