Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-17
RIDERS ON APPROPRIATlONB BILLS.
Views OF Representative Forwey.

Views OF Representative Forney.
HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH LEGIsLArIvE
MATTERS.
Representative Forney says the trouble with
the appropriations committee Is all on account
of the legislation. Their time has been occu-
pied by arguments in favor OF this and that
thing to take passage through the House on the
appropriation bills. The proper function OF the
appropriations committee, he says, is simply to
decide upon the amount OF money 10 be sppro-
priated to certain expenses authorized by law.
Ii Is the duty OF the other committees TO look
after matters OF legislation. II is, he says, i'm
possible for the appropriations committee TO
look into the merits OF all matters of legislation
before making appropriations, and they ought
not to undertake It. When other committees
have recommended legislation, and the House
mas passed it. II is the place OF the appropris-
necessary TO carry out the law. Ii may not al
ways be best TO expend all the money asked
economy to appropriate only what is needed
Tor immediate use. This Is q question for the
appropriations committee to decide. 1t is not
Within the province OF that committee TO de-
eide what shall be done in the way OF building
up coast defenses, reconstructing the navy or
extending the postal system. 1t is the duty OF
the military, the naval and the post Office COM
mittees to do this. The importance OF these
committees will not be increased. he thinks. by
be merely to burden them with routine matters
that will take their attention from their proper
oughly investigate the question OF building up
the navy and should agree upon some plan and
get 1t through the House. Then IL would be the
duly ofthe appropriations committee TO appro-
pirate the money required by law, and they
would have nothing TO do with the details. IL
is absurd, he thinks, for the appropriations COM
mittee to consider and decide how many knots
an hour a vessel shall make and its style and
all the other details OF naval architecture about
which they know nothing. The naval affairs
committee should attend to all these matters,
and the appropriations committee should at
tend TO merely the rfunctory duty OF provid-
Ing the means To carry out the wishes OF the
House. The same way with the Notifications
Dill and all other such matters.
BY WAY OF ILLUSTRATION.
An instance of the absurdity of the appropri-
atoms committees handling matters Of legisla-
ton was given during the last Congress. when
they were asked to consolidate the scientific
bureaus OF the government. They held sessions
late at night, and had learned men with specta-
cies and foreign accents before them. The walls
OF the committee rooms were covered with
charts. This man and that would get up and
explain everything in language learned but
committee would ask, well what's that got to
do with the question: And another scientific
gentleman would get up and declare that II had
nothing to do with il. Then the committee
would be bewildered. The natural thing would
have been for them to recommend the plan as
presented, as long they knew nothing about
IL. But they decided this WAS hardly the proper
thing to do, SO they struck the clause out alto
gether, and the matter was referred to a special
committee. This special committee has been
for eighteen months vainly trying to compre-
bend the question. This only shows that it is
not the place OF the appropriations Committee
to consider such matters of detail. Other COM
mittees are appointed for that work, and they
snould do 1t.
THE ANNUAL COUNT OF STAMPS In the in
ternal revenue bureau will be commenced on
the 26th inst, and 1t is hoped that il will be
completed by the end of the month. A COM
mittee, consisting of a representative from the
Secretary's Office, the ft.n auditors Office and
the first controllers ofiicc will be appointed To
superintend the examination. Thirty expert
counters, in addition 10 those furnished by the
ii.terhdl revenue bureau, Will be detailed for
the work; and the services OF q half dozen
laborers will also be needed.
CONVICTED OF ATTEMPT To BRIBE GOVERN
MENT OFFICER.-Dr. Oscar X. Guyer of Henry
county, Ind, has been convicted Of at attempt
to bride special examiner u the pension bu-
reau, and sentenced To thirty days in Jail and
to pay fine OF $3.50 and cost of prosecution.
CHRISTMAS MONEY FOR TREASURY EN-.
PLoYEs.-Employes OF the Treasury, who SO
desire will be paid of on the oath inst. I'm the
amounts due them at that date. The regular
payment of salaries will be made at the last OF
the month and those who drew their salaries
on the oath may then receive the amount due
for the remaining days Of the month.
SdOLEltA IN JAFANs-kue hOSp1tal
bureau has received information that cholera
is still prevalent in Hiogo, Japan. The latest
reports show that the death rate was nearly 20
per week.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS To-DAY.-Internal
revenue, 1897 ,sO6 customs, $500, 1ss.
Scheme to Rob the Vanderbilt Tomb.
From the New York Tribune. Dec. l6
Policeman Nugent, of the Mercer street sta
ton, yesterday arrested Philip Mccarthy, aged
twenty, and Charles Smith, aged eighteen, both
of whom live at No. So east 4th street, on O
charge of theft. In their rooms were found
papers and memoranda referring to a scheme
TO rob the Vanderbilt tomb at New Dorp. JUS
tice Smith i'm the Jefferson Market police court,
remanded the prisoners.
There were few visitors at the tomb yester-
day and they were residents of Staten Island
No members of the Vanderbilt family have
been there since the burial.
The protocol terminating the Caroline islands
question will be signed by the representatives
OF Germany and Spain at Rome to-day.
Judge Truax, I'm The superior court i'm New
York, "Wednesday, denied Mrs. Alice Winan's
motion for leave la discontinue her suit, which
is now pending before a referee for "A divorce
from Ross Winans, whom sne claims as her