New-York tribune., 1879-03-04
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS.

GafDelu VIII Dc tHc lCAV r'O"NNi'
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS.
ALL OF THEM DISPOSED OF SUBSTANTIALLY, Or
LIKELY To BE so, EXCEPT TwO-POLITICA AL QUEs-
TIoNs NOW THE CAUSE OF TROUBLE
lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNEA
W.suINGToN, March al A. M.-Thiee Of the
Appropriation bills which have been in charge OF
Conference Committees. but II winch there was no
legislation of political character, were reported to
the House before the recess to-day by the House
cOnferecs, and passed.
The Fertilization bill passed the House early in
fhe session, and was amended IN two particulars by
tbe Senate In conference the Senate receded from
hoth the amendments each of which was to increase
the amount appropriated by the House.
The Surdry Civil Appropriation bill, rs agreed
nm lv the Conference Committee, warranted tile
expenditure of about S18,5O0,000, an amount.
Chairman Atkins says, considerably less than that
appropriated by the same bill in several years.
Among the amendments by the Senate. which were
agreed to by the Conference Committee, were the
following appropriations For the Chicago Custom
House. 900; New-lOrk Post Othce, S42'OOo;
City of Baltimore. reimbursement of money adj
vanced to complete defences Of that city during the
war. S96, 600; TO pay amount due land-crant
railroads for transportation, $300.000 building
for National Museum. $25O,000 to complete the
Office work of the Hayden-ROwell and Wheeler
surveys, $4,000 each.
The proposition of the House relative to the clos
ingup of the scientific surveys was agreed to sub
stantially as it passed the House The apprOpria-
tion of about 81 500 600 to pay the interest on the
funded debt of the District of Columbia and 70 pro-
vide n sinking fund for the payment of the
same. gave rise TO considerable debate in the House.
Mr. Blackburn, chairman of the District Committee,
WAS prominent in the attack on this part of the
nd Ntas lDf ~
Uendee, of the same committee, and Abram ;.
Hewitt The House agreed 10 the report by vote
of 14s 10 1O7.
The River and HarbOr bill, which was sent to
n conference committee this morning. was
adopted this afternoon by the House on
conference report which did not materially
change the bill as amended by the Sen
ate The total amount appropriated by the bill was
not known by the Conference Committee whom 1t
reported but is said to be between seven and eight
millions The House was anxious 10 pass this
bill that those who were opposed TO 1t barely sue
ceeded in getting q roll call, on which there were
only sxty-twO votes recorded against IT,
A good deal Of progress Fas since been made with
the appropriation bills, and all Of them are now in
fair way 10 become laws by noon Tomorrow except
the Army and the Legislative bills. Ofthcse the first
would probably be easily disposed of were It not
for the opposition of private Interests, which,
combined with public ones stand in the
way of any compromise upon it, There has
been constant talk. however, Of compromise
Of the political questions to-day. The Democrats
are SAID to be willing TO give M their
attempt to reOrganize the army, and TO substitute
forit provision that no more promotions shall
take place until a reorganization bill has been
passed by a future Congress. The Republicans, on
the other hand will reluctantly yield their
opposition 10 the section which Mr.. A. 5.
Hewitt values above all others that which prevents
the use of troops TO Que election riots. The chief
obstacle TO an agreement seems to be The oppo-
son of the Western Union Telegraph Company
TO the clause of the bill in regard to rail
way tecgraphs. That provision has been
agreed to by both Houses by such maI0rtics that
no conference committee would dare TO strike it
out or, doing SO, would expect to have Its report
adopted. The only way to defeat tins telegraph
section, therefore, is to beat the whole bill; and 1t
generally asserted about the Capitol tonight that
the agents of the Western Union Company are
labOring to that end.
There are no signs Of a possible compromise on the
political questions contained in the Legislative
bill. There has been scramble to-day, III conse-
quence to Get legislation, non-pOhtical in
its character, taken off from thar measure
and put upon others that will be passed
Thus the sections providing for reorganiza-
ton Of the Western surveys, which formed
part of the Legislative bill have been
somewhat modified and transferred to the
Deficiency bill, which has now been
completed These sections as they now stand, and
as they will stand in the law, will consolidate all
the surveys except the Coast Survey, Whch
retains its present organization and NH place them
under the Interior Department with an executive
head. TO I've appointed by the President The present
system Of surveying the public lands for settlement
is not changed The leading features OF the SundIy
Civil bill have been explained elsewhere.
The Post Office Appropriation bill has been
agreed TO, and the following are ITS most Important
features: The appropriation FOR fast mail
service is reduced from S1OO,oOO 10 SI1O-
O00 The Brazilian mail contract Is stricken
ont; and the change IN the method OF determining
The compensation for railroads, from nndlng the
weight of the mails TO asccrtalnlDg the space
occupied, is also defeated. Those sectors sIV-
ing To the POstmast er-Gcncral the right 10 say on
what trains the mails shall be run and how the postal
cars shall be manufactured are retained Ihe House
fecedes from its objection to the new classification
OF mail matter with the exception OF one feature lhc
REGISTRATION Of newspapersis stricken out eAccras to
It's machinery, but the clause making 1T a penalty
IOr publishers of newspapers to submit false eVl-
uence to the department as 10 the character OF
their publications Is left, which virtually
gives the department the right TO adopt
registration matter Of administration.
calnple copies of newspapers and periodicals. are al
lowed to go through the mails al pound rates. The
tostmaster-GeueIal to put INTO public use double