Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-04-27
The Cost, ss5, 900 for Doctor Bills.

\ h0 SOoIg COSsSSS AL 1oOAOA SAAAos
The majority of the committee ap.
pointed to audit the expenses attend.
ing the illness, death and burial of the
late President, have made g report
claiming that Congress may Justly and
legally assume all the bills they have
passed upon and allowed, as allowances
to the family of the deceased President
to cover extraordinary outlay occasion.
ed by public misfortune. After COM
plimenting a number of army and naval
officers who we're attentive to the com.
fort of the President during his illness.
the committee presented a bill and
urge its passage appropriating the sum
of $4,000 to Lucreta r. Garfield, less
any sum paid to the late President on
account OF his salary as President of
the United States to DR.. Bliss, S2j 600;
TO Drs. Agnew and Hamilton, each $l5,.
600; to DR.. Reyburn, $4,000; to DR..
Boynton, $4,000; to DR.. Susan Edison,
$4,000; to VIM. J. Crump. $1,000; to
the Secretary OF the Navy, $40 $50; to
VIM. X. Spear (undertaker), $l,S35; to
C. T. Jones, of Elberen, $l,OS2, and to
various merchants and other sums
ranging from fifty cents to 81 900. The
bill also provides for the promotion and
retirement OF Surgeon General Barnes
medical corps Of the army, and pro-
notes Joseph |. Woodward to that
position. This provision Of the bill is
so manifestly irregular and novel, as to
give q ludioious appearance to the re.
port. Ii is noticeable also that the
Congressional funeral excursion to the
tune Of IS 900 in which huacA, chisky
cocktails. champagne, etgarS and giores fig.
ured largely is not provided for in these
expenditures. They were already paid
on a special bill, and therefore not
needed on this general bill submitted
by the committee. The excursion was
an outrage upon decency aud the com.
mittee has done the best they could TO
conceal the indecency from the public
eye. A minority Of the committee re.
fused to concur, and give their reasons
as follows:
The undersigned members of the
special committee authorized to audit
certain expenses growing out OF the
sickness and burial of the late Presi
dent Garfield, respectfully dissent from
the report OF the majority OF the com
mittee for the following reasons We
do not object To the payment by the
general government of the funeral ex-
penses of the late president. who was
stricken down in the performance of
his duties and because OF his occupying
n public station. Our objection to the
report of the committee grows out of
the recommendation for payment for
the services of the physicians and sur
geons who attended the late president
during his illness. The amounts re-
commended by the majority of the
committee are as follows: To DR.. d.
w. Bliss. $25 600; TO Drs. Agnew and
Hamilton, $4,000 eaeh to Drs. RPy.
burn and Boynton. $40 600, and to Mrs.
DIR. Edison. $4,000, making total for
professional services Of Ss5 900. In ad.
dition to this the committee recon.
mended the promotion of Drs. Barnes
and Woodward with increased pay in
accordance with their promoted rank.
There was no evidences before the com.
mittee, ex paFte or otherwise, tending
TO establish the character of the services
rendered or the value Of such services.
The undersigned were perfectly willing
to concede that liberal compensation
should be allowed TO the physicians and
surgeons, . compensation in excess even
OF what it was possible for any OF the
medical attendants 70 have earned in
ordinary practice during the time. But
the sums recommended to be paid by
the majority of the committee are
deemed b. the undersigned TO be ex.
cessivs and out Of proportion 70 the
services. No witnesses we're called, no
evidence by affidavit or otherwise sub.
mitted upon which the committee
could base its findings. The conclusion
reached By the majority OF the commit
tee was therefore based upon such in.
formation IS had been derived from
reading the newspapers, and does not
differ IN the least from that every gen.
tleman possesses who pays any atten.
tion TO the news Of the day. The un-