The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-16

/ crease of $3l 600 600 He admitted that the flg-
ures presented by the gentleman from New York
| might be correct but they were based upon the
condition of the appropriation bills at this time.
when some Of the bills had not passed the
House. some were pending in the Senate, and
| some were in conference. He thought the gen.
| tlemans figures were too high. 1t was his Mr..
| Randall'sl judgment that the appropriations
would about equal the estimates. He objected
to the supposition that the river and harbor bill
| would be approved at the highest figures so far
| as he was able to see, there was reduction In
every one of the annual appropriation bills re-
| ported to this House when sthey came from the
| appropriations committee or from any commit
| tee to which appropriation duties had been as
| signed But he was led to admonlsh the House,
| and especially the Democratic side OF the House,
| that it ought to follow closely the recommends
| tions of every one of those committees and to
keep the appropriations down to the lowest
| point The condition was not one OF apprehen-
| sion, but it was one that compelled and demand
| ed the utmost caution OF the part Of the Demo
cratic side of the House to see that not one I'M
necessary dollar was appropriated In any OF the
annual appropriation bills.
Mr.. O'Neil, of Missouri, said that there was an
honest and a dishonest side to this question OF
economy. When the House put its hands into
the pocket of All ofice-holder and took $500 to
which he was entitled, it was not honest econ
omy.
Mr.. Morrison, of Illinois, said that the est
mates of revenue and expenditure presented by
the gentleman from New York were as incorrect
as his purpose in presenting them was unjust
He Mr.. Morrison] had had occasion, some time
ago. to state that the end OF the fiscal year would
show an increased revenue and decreased ex-
penditure, and DOW, within two weeks of the end
of the year, he stated on what he knew to be the
facts, that he had rather understated than over
stated the estimate he had made i'll his report
Every appropriation bill that had gone through
the House or been reported to it, had appropriated
less than had been appropriated for the current
year. TWAS true that there came an unexpected
expenditure out of the decision OF ne supreme
court to the effect that the government must
refund duties assessed on packages and cover
ings on imported goods. But the Democratic
House was not responsible for this. The de-
cision had come a result of Republican
bungling, when they passed their tariff BILL
There was plenty of money in the Treasury to-
day to pay the $40 600, 600 for the current year,
and in future years, if the tariff bill was passed,
with Mr. Hewitt's amendment attached, the $10
000 900 would be paid into the Treasury instead
of being paid out.
Mr.. Hiscock denied that he had been mistaken
10 his estimate of expenditures and revenue.
The total estimated revenue, exclusive of the
postal revenue, would amount to only $3.50, Co.,,
600, while the expenditures, exclusive of postal
expenditures, amounted to 1884, 767. 900, leaving
deficit of over $14, 0O0, 0O0 He admitted that
the appropriations for the next fiscal year were
lower than those for the current year, but his
estimates, and the figures came from the books
of the Treasury, were based not on the appropri-
administration in its first year of service, when
it was on its good behavior.
Mr.. Morrison could not promise what the
House would do in the next six weeks but he
assumed that the men at the other end Of the
avenue would act next year as they had done
this, and would 60 on reducing expenditures.
Mr. ONeil's amendment was agreed to, as was
also an amendment offered by Mr.. FELTON,, of
California increasing to &c. 600 the salary of the
Assistant Treasurer at San Francisco
On motion of Mr.. Woodburn, of Nevada an
amendment was adopted making provision for
the mint at Carson City, New. No provision for
this mint was made in the bill, and the amend
ment makes an appropriation for the pay of
officers and employees SO as to enable the treas
ury department to resume operations there, II 1t
deems it advisable.
On motion of Mr.. Glover Of Missouri. an
amendment was agreed to making provision for
the pay Of officers and employees at the assay Of
flee at st. Louis
On motion of Mr. Symes, Of Colorado, an
amendment was agreed TO increasing the salary
of the assayer in charge OF the Denver mint from
$2. $50 to So, 800
Mr. Laird of Nebraska, moved to strike out
the clause appropriating $40 COO to pay the per
diem of inspectors and clerks OF the General
Land Office to investigate fraudulent land en-
tries. He criticised the order of Commissioner
Sparks suspendng final action on land entries;
the Commissioner impeached the testimony of
40, 900 honest claimants the say so of hire
lings who went about the country to blackmail
the titles of honest people. The Commissioner
said that, in his opinion, 80 per cent of the land
titles in Kansas, Nebraska and the Territories
were fraudulent Since when had the presumption
of law been reversed by change of administra-
ton? Since when had it been in consonance
with American policy to put in lot OF hirelings
to sit in palace-car and drink whisky and say
that 80 per cent of the men holding titles in Ne
braska and Kansas were holding fraudulent
titlesq The administration of the law could be
enforced by the people themselves, and there
forf he hva nd for tha i'm
parchment of 80 per cent. of the titles of the
West; and he hoped that the House would ad-
minister merited rebuke to the officer by strik-
ing out the paragraphs
Mr.. Perkins, Of Kansas, inquired how many
fraudulent enteries there were in the gentle
mans district
mot one out of a hundred, replied Mr.. Laird
''There are not 80 per cent. fraudulently9" in
quired Mr.. Perkins
Ninety per cent. OF the men who say 80 are
liars, replied Mr. Laird.
Mr.. Springer, Of Illinois, defended Commits
sioner Sparks in issuing the order suspending
action on certain land entries, and maintained
that the Commissioner was fully warranted In
making the order. The information upon which
the order was based was derived from the agents or
the Interior Department appointed by the previ-
Gus Secretary of the Interior Repu bllcanS had
made the reports containing the information,
and not the hirelings Of the Democratic party,
as suggested by the gentleman from Nebraska.
The fraudulent taking of the public domain was
so wide spread that there.was but one thing to
be done, and that was to suspend final action
until it could be found that the land laws had
been complied with. In making his order the
Commissioner had saved thousands of acres
from spoliation and fraudulent entry. For do
ing this he should receive the thanks OF the
American people, who desired the public lands
to be held for the homes of honest settlers.
| Mr.. Laird remarked that the report of the
| Commissioner of the Land Office proceeded on
the presumption that Mr. Sparks was the only
| honest man in the country. Yet, as soon as the
| attention of the Secretary of the Interior
called to the maladministration of the land Of
| fee, the order was promptly set aside.
| Mr.. McAdoo, of New Jersey, defended the ac-
| ton of the Commissioner.
| Mr.. Perkins suggested that while gentlemen
| living on the Atlantic coast, who had no interest
| in the matter, might defend the Commissioner,
| no one who knew anything about the subject