National Republican., 1880-03-13
CURRENT CAPITAL TOPICS.
A Slight Stir In Either House Of
Congress.
SENATOR Keiiorx Denounces Foolish Sian.
der IN the senate-rhs Printing once
Deficiency niii In the nouse-A
Nice Question as 60 stolen
uonds-rhe New naval
Observatory site.
cangres. Yeslerday.

There was quite an animated discussion In
the senate Yesterday over the motion 10 refer
the subject Of au intcr-Occanio canal 10 q 10.
lcct committee, but the matter was finally
settled BY = reference of tho whole matter to
the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Considerable business of no rcneri imp9f-
tancc wac dpue in the morning hour, among
which va, tlc bill fIr ths projection Of the
Pot0mac hthcucs, reported 10y Mr Vance
lrom the District Commitiee aud placed on
tho cnlruisr.
The Foraacition appropriation bill was
thon taken up, considered aud passed r passed
by the scunte. The hii approprlAtes si5D,Ol0
Tor the protection preservation, repair of fpr-
tfcatiohs aud other works ofdefense; 100000
for armament of sos-cnast Qualifications, Ia
Guiding the expenses VI conversion Of smooth
bore cannon into ga a. anl the mauultcturo
of four imrf5vc1 hrccch-lnadlna tweivc.iuch
h1ci guns. aud $1,000 fr torpcdoes for hlr-
bor defense ani Zoe torpedo cspcfimeuts.
Ia tho House, soon after the reading Of tho
Journal, Mr. McMshon succeeded in having
the morning hour dispensed with aud private
bills laid ssido IN order 10 consider the hill
making appropriation fot the deficiency for
public printing aud other purposes An
amcnimcnt was reported by tho committee
appropriating 100000 for tho pay Of United
States Manhals without any qualifying re-.
strictions, thus increasing the aggregate 20
elt<DltniU. Mfs MeMhuou uaheu Whctucf
four hours debate on the bill would be
deemed sufficient Nr Congor said tho limo
would be sufficient II no political riders wcro
attempted 10 be put upon the bill. Mr.. Nc
Mahon said tho committee know Of no rider.
hut he had understood that the Printing Com.
mittcc proposed to offer an amendment rela.
tive 10 the election OF the Government
printer. without coming 10 an understand.
ing ~ to time, the House went into committee
of tho whole on the bill.
After short passage between Mr.. Mcmahon
aud General Hawlcy, IN relation to the pay of
| United States Marshals, Mr.. MGMahon passed
on TO the consideration Of the appropriation
for the Government Printing Onico. The ex.
| pcnditures, no claimed, were largely IN excess
of any year since 1875, aud that IL had beon
brought about through cxtravagant purchases
of material aud by there being NO limit " the
number Of persons employed.
Mr.. Hiscock followed In an able speech in
advocacy of tho pay OF United States Mar.
| shals, and charged that tho Democrats refused
to obey tho law for their payment, after thoy
had boon deprived of the plea that IL was un-
constitutional by the decision of the Supreme
court.
Mr. Finley followed, and renewed his attack
upon the Government Printing Oilce. lie
said that he had within u few days received u
letter from Mr.. Riycs, gentleman Of wealth
aud experience, who said ho would do all the
printing for tho Government for ninety pei
cent of tho present cost, and would publish
the Record, which now costs $4,000 por an
mum, for nothing. He would then expect Il
make $125,000 year profits. Or he would
| take tho Government printing at Its present
cost aud pay 100000 u year rent for II, aud
| then make his $l25,000. He charged that Mr.
Defrocs had purchased machines for sewing
| books from woll-tnOwn lobbyist for 81 500
each, when equally good machines by other
manufacturers could have been had for Si0l
each, and he had been told by u publisher OF
this city, that this same lobbyist had offered
TO sell him o machine like the ones sold "a
Mr.. Delrces for 800, lie quoted literally from
reports of the Printing committees of
| the Forty.fourth and + Forty-filth Congresses
to show bad management In tho Government
Printing Office, and WAS reminded by Mr.. Gar
field that neither report had ever boon adopted
| by the House, to which he replied that thi,
was owing to tho lateness in the session whOr
| they were prepared, and opposition on the Re
publican side Co their presentation on. of the
regular order. In tho course of his remark,
upon the purchase of inks, in which ho charged
oXtravagance and favorltism, ho produced {
copy of tho Revised Statutes, on which tn,
ink had dried without setting, and wcttinl
| his fingers ran them down the page, left
black streak where his fingers had passed
| This, ho said, is Il specimen of the sixty.cen
Ink.
"Wash your hands aud thero will be ne
mark" came from voice on the Republican
side, causing great laughter.
IL wash my hands Of all the fraud and cor
ruption in that Printing Oflice," retorted Mr.
Finley.
Mr.. Finley continued his remarks to tho end
of his hour, repeating in tho main his former
allegations against the administration OF Tn,
Printing Office.
AT tho conclusion Of Mr.. Finley's speech th'
committee rose aud the House adjourned
Both Houses adjourned TO Monday.