The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-09-06
ArBlg slip Of the Pen.

WASHINGTON, August 21.-A most re.
markable blunder was discovered to-day
which might possibly be made to cost the
governments twenty five millions ofdollars
Every bill which becomes q law is sent
to the State Department. Here the bill
is critically examined and the parchment
is then carefully filed away. Alta special
printing. Office maintained at the State
Department and manned by the most
careful printers the bill is set up and
printed from the official engrossed bill,
and the State department then sends the
printed act out to the officers and bureaus,
within whose jurisdiction falls the execu-
ton of it's provision. The State Depart
ment to day sent out the act appropriating
twenty-five million dollars for various
improvements of the rivers and harbors
of the country. By most remarkable
5blunder the act disposes of forty seven
millions, or twenty five millions more
than was intended. Almost on. the hrst
page of the act is this paragraph: :.
HFor improving the harbor at Back
Cove, Portland harbor, Maine, twenty five
thousand thousand dollars"
That is, through the libeality of the
State Department, Back Cove harbor gets
an appropriation Of twenty five millions.
Back Cove harbor is q little bit of harbor
back Of Portland, capable Of accommodate
ing, possibly, half a dozen fishing smacks,
and it probably went wild with joy when
it learned that the original bill actually
yave- it twenty Eve thousand dollars.
When it learns that it can lag claim to
to twenty FIVE millions ont Of the national
treasury, it will probably paint itself red.
Avery interesting situation now pre-
sents itself. If the words twenty i've
thousand thousand" occur in the original
enrolled bill then the appropriation is
positively bindings and the Back Cove
can claim twenty Eve million. The only
remedy for the Treasury to evade pay
ment Of the money will be to have
Congress pass special act to amend the
present act; striking out all after the
word MAINE and substituting twenty.
FIVE thousand dollars.." In that case
the voice of Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine. will
probably be heard In the land. He is
absent Just now, but he will be on hand
in day or two, especially when be hears
about Back Cove. During all the dis
'1cussion Of the original bill he kept up q
running fire of complaint at the insignif.
icant appropriations doled ont to Maine.
Out of sheer perversity, Mr. Boutelle will
probably make q tremendous fight against
the amendatory act. ;,
Very unfortunately for Back Cove and
its dazzling possibilities. it is only too
probable that the engrossed bill reads
atwenty.6ve thousand. In that case all
the printed copies issued to-. day will be
called in, and State Department proof.
reader will be called out. So it all
depends on the enrolled. copy, which is
tonight securely locked up in the big
vaults of the State Department. At q
late hour tonight Mr.. Secretary Bayard
has politely but frlnly declined to go
back to the State department.to to examine
the original, nor would he consent to
throw the key out of the window, 80 that
more enterprising persons might go to
the department and learn for themselves.
The hundred aud ten inhabitants of Back
Cove must, therefore, wait until ten
O'Clock to morrow morning.