Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-29
MR.. ATKINS
Analyses the Appropriation Bills, and
Shows Why and for What the Money
OF the People is TO be Expended.
Heavy Responsibilities of the Radical
Senate, and OF Former Radical Con-
gresses-The Deficiencies of
Years Provided for.

WASHINGTON, June 25.-The speech OF
Mr.. Atkins, of Tennessee, the chairman of
the committee on appropriations. reviewing
the appropriations and the general legislation
of the session, will appear in the Congressional
Record tomorrow. The total appropriations
made expressly for the expenditures of the
government amount to 1888 ,673, 493 q. The
eleven regular appropriation bills, so-called,
amount to $157, 200, 1888 q. The history of
these eleven bills is as follows: The estimates
called for $176, 226, 348 81; the house COM
mittee reported in favor of total of $145,
773, lob 05. The bills as they passed the
house were increased to $147, 6S7, 739 81
The senate committee added nearly 10000
600 and the senate itself about So 900, 900
more, so that the bills as they passed the sen
ate amounted to $161. 1852, 767 Al. The total
of the bills as they became laws Was aboEs
81 500 900 more than the bills as reported
by the house committee, and ito be exact)
&c. Is, 093 SO more than the bills as passed
by the house. The entire appropriations
made at the extra session and this session of
congress amount to $l72, 900, 165 70, exclusive
OF private acts appropriatlpg money. In this
round sum Is includ ID a single item Of $14,-
594, 672 81. deficiency for 1878, 1877, 1876,
and prior years extending hack to 1870. OF
this large sum, only 50, All ,203 y legiti
mateiy accrued on account OF the insult
| 6ciency of appropriations for this fiscal
year. The balance, Sl2 O63, 469 20, properly
and really belongs to 1877 and prior years.
This congress has cleared up the old scores of
former congresses, running back for a series
of years, and which have been pushed off
from time to time, and from congress to con-
gress, from one cause and another avoiding
settlement and adjustment, and though
SIP, 908, 165 79 have been appropriated Tor
| the ensuing fiscal year and to supply defci-
encies for past years, yet the following
sums, which are extraordinary and unusual,
may be fairly deducted, to wit: Deficiencies,
$l4, 534, 672 50; Halifax award, So, 500, 900;
half of the river and harbor bill, "a, $4,000;
| pensions for the soldiers of the war of 1912,
$1,500,000; extraneous matters, 81, $50, 900;
deficiencies of the postoffices, courts, etc, in
sundry civil bill of this session, $1,000, 900.
Total, $2S, 434 672 81. To this sum should
be added $1,000, 900, which will not be paid
out of the treasury owing to the adjustment
of the railroad accounts with the government.
Deducting this sum, $28, 434, 672 So. from the
grand total we have less than $144, 000, 900.
Tried by any fair rule of computation, and
| from any standpoint of explanation and
calculation, the sum Of the net ordinary ap
preparations for the next fiscal wear amounts
to about $144, 000, 600 in round numbers. An
examination of the enormous amount Of the
deficiency appropriation of the session shows
that over S.! 90, 900 was for naval deficiencies
alone in 1876 aud previous years, 81 900, 900
being for contracts un'awfuily made, and
Sl,oOU,OOU Tor the pay or the navy, " nlcn
had been illegally diverted to ether uses by
Robson. The following are some of the
other deficiency items: To pay judgments of
the court of claims for 1877, 1871, 286; reap
preparations of money already charged to APP
preparations by other congresses, 1886, ia;
appropriations for expenditures heretofore
regarded as provided for under the head of
permanent appropriations. $685., 100; de-
| fciencies appropriated for the fiscal year 1878
that do not grow cut of the ordinary and
| necessary expenditures of the government, to
wit: Patent Office fire, salaries OF additional
employees, rent of buildings and restoration
of models-in all 100000; star service,
$500, 200; silver vault for sub-treasury, New
York, $4,000; expenses of the extra session
of congress, IN all about 800, 900; to supply
deficiencies that may occur In the revenue Of
the postoffce department, $3.50, 900. The
above figures are all those of Mr.. Atkins. 1t
will be seen that he charges halt of the river
and harbor bill over against the fiscal year of
1880, probably assuming that there will
be no river and harbor bill passed at the next
session of congress. 1t is probable that the
actual appropriations for the necessities of the
government for the next fiscal year will
amount to very nearly the same sum appro-
priated for the present fiscal year, which toots
up $153 SOS, 681 08.