The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-10

The House Gets Down to Business at Last
Democratic Economy" Under Fire.

The House Gets Down to Business at Last
Democratic ECONOMY" Under Fire.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-The House to-day
entered actively upon the legislative work
of the session. and in the brief space of five
acted than in any previous day of the Con-
gress The Presidents message. with its
various suggestions and recommendations
for legislation. was referred to the various
appropriate committees. without even a
single contest over the questions Of juris-
diction. and material progress was made IN
the consideration OF the Military Academy
appropriation bill.
After the approval of the journal and
the reference of several unimportant ex-
ecutive communication Mr.. MoMillln,
from the committee on rules, reported back
the Mutchler resolution directing the COM
mittee on banking and currency to make
an inquiry ms to the failure of the Key
stone and Spring Garden Banks of Phi ila-
delphia. Mr.. ONeil of Massachusetts, Of
fered an amendment extending the inquiry
SO as to include the failure of tho Maverick
Bank of Boston. Agreed to.
Mr. Dockerey of Missouri offered q reso-
luton directing the judiciary committee to
inquire into the right of the Secretary of the
Treasury to employ the 500 ,O00, 600 gold re-
serve IOT current expenditures. Re1erreQ.
Mr.. Powers of Vermont called up and the
House passed the bill introduced by Mr..
Hatch of Missouri, placing the Secretary
of Agriculture In the line of presidential
succession after the Secretary of the In
terror.
The House then resolved itself into com.
mittee of the whole on the Military Acad-
envy appropriation bill. Mr.. Wheeler of
Alabama. In charge of the bill. briefly ex-
planned it's provisions, bearing testimony
a. tho MI ms tn fha afforfa ~ tho
mittee on military affairs to reduce the ap-
propriations as far as 1t was consistent
with the well-being of the academy. The
bill. he said. appropriated S4G5, ,795. which
department.. While 1T carried larger ap-
preparation than the bill of last year. it
was STA, ,247 less than the average amount
Of the appropriations for the academy for
the past three years. In conclusion Mr..
Wheeler said that the people demanded
economy. but they did not demand and
would not tolerate cheese pairing in appro-
priations for the support OF the great mill
tarv academy.
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri said that every
man on the Democratic side had joined in
q chorus of denunciatIon of the appropria-
tions made by the billion-dollar Congress.
He did not believe that there was Demo-
crat on the floor who indorsed the mighty
aggregate of appropriations of the last
Congress. And yet the first appropriation
bill to como from Democratic committee
carried S64 0O0 more than the similar bill
passed by the Fifty-first Congress. The
question of the Democrats was whether
they intended to keep their pledge of
economy or would approve of this bill.
which added S64. 600 to the burdens Of the
taxpayers of the country. He was op-
posed to the increased appropriations. not
only because they were not estimated for
bv the Secretary OF the Treasury, but be-
cause the condition of the treasury did not
justify them.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine defended the ap-
propriations made by the last Congress-
characteriZIng the charges OF extravaganza
as mere clap trap. The Fiftieth Congress
had increased the expenditures made by
the Forty Congress just as much as
the Fifty-frst Congress had increased the
ordinary expenditures of it's predecessor.
The increase in appropriations was only
commensurate with the growth of the
country. The growth of the country ho
pictured in glowing terms. and his perora-
tion. in which he enloQized the heroes who
had graduated from West Point. was warm
ly applauded. The committee then rose
and the House adjourned.