Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-12-08
RULES OF The HOUSE.

= W III ttOOoE
Congressman Randall Gives His
Views Upon Proposed Changes.
Washington, Dec. 5-Mr. Randall to-
day gave to a reporter of the associated
press his views respecting the PROPOSE
ton to change the rules of the house SO
as to take from the committee on APP
preparations jurisdiction over some ap.
preparation bills. "The democratic par
ty came into control of the federal gov
eminent" be said, ION a distinct under
Standing that it would adhere to an eco
nomlcai administration. This cannot
be overlooked or evaded If it expects to
remain in power. In all governments
the preparation of suitable bills to meet
expenses has been contided to one or
ganlzatlop. Nothing can be certainly
done until, by careful and comprehen-
siye scrutiny, the amount of necessary
expenditures has been determined upon.
Taxation depends upon the amount of
expenditures, aud an increase of expend-
!tnres means an increase of taxation,
The appropriation estimates made by
the heads OF departments have peer sub
lected to question and examination,
item by item. The treasury has been
protected by every safeguard which.
could be devised. 1t is now proposed
that nearly all these safeguards shall be
broken down and the treasury thrown
ppen. increased appropriations, judg-
nag from experience, will inevitably fol-
low, as each OF the many committees to
be authorized by this change to consid-
er appropriations, and into which the
appropriation committee as now const;-
tuted is to be divided, will naturally en-
nance Its own Importance. Instead of
one committee having charge of expend-
lures and checking unnecessary appro-
priations, there will be many acting ill.,
dependently OF each other, and
nobody will know the aggregate
Of tho annual appropriations until it is
too late to avoid the disaster of q def
Gent treasury which may at any time in
the near future be precipitated on the
people. The proposition is too plain to
need argument, and there is not a bust
ness man In the country who will not
appreciate the correctness and force of
this statement. The surplus revenue we
now have will not continue forever, and
the habits of ~extravagant appropriations
cannot oe changed at once. The apri-
cultural and river and harbor bills were
taken from the control of the committee
on appropriations, and here is the evil
dence of failure of the venture. 1t is
known that expenditures under the first
have been w~astefully made, and it is no.
torious that much of the money appro-
priated in the latter might as well have
been thrown away. The appropriations
for the agricultural department 1877 to
1880 inclusive, when they were under the
control of the committee on appropria-
tions averaged $l9O.647. Per annum
from 1881 to 1886 the agricultural APP.
preparation bills being under control of
the committee on agriculture, the
appropriations averaged $439,616 per
annum The appropriations for rivers
and harbors from 1876 to 1880, when
this subject was controlled by the COM
mlttee on appropriations, averaged ST.
2S0,92S per annum From 1881 to 1895
inclusive, during which the committee
on.commerce ant river and harbors
have had the subject in hand, the annu- I
al appropriations have averaged 3d.
990,248. If this enormous increase of
expenditure paralyzes the first expert
ment of withdrawal of these two sub
jects from the protecting safeguards
heretofore enforced under the existing 1
rules, and generally since the founda- |
ton of the government, who can ~foretell
the devastation OF the public finances. |
When the treasury doors are thrown |
wide open to the unrestricted and unre-
strained Vaccinations and combinations
of every character, such combination |
might ever enter congress, and the gen
eral government would then become q
hot-bed to start into existence every
dangerous policy.
The same reasoning that would take
from the committee On appropriations
some of the regular appropriation bills, |
would likewise devolve the functions of
an appropriation committee of the
house, as, for instance, the
reasons that would turn the
naval bill over to the COM
mittee on naval affairs, would just as
logically send the estimates for building
to the committee ON public buildings
and grounds; for surveying and other
expenses of the public domain to the
on public lands; for the ex-
penses of the United States courts to
committee on Judiciary; for public
krating to the committee on printing!;
III lighthouse establishment, revenue
service and life-saving service to
committee on public services; for
mint and assay offices to the committee
IN coinage, weights and measures; for
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