The sun., 1893-02-05
THEHoUSE AT WORK.
zHE GREAT FJaHr OYER THE sun
DRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION BrLI.

glneered the Bin Through the Uou-e-Ths
Dimenities In lIis Way, and How ne Sur,
mounted Them-Ths First Enort 70 He.
duce tho Pension List-Rufas E. Lester OF
Georgia, as Chairman or the Comuittee
Of the whole. Makes n Decision Involving
s1e.OOO.OOO-A Week spent In Passing a
Bin Carrying sio,ooO,ooo.
WASHINGTON. Fob. 4-Twenty. three dsys left
for legislation. including Washington's Birth
day: and on Thursday last the House had Just
finished the consi deration OF the fret OF tho
four great appropriation bills. The Senate
had begun to consider the first OF the thirteen.
Everything indicates the greatest jam In leg
islation at the close OF tho session that has
been known in long time. Still. the House Is
jogging along at moderate rate OF speed. and
tho Senate at a rate still more moderate.
The chances for tho consideration OF other
important legislation are rapidly decreasing
On Thursday there were on the calendar tho
General Deficiency, the Consular and Diplo-
matte. the Post ONCE. the Legislative. Execu-
tive and judicial. and the Military Academy
Appropriation bills. all awaiting the action OF
the House. The way had been damned for
some days by the consideration OF the groat
Sunday Civil Appropriation bill Watchdog
Holman had It in charge.
The bill carries over $40. .0Oo.O 900. and Is the
largest Sundry Civil bill since the war. 1t
was taken up on Monday Jan. Oh Monday,
however. was Saturday under the rules Tho
House had taken recess from Saturday until
IL o'clock Monday. This carried over the
legislative day Of Saturday. and forced the
House to finish the consideration Of the Ma
tioDal Quarantine bill Under the rules the
second and fourth Mondays OF the month are
devoted to the consideration Of bills from the
Committee on tho District OF Columbia. This
Monday. however. was wiped out By tho con-
tinuance Of SATURDAYS legislative day.
The Watchdog moved that the House 60
into Committee of the Whole on the Sundry
Civil bill. Mr.. Hemphll. Chairman OF tho
Committee on the District Of Columbia. was
not disposed to lose his day even under the
rules He appealed to the House to vote down
Mr.. Homan's motion. so as to save his day,
and proceed to tho consideration OF bills re-
ported from his committee. The House. how
ever. sustained the Watchdog by a vote OF
17St 81. 1t then went into Committee OF tho
Whole on the State OF the Union. with Mr. Les.
ter OF Georgia In the chair Tho Watchdog
asked unanimous consent that the first road
ing OF the bill be dispensed with He got it.
and thus saved two or three hours He next
suggested that the Clerk go on with the read
ing OF the bill for amendment As this would
cut OF general debate on its merits. Silver
Dollar Bland objected. The Chairman stated
Gen. Coaswell Of Massachusetts,, 4 member
OF the Committee on Appropriations. was first
recognized. He opened fire on behalf OF the
Republicans. attacking the economic features
OF the bill He said that the estimates for
public buildings. nearly S400O.UOO. had been
cut down to less than 100000. The appro-
priation for tho heating apparatus Of public
buildings last year was S15O.UOO. Gen. Coas.
we'll contended that this was below the urgent
aAu Nffh fha vakx
propriated only $125.00O. In the lighthouse
estimate. although thirty-nine new stations
had been added. not one dollar had been
added to tho appropriation for supplies OF
lighthouses. Worse yet. not q dollar had been
appropriated to pay the salaries OF the keep
era OF the additional lighthouses. In tho
last bill. the appropriation for the Coast
and Geodetio Surveys was reduced S53.-
200. The reduction seriously impaired
tho work OF those important sur
veys. This bill reduced the appropriation
$4,000 more. II this reduction was sustained.
he Gontended that the bureau might as we'll
he abolished. The Smithsonian Institution.
the General said was also tho victim OF mig
gardly parsimony: and tho usefulness Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission was i'm
poded by tho insufficient appropriations In
this bill Tho appropriations for the pay OF
assistant custodans and janitors and for fuel,
also grossly inadequate and inefficient There
had been q reduction OF S1S7. 900 as to the OK
penses OF the collection OF revenue from the
sale OF public lands. There had also been an
enormous reduction In the appropriation for
surveys OF public lands. the appropriation
for the expenses Of the eleventh census had
been taken out OF the bill where it belonged
and was to appear in the General Deficiency
bill Last year nearly $500. 900 was allowed for
nNrta orl oil lie @..l.,
600 was allowed. The estimates called for
$4,000 Tor headstones for graves OF soldiers.
The committee had reduced this to $4,000.
The appropriation to provide artificial limbs
for disabled soldiers had been reduced S575.-
O0O and tho law changed SO as to provide
these limbs not oftener than once In Ave years.
Carefully prepared estimates called for $780,
600 for the items OF back pay and bounty to
volunteers and their widows. for bounty under
the act OF 1885, and for commutation OF rations
to the prisoners OF war. The bill allowed only
S75O.OO0. 1t left volunteer soldiers. their
widows. and their heirs to wait eighteen
months after their claims wero adjusted. and
allowed for the payment OF tho same only
100000.
The Watchdog made no reply to the re-
marks OF Gen. CogswelL He urged that the
reading OF the bill for amendment be begun
This was done. The first paragraph was this:
Rockisnd Lake Light Station New York: For estab
fishing lighthouse and fog signal Oyster Bay shoai
Hudson River opposite Rockland Lake dock. $40 600
The reading OF this para ph brought Buck
Kilgore to his feet. What happened Is best
told In the Record. 1t aptly illustrates the dif-
fculties In Committee Of the Whole whom ap-
propriation bills are considered:
Mr.. Kilgore-Mr Chairman. tho face of that para
graph think II would bo obnoxious TO the point OF
order. and make that point
Mr.. Homan-whAt IL the ponti
Mr. Kiigors-That this Is obnoxious to tho point Of
sYder. as II 10 now law.
Mr. Homan-It has been already authorized by law.
Nj Kigors-It docs not so specify and ia not in tho
ordinary form Of provision which has been author.
iEed by law
hr. Ho!man-No appropriations are made here. sI.
espt such as authorized by law.
Mr.. Kigore-Hss there been q law authorizing this
xr. Homan-There has been.
Mr.. Bacon-Ths building OF this Lighthouse was
thsrized by law passed in the Fiftieth Congress-
Thenw why Mt For