The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

ury a big sum in cash. Though
many of the expenses OF the ma
tiol.al legislature run on during its
absence from Washington, they
jump to maximum when it sits
To make laws costs Uncle Sam a
large amount of money annually.
The pay alone of members of the
House amounts to 81, 500 600 II
year, and they get $3.50 900 extra
for mileage To help them trans
act their business they require
small army of clerks. d"orNeepers.
pages, etc. The salary list foI this
force of assistants rims up to $780,
600. This does not include the
office of the sergeant-at-arms. which
the salaries OF the Representatives
are paid. To run this financial in
stitution an outlay of SIG, 900 more
is needed. An additional 500, 900
provides for the support of the
House post Office, through which as
much mail matter passes as comes
into and goes out of good-sized
city.
he number of Senators being
much smaller, their annual pay
amounts only to SAC, 900. with an
addition Of Of S45.0 for mileage.
There is an expense of IS, 400 for
emylcyes in the office of the Vice
President. The office of the secre-
tary of the upper house, which does
the banking and attends to much
OF the clerical business eff that au-
gust BODY, costs S64, 500i in salaries.
Clerks and messengers to various
committees draw $163,500. The
sergeant-at-arms, doorkeepers and
other helpers get an aggregate of
$113,
1t also costs great deal of money
to run the building which Con-
gress occupies for business pur-
poses. The Capitol is under the
charge of Architect Clark, who is
allowed sos, 900 year for keeping
it in order. Four plumber do
nothing but mend and renew the
arrangements for water and gas,
and twenty-five laborers are engaged
every day of the year in scrubbing
the corridors of the great edifice.
All this has nothing to do with the
keeping up of the two wings, so far
as their interior arrangements are
concerned. The care of them de-
wolves upon the Senate and House
respectively. Furniture and re-
pairs require an annual outlay Of
$4,000, to which must be added
about $35, 900 for fuel and gas.
TIE Capitol and grounds represent
-a-casi1 outlay Of nearly $50, 600, OC0.
This estimate would have startled
its original projectors. Wanting a
design for the building, they offered
$500 and building lot for the best
one that should be submitted. I'm
til twenty-five years ago the site
comprised an area of only twenty
two acres. 1t was enlarged to its
present size of fifty-one and one
half acres at cost of $685., 900,
1t is generally taken for granted
that the Sherman law is to be re-
pealed, and speculation as to the
construction of the House commit
tee is rife. There is a great deal
of talk about Mr.. BANDS not 60
ing again at the head of the COM
mittee on coinage, weights and
measures, but there appears to be
no reason to doubt that Mr.. Bland
will remain in his OLD place. 1t is
believed that majority of the men,
bers of the House are now in favor
of the repeal of the law, and if this
is so bill for its repeal Will pass
the House regardless of who may
be chairman of the committee on
coinage. The rules of the House
will in all probability be such as to
permit majority to transact bust
ness, without any arbitrary assump-
ton of authority or tilibustering
on the part of any one. 1t is be-
lieved also that bare majority of
the Senate would vote for the re-
peal, but there the mode of proceed
ure is different, and with deter
mined opposition, such as will be
offered by the leading silver Sena-
tors, a vote may be delayed. A
fair guess is that bill repeating
the law may pass the House
promptly, and that it may then
stick In the Senate for some time,
with the possibility that measure
favorable to silver may accompany
it as an amendment when it goes
back to the House.
l learned at the pension office
that 1850 pensioners have been
suspended up to date under the re-
cent ruling requiring beneticiaries
Of the act of June 49,, 1890, to
prove total disability where they
are drawing pensions for total dis
ability. Many of the cases sus-
I.