The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-08-11
THE CLOSE OF CONGRESS.

The Forty seventh Congress, after
an unusually long session, has finally
adjourned, and while there has been
unwise things attempted and few
foolish acts done, yet it is entitled to
credit for many wise and praise
worthy accomplishments. 1t is easy
and somewhat fashionable to con-
denim the acts of legislative us
sembly, whether it be State or Ma
tional, and too often is this done
without analysing the labors of the
body. or comparing the great good
accomplished with the useless and
unavoidable extravaganza that to an
extent has unfortunately become con-
comitant with public as well as PRIV
ate affairs. by fair comparison, how
ever, for the purpose of discovering
resemblances or differences, it will
he admitted that the good accOmp-
lished is largely in excess of that
which is condemnable, and for the
evil it has escaped, for the genuine,
useful nature of its legislation, and
the acknowledged high character and
ability of its members, it stands the
superior of any Congress that has
assembled for years. The ground
upon which the greatest complaint
against the body is based, is the
lavish manner'in which the apprO-
priations for public purposes have
been made, but unquestionably the
objects are useful and worthy ones,
and will in every instance directly
benefit the people. The greatest ex.
cess over former years in the appro-
priation of funds was for the payment
of arrears of pensions, and who will
say this is not money well spent. es-
peclally as it is paying debt that
has long been due, and to those. or
the widows of those, to whom we
owe our freedom and independence
to-day! Long suffering and untold
misery has been occasioned the heroes
of the battle field and their families
through the hardness of Congress to
act, and now that measures have been
taken for their relief, no one will
complain, even though it reflects,
upon first sight and without due and
considerable meditation, an extrava-
CANT procedure upon the part of our
lawmakers. One item of the increase
in appropriations over last year is
$34 100000, and this is to pay pension
claims. The Democratic Congress
failed to make provisions for addi.
tional clerical service for the speedy
adjustment of pension claimants,
without which the act could not be
carried into effect, and here we find
IN excess to provide for this delicien.
cy of s ,7l2,432. There is an excess
of 81, 3O2,575 in the appropriations for
river and harbors. and there is an in.
crease of little over two millions of
dollars in the miscellaneous bill.
There is 100000 appropriated for
the relief of the sufferers by the
Spring overilows of the Mississip pi
and its tributaries. A million and a
half has been made necessary by the
extension of postal facilities in the
West. There is also IN increase of
$9l, 7S0 in the agricultural bill. The
annual appropriations of
the last fiscal year, not including the
River and IIarbOr bill, was $204 ,846,-
$50; for the current year, $241 1885,.
4S9-an excess of 1877 ,lS0.233 The
increased appropriation for the pay
ment of pensions and for the clerical
force required in the pension office,
aggregates $35, 7l2. 43O.
Mr.. IIiscock, chairman of the com
mittee on appropriations, concludes
his explanation of the increase in
by showing that the
increased postal facilities more than
covers the increase this year. 1t was
found necessary to make apprOpria.
tiOns for deficiencies to the amount
of So, 924, 1913 created by the failure
of the last Congress to make apprO.
priations for the requirements of the
government, among which were the
deficits for the compensation of post.
transportation of mail,
Indian service. army transportation,
signal service, United States courts,
public printing and pensions.
Deducting the deficiency appropria.
lions it will be found that the appro.
priatiOns for this year are 500, 900, 900
ess than for last year.
When we contemplate that the mi.