The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-12-17

report there was not a word that reflected upon
humane being. He had studiously, in and out of
this hall, endeavored to discuss and argue questions
from tigher level than any individual level. He
had said with deliberation that the tendency of a
division of the work of the committee on appro
priations was to increase public expenditures
of government and believed he in possession
of facts which would subStantiate what he had
said He instanced the river and harbor bill
S9d e the bin had been
of tile appropriations committee the average
nual appropriations for internal improvement had
been 800 5000 and that since thebl had been
ded to the river and harbor committee, the annual
appropriation jumped 20 S13,591 600. This state
ment, he thought would bear him out in the asser-
ton that separation of appropriation bllls would
largely increase expenditures.
Mr.. Randall sent to the clerks desk and had read
an extract from the annual message OF PRESIDENT
Arthur TO the forty-seventh congress, recommend
ing that no appropriations be made for internal
Improvement, and informing it that
appropriations of the previou. year TO
carry on the necessary works of improvement.
Yet in the face of this message and in the face of
the further fact that no estimates had been
submitted. the forty-seventh congress had demand
ed estimates, and had actually passed bill involv-
state of facts he quite content to leave to the
house, and the country the question whether there
had not been tendency to increase expenses I'M
der the plan of distributing appropriation bills.
Mr. O'Neil, of Pennsylvania, inquired whether
his colleague had any evidence to show that Presi
dent Arthurs views, in this particular, had ever
Arthurs veto of the river and harbOr bill was
most injudicious and the most uncalled for act of
his administration, which had otherwise been
good one.
Mr. Randall replied that whether the people sus
tanned Arthurs views or not, he could point out
instances where the people had defeated candidates
for reelection to congressman who had voted
for excessive river and harbor bills.
Mr. O'NeiI declared that this not so, as far
colleagues, who had always voted for proper river
and harbor appropriation bills, had been reelected
| to the house.
MI Randall suggested that he had always voted
against river and harbor bills and had been re-
turned.
| Mr. Morrison gave notice that he would endeavor
to close the general debate tomorrow afternoon,
and then the house adjourned.
| Mr. Hammond of Georgia, argued against dis
tributmg appropriation bills In the course of his
remarks he referred incidentally, to the committee
| on ways and means, and touching on the tariff
question, declared that every attempt made by the
democratic party to raise the tariff had been follow
ed by democratic victory at the polls. MIR. Nor
SON. he exclaimed, ''was chairman of the ways
and means committee when Tilden was elected
| president and chairman of the ways and means
committee when Cleveland was elected president
| Laughter and applause. For quarter of a cen
| fury the republican party had been in power. The
democratic party had just come into power, and was
on trial. He was afraid to carry out this expert
ment, when the democratic party had been posing
for years as the party of reform, as the party of
economy.
Posing is good, suggested republican mem
ber: m
Yes, replied Mr. hammond. Il SAID posing,
and the country has been looking at our posture
and learning to admire us until it has driven you
out of power" Laughter and applause
Mr.. Singleton, of Mississippi, a former member
of the appropriation committee, favored reyis-
! ion OF the rules.
Messrs. Reagan, of Texas, and Willis, of Ken
lucky, after giving their hearty approval to the pro-
posed revision, earnestly defended the committees
of merce and rivers and harbors from the
charge of extravaganza in the matter of internal
improvement, and dwelt upon the advantages
wi had in
in the future from liberal appropriations for the
improvements of the water ways of the country.
Mr.. Scott, of Pennsylvania though favoring any
change in the rules which would expedite the bust
ness OF the house, vigorously opposed the pro-
posed distribution q, of the appropriation bills
the present rules, ninetenths of the constituencies
of the country practically disfranchised in the
| house, while two or three set themselves up, or
were set up, as the only men who could be trusted
on account of their capacity or their honest Pile
favored a distribution of appropriation bills,
and asserted that history had shown that nearly
every scandal of modern times had been found in
the belly of appropriation bill. He did not be-
lieve in this pretensOn of honesty that some gel-
temen set up He had yet to discover that the gen
tleman from Pennsylvania (Alr. Randall), and the
gentleman from Indiana CDR. Holman), had ever
objected to appropriations for their states
Quite an animated colloquy then took place be-
tween Gibson and Randall, which went outside of
the question in hand and occupied considerable
time, after which Mr.. Cannon, OF Illinois, made
a strong argument in opposition to the distribution
OF appropriation bits. the true remedy, he SAID,
for an evil which had grown in delaying the re-
porting of appropriation bills, waste let the com
mittee on appropriations make all the appropria-
lions and to take from it the power of originating
legislation
Mr. Reed of Maine, spoke in favor of the pro-
posed revision. For the last three congresses the
representatives Of the people of the United States
had been in irons They had been allowed to
transact public business except at the dctation
and by the permission of small coterie Of gentle
menwhO while they possessed individually more
wisdom than the rest of the members, they did not
possess all the wisdom of this world Qaughter).
| He believed that the safety of the
country was not in the hands of anyone
man, or any set of men, but in the general virtue
of the representatives of the people, backed and
watched by the people. His experience was that
the expenditures of the United States and the laws
of the United States were made in obedience to the
wishes of the people, What he specially congratu-
lated the house on was, it had at last secured a
unanimous voice in favor of transacting other
business than the noble and lofty business of the
committee on appropriations. Since the forty
sixth congress that was the only business which
! the house had been allowed to transact.