Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-27
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
THE CONTINGENT FUND.
,aer.. 20 step sss Rssa en- s,--csmassses to
81 Durisr Recess.

sssr. 20 step she raid en- ss--cemsnisses to
80 Darisr Recess.
wAsHrNeToN, March 26.--The
Stoy this evening says The raid Of
senators on the contingent fund, by
means Of resolutions ordering various
inquiries aud expeditions FOR the COM
ing recess, is Of no small proportions.
The question Is agitsting the Rcpubli-
can majority Of the Senate, and in
the caucus some pretty strong lam
saage has been used TO condemn
the practice OF getting through
iunketing resolutions" The num-
Der Of resolutions providing for re-
cess trips, with clerks, stcnographers,
etc, has gone beyond any previous ses-
sion. One by one these resolutions
were passed until the Senate was con-
fr0nted with the fact that il would have
to provide a very large contingent fund
10 meet the demand upon it. AS each
day brought one or more new PROPOSE
tons Of this character, some Of the Re-
publican senators began TO think seri-
ously that il was high time 10 put
stop TO the thing. Finally. when one
dozen committees had been authorized
30 inquire into something, or COM
pile something during recess, some
Of them with authority to travel,
and several additional propositions
Of similar nature were pre-
scented, some Of the senator's Of the
majority could stand it no longer. They
decided to boldly oppose such proceed
ings. and Dir. Sherman submitted his
resolution 10 rcscind authority granted
to various committees for recess work.
In the caucus some Of the senator's who
have procured the passage Of resolu-
tons for recess committee-work de-
Tended their action on the ground that
such work is necessary. The senators
who support the Sherman resolution
take the ground that they do not object
TO useful or necessary work, but that
their purpose is TO prevent waste Of
money in idle junkctings, as such waste
would bring reproach upon the ma
jori,y.
Up to the present the following com
nittees have been granted power to
meet during the recess and to employ
clerks, stenographers. and other assist
ants Agriculture and Forestry, Edu-
cation and Labor, Public Buildings and
Grounds, Mississippi River, Naval AZ
fairs, Indian Affairs, Transportation
Routes TO the SeabOard, Select Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce, Rules,
Privileges and Elections. on Steel-Pro-
ducing Works, aud the Printing Com
mittee. This is list Of twelve, but of
that number il can be stated that il is
usual for the Printing Committee to meet
during the recess of Congress to open
bids, etc., and such meetings do not en-
tail any additional cost to the Govern
ment. The Committee on Rules also
have some work on hand which it
is conceded must be done by the next
meeting Of Congress. There is to be q
new revision OF the rules. etc, and an
other edition Of the Digest is TO be
printed. Hence, that committee is to
be exempted from the operations Of the
Sherman repeal. Many Of the COM
mittees named are authorized to travel
about the country in pursuit of
information. OF this class are the
Committees on Indian Affairs. Naval AZ
airs. Transportation Routes. Interstate
Commerce, Steel-Producing Works,
and Education and Labor, while the
Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
is to make tour through the Adiron-
dacks. Besides the committees which
have already received authority to do
recess work resolutions are pending to
authorize q special committee to visit
Alaska, to empower the Committee on
Coast Defences TO visit different points
and investigate the subject Of protec-
ton of our coasts, to authorize the
Committee on Fisheries to look
into the fisheries, and to direct
the Committee on Claims to compile
and collect information. Should the
pending resolutions be adopted, thus
increasing the list of committees hav-
ing authority TO compile or investigate
and travel to fifteen mot counting the
Printing Committee). it can easily be
seen that the contingent fund would
have to be very large to cover the ex-
penses incurred. The aggregate ex-
pense of all the committees would not
probably fall below 100000, as the
trip to Alaska would necessarily be a
costly one.