The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-05-11
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
May t, 1882.

May i, 1882.
There has never been more pnap.
imous raid, 50 to speak, in the direc
tiou Of appropriations for public build
Jugs than is, being made this session.
Bills for the erection Of eigh, Of these
structures were passed under a sus-
pension of the rules on Monday last.
The amount appropriated BY these
bills is about million and half rep
reseuting, according 10 the scale
usually applicable tc such cases, an
ultimate expenditure of soue six mil.
lions of dollars. And these are but
eight out of the hundred and twenty
or Whereabouts which await recogoi-
tion. One or two feeble protests
were made against the summary
method in which these bills are put
through, but as nearly every neluber
of the House has, or expects to have,
bill for a public building in his
pocket, the desire to oblige those who
were fortunate enough to be recug'
nized By the Speaker rose superior to
all considerations Of party or OF public
duty. Mr.. Holman was about the
onl1 rre,uher who stood boldly up in
opposition to all Of the appropriations,
and he said it was not so much
against the bills themselves as against
the lug-rolling method of putting
them through. lie thought there
ought to be soue demaud for the
buildings indorsed by committee and
by the Secretary of the Treasury.
The buildings voted are one IN De
trois, 100000 one in Denver, $500
900 one in jackson, Tenn, 100000
obe iu Council Bluff: 100000 ; one
10 Peoria, H., 100000; and others
in Lyuchburg, Va, Galveston, Texas,
and Greensboro, n. c.. the first cost
ing 100000 aud the other two s5O,-
900 each. The point OF the thing IS
that there is very little use for Gov,
ernment buildings in most of these
places.
It is to be hoped that the bill
agreed upon by the House Judiciary
Committee to iz the salary of the
Supreme Court reporter and hereafter
issue the volumes of reports by public
authority, will become law. The
present arrangement is striking Illus
tration of what snug nests come to
cling around the caves of the temple
of Justice and have to be knocked
down by the broom of legislation. For
many years the reporter for the Su.
preme Court has enjoyed what in
Street parlapce would be called pret.
sy soft snap Under the present
arrangement he is paid salary of
$4,000 per aunum aud he is allowed
iu addition to make his own contracts
with the publishers Of the volumes,
who enjoy a complete monopoly 10
the reports so indispensable to the pro.
fession and so important to the peo-
rle. As a result, S. and S6 per vol
nme is extorted for books that could
be sold at a profit for $3.50 and 81.
The sales Of these reports are very
large, aud it will be seen that the
profits to be divided between pub
Usher and reporter are simply enor-
nous. It is estimated ta;.t reporter
probably pockets $50, 900 per annum
as his share. This, it must be con-
fessed, is tolerably comfortable pay
for work that would be gladly done
BY any number of competent men for
$4,000 or less. Last year, under 4
scare of threatened Legislation, such as
is now proposed, the price of the vol
umcs was hastily put down to So,
and the beneGciaries of the present
system could easily have afforded a
further reduction. The attorney for
the publishers, whcu before the Ju
dietary Committee recently, refused
to give any information as to- the
number of volumes sold or the amount
of royalty allowed the reporter. 1t is
time for reform iu this matter.
Several Of the States ore already ahead
Of the General Government IL respect
to it, their court reporters being sal
aried and the reports belonging to the
State to BE- issued at moderate price
above cost ior ;he general good. But
courts themselves are usually unable
or unwilling 10 iutroducc auy reforms
Of this kind, judges bcius apparently
governed by a strong fellow feeling of
kindness for all their appoiutees and
dependents. Mr.. Otto and his pub
fishers will continue 10 pocket their
snug little fortunes every Year, at the
expense Of the legal fraternity and
the public, unless Congress politely
relieves them OF the responsibility.
This session CT Congress so far has
been remarkable fer its freedom from
exciting political discussions. 1t has
really been a period Of peace, so to
speak. A leading Senator remarked
to-day in conversation that there had
scarcely been ripple of political an
tagooism stirred up on the floor Of the
Senate, and ascribed this result to the