New-York tribune., 1880-01-12

fo acting agents '.hg
sor - OF udine shall b. he Oh convection to be hned
~ OOa nr mpris0ncd MOI 10 ex' ecd one year
IN. Secretary OF the Treasury Is authorized aud d.
rc,ied to make suitable regulations III c0mii.ance Win
thi, act rroyGiuc that tbc expense ior me ispoSnS G
Tho certificates aud bonds authorized 10 Ot lssueu s4f
not tx r,cd onC-Q Quar cr oi per crttuu' 49,, 81,
SFc N.-Flou ana after the passage ot TINS act me
ool bnnds receivable as secury for National bank
Cuittiou shall be the bonds hcfc II Aulhol-Lt I.
src. VI-Ihi~ act salli oe known as Tn Funding
Act Of l~-o and al ac and parts OF acts nconsist NJ
with this aIt ltfcoy lelca4so'
WORK OF TIE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
ApGrN MS roE AND AGAINST TIE PROPOSITION
10 DISTRIBUTE TIE WORK oT THE COMMITTEE.
Icy TELEGRAPH TO TIE HIBUNEl
WA,uINoToN, Jan. 11.-fhe intervention OF
"priyat. BiIl Day i'm thc House of Representa-
tiveson Friday prevented further consideration OF
the new rules until next Tuesday. The question of
The di,tr.iaiton Of the work oi the Committee ON
Appropr.sioas or sill further concentration Of 1t
IN Tie hauds Of that committee was raised last
Thursday. ard was then partly discussed. This Is a
oncsflon tl3t is of more genul interest than mat
tcrs of m,r, parliamentary practice usually are.
y The present ru'es and practice of the House all
of Tine general appropriation b.',S, except the River
end IIarhor bill, ar reported by the Committee on
Appropr,ai iipus. Il is proposed by the Commit
fee on Rale, 10 take the River and idrbor I'LL iIom
the Committee on Commerce, and send 1t also to the
Counuittc, On Appropriations. The Committee on
Commerce. OF course, oppose this transfer. and
promiuent members OF other conmittccshavc taken
tb,. occa sion 70 urge general distribution of the
npproruation bills amoug the commit ces having ln
CHARGE tie general subjects nr which grants OF
money are made For instance it !, proposed 70
have m, Amy Appropriation bin reported ty the
Comuiltce on Military Affairs, tnc Naval ApqIoPr-
ot.on bil bv the Committee Oh Naval Affairs, and
30
Tbcstlorces: argument in favor of the conccntra-
tion Of So much Of the important business of the
House in the hands of one committee IS that, not
being tire organ representative IN the House OF
any sirgl. Department. il iG less likely TO magnify
uudiIy the needs OF any one. and more likely 10
hividc among them, according to their several
necessities. tie gross sum winch Congress thinks
wise 10 ra.s. for tho support OF the Government
than half dozen committees were STRIVING 10
obtain a> much money possible for as many de
.partucrts IN other words, II j. saId that the ape
propr.aiio,s are more economically made and more
,onitahl. distributed under the present system
than unlor Gle one proposed.
OntLc ether hand. The Obj .ctons to The present
concentration 81 work In the hands of the Aprro-
pratiou- Committee are, Gret, that II IS impossible
fof tlr u..nbcrs Of turt Committee 10 tami!arze
fhem,,ivc, sufficiently with the WORKINGS aud ne
r.ssiiie. af al the Departments Of The Government
20 cpabi. ih,m 20 apporti0n wisely and c1litably
the fuui. which thcy have TO dispose Of; secondly
that II is impossible Tor a single co;u-
mittcc especially during short Session
nj Congress TO prepare the Appropriation
bills. even if tho investigations made are of
the most cursorv and superficial character, IN time
for the House OF Representative and the Senate to
act upoa them intelligonty and with due delibcra-
ton.
The rules Of the House require all the general
appropr.ation bills TO be reported within
thirty DAYS after that which the
session begins. This rule is never observed;
IL ia "a physical impossibility to observe
a. On the other hand. il generally happens that
two OF three If the most important appropriation
bills are not reported until within few days Of the
end OF the session. when the members of the House
who are not members ofthe Committee have no time
toexaminc them and when the Appropriations Com
mittcc OF the senate has to rush through them in
midnight session. Even the increase in the mem
bership of the Appropriations Committee does not
remedy this evil. Ii makes it possible to have more
subcommittee, but il leads to longer debates in the
full committee, and hardly facilitates the rapid
transaction Of business.
II the work of the Appropriations Committee
divided each committee having part of it would
have ample time during the first thirty days of each
session TO perfect its bill and report il to the House
and the measures thus prepared would be based on
an intelligent comprehension Of the necessities of
the several departments To meet the objection that
the applo raton bills would be likely to be oxtrav-
seant in their provisions under such system as this
"a rule might be adopted causing all bills
after being reported, to be referred
20 the Appropriations ColmIttee for revision, and
reauiring that Committee To report them back as
soon as possible with such amendments as It might
recommend designated by different style of type.
Then when the appropriation bills are brought be-
fore the House, there could b. intelligent debate
upon them The members of the committees in
which the bills were framed would be prepared 10
speak for the departments which they would repre-
sent. while now the only way in which a Cabinet or
bureau officer can direct the attention of the House
10 unwise provisions in the appropriation bills
reported is through some individual member, who.
having no committee behind him, has frequently
very little iDfiuence.
On the other hand the Appropriations Committee.
taking broad view Of the financial ability of the
Investigations which are necessary IN franz
ing the appropriation bills, would simply
act in a revisory capacity, as the APP
preparations Committee OF the Senate does