New-York tribune., 1878-05-01

p.NDAIL BADGERED ABOUT DAOn I.,,,rer
A., er,Rs Up THE REPUBLIcANs Dl n roI,r-
CHARGE, AND THEY RhPL'
,c,r. AND GENERAL NEWS -, pordo1l
IN 4Lo uou,e. Yesterday, Speaker hanu"ii
,on,orod FIAT the Republicans coH''nr- m
u1o''" 1'l ao,hined to prevent economy 10
at aiy oocusstion the Republicans repheu,
I'D twitted the Speaker III resaIu
20 Lis action about the salary-grao' An au-
,,orso ranort has been made 10 tne
conota on the resolution of Mr. BECK
which nTo10sed to stop payments to"aiu 'no
e;p1,ing Fnnd. Some of the HepuDiic"hs
~ Wosbinpton are said to be willing to nave
+ba subject of election frauds lhNeS-
,iosted. provided that the. inquiry takes
n sufficiently wide range. a call has
heen issued for $5,O00,00O 5-2Os. Fresh
hnt blse!ess rumOrs are ah0dt in regard to the
New-York Custom House.
AN (yCAUTIOUS ATTACK. by RANDALL.
go spr.E:? ACCUSES REPUBLICANS or OPPOSITION
TO rCoNoMY, AND EIICITs SHARP REToRT.
lgY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WAsnISGTON, April 3O-Ine house made very
satisfactory progress with the Legislative, EXecu-
tive and Judicial Appropriation Bill, to-day, Dut
was unable to resist the temptation to turn aside
for hour or TWO iutu pJlltSt'A NND'''N' -'N' NO
If was on the subject OF economy.
snaaker Randall, ever since the Democrats OBJ
Famed control of the House, has been an apostle
of economy In the XLIVth Congress he
vas instrumental in changing the rules OF
t,e House so as TO prevent the amend
ment OF appropriation bills except for the
rnrnose of reducing expenses and as chair
man of the Committee on Appropriations he took
the lead in attempting the reorganization OF the
tho executive departments and the reduction OF
salaries. Some of his work has turned out well !;
brt much of il has proved to be very ill-advised,
and when the deficiency appropriation bllls nave
been paSsed the saving has IN many instances en-
tirey disappeared Nevertheless, Mr.. Randall Is as
ardent to-day in favor of consolidating offices, cut
ting down salaries of clerks. increasing hours of
labor etc. as he ever has been, but like other Dem
ocrats, does not propose to reduce the salaries OF
members Of Congress, or the perqusites to which
they are now entitled
While the House was in Committee of the Whole
to-day and Speaker Randall was on the floor, he
made an attack upon the Republicans accusing
them of standing together as a body against all
plans which have for their object the saving Of
the public money.
The injustice of this accusation was so gross that
it brought to their feet Of the older members
Of Congress, who replied to Mr.. Randall most eff
fectually. One member from Indiana brought out
the Oft-prOduced speech of Mr.. Randall, made in
1873, when he submitted to the House report of
the conference committee on the salary-gTab BILL
At that time. Mr. Randall had said that he believed
his services were worth to the country $3.50 a
year. and that lie had therefore. insisted upon sus
tanning the salary-grab clauses of the bill
Mr. Randall did not attempt TO defend himself for
having made this speech. He said he honestly be-
lieved that he ought to have $500 year for his
services but that after returning home he found
that his constituents differed with him, aud ne had,
therefore, in the next Congress- voted 10 restore the
salaries of members to the old rate. lie did IT, not
because he was convinced that the rate was too
high, but because his constituents thought so.
The present Committee on Appropriations was Sc
lected by Mr.. Randall especially for the known par
simony of the most of its members Even the Re
publicans the committee, with perhaps one cxcep-
tOn, are who have usually voted for all schemes
which propose reduction of expenditures without
much regard TO the wisdom of such reductions. The
committee is LAYING the foundation for some euor-
nous deficiency bills to be passed by the present
Congress after the Fall elections over.