The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-11-26
FROM THE FEDERAL CAPITAL.
CONFIDENCE AND FEARs-THE INDIAN BU-
REAu-HoUsE COMMITTEE ON APPRoPRIA-
TIoNs-RETRENCHMENT DEMANDED-THE
HALIFAX AWARD, ETC. N

REAU-HOUsE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIA-
TIoNs-RETRENCHMENT DEMANDED-THE
HALIFAX AWARD, ETC.
WASHINGTON, November 90, 1878.
Thanksgiving Day keeps some of our
congressman at home, but an unusual num-
Der have either arrived or written that they
will be here at the opening of the session.
1t is probable more members will be on
hand then than On any similar occasion in
late years. While there is general dispo-
sition apparent to do nothing to disturb
public confidence as necessary to the sue
cess of resumption, there is also belief
that some reckless man like Butler, some
man full of an opinion of his own great
ness, like Hale, or some mistaken but we'll
meaning enthusiast, may do something, or
attempt to do something which will disquiet
the wholecountry. They should keep quiet
until after resumption is an assured success.
Very soon after January lst we may hope
that Messrs. Hale, Townsend, Conger, etc,
may turn the house into bear garden with
out injury to the country
One Of the questions which is of real
Importance and which will be dicussed by
the ablest men Of both houses, is that
Of transferring the Indian Bureau 10 the
War Department. 1t will be urged on many
grounds, and among them its economy, the
better care that, it is claimed, will be taken
OF the Indians and the necessity for reduc-
ing the amount Of labor, and responsibility
imposed upon the secretary of the interior.
This last point has not been urged, | am
convinced, so much as it should have been.
The department is really an cxaggeration of
departments. The operations of some of
It's bureaus involve more responsibility than
those of some of the recognized depart
ments. The consequence is that the super
vision OF the secretary, so necessary to pre-
vent Irregularities, amounts to nothing-is
q mere form. Hence the interior depart
ment has become nest OF fraud, and its af.
fairs have been managed BY outside rings"
to the disgrace and loss Of the country.
The house committee on appropriations
had a quorum at It's meeting yesterday.
Estimates, except for the post Office, interior
and war departments, are somewhat lower
than last year, and, indeed, less than the re-
duccd sums voted by congress. There will
be, however, reductions from these estimates
though It becomes more and more evident
that both houses Of congress must be in
democratic hands before such radica! re-
forms in the departments as are Necessary
IN getting the government expenses down
to actual government needs, can be carried
out. For instance there are in the treas
ury department bureaus which were useful
or convenient during the war, but which |
are now simply ornamental. In other bu- |
rcaus, perhaps still useful. are divisions" !
sections etc which have scarcely any.
thing to do, and which are made up Of
high sa!aricl clerks who 60 through the
forms OF labor but are Of no more adyan-
tage to the government than to the Esqui-
mauX. 50 in the other departments. The
secretaries estimate for these cycgescen-
,es, and congress has so far yo.
led the money for them. But really we
night as well keep up the army Of mill.
on OF men, as in 1865, as keep up this cy-
ayagant force Of civilians, Any attempt
o make change, however small, meets OBJ
position first from the Secretary and then
rom Republican senate, This Is the his.
DRY Of the last four or five years.
There is doubt Of the justice and even
If the exact finding by which we are mad,
o pay $j,jCO,OOO to Great Britain on ac-
cunt OF the Dominion fisheries, but all will
DC glad that the money is paid and the
tipulations thus entirely carried out in our
'art, 1t will be the duty of the Admins
ration and Of Congress to see that no such
xtravasant obligations are again incurred