The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-06
Ri LION CONGRESS BEATEN.
NJ, r1ETY-FIFTH SURPRISES ALL
PREVIOUS RECORDS.

1.-Two views of the Work OF
10 Most Extravagant of Con-
crosses.
,,.,sbineton. March 5.-The official state
,. of Representative Joseph G. Cannon
Of Illinois, the chairman of the House
l..,-,nriations committee, summing up the
....r,nriations of the Fifty-ffth Congress,
- an aggregate appropriation by the
snfire Congress of $l,566, S9O,Ol6, and for
-, sassion lust closed a total Of $685. 5S,-
AN with authority for contracts for flu
,,,ra appropriations amounting 90 SOOO0,-
,oo chairman Cannon's statement in full
follows:
THE appropriations made at the session
Of Congress just closed amount approx
rate,v TO SGT, 65S, 400, and show an appar-
ert reduction of $2ls,57SOO0 under the APP
nropriations made at the preceding session.
This is attributable to the large expenses
occasioned by the war with Spain that
were provided for during the preceding
session.
"The entire appropriations made by the
Fify-ffth Congress aggregate 81 sos $780,
macs. OF this sum $ls2 562 ,OSS.47 is di-
reetly chargeable to our late war with
spajn or incident thereto. Deducting this
charge from the whole amount of the APP
propriations the remainder 81 ,0S4SH,-
Isl represents the ordinary or normal APP
preparations made by the Fifty-fifth Con-
gress
THE appropriations made by the pre-
ceding Congress, the Fifty-fourth, amount
to 81 044. $50. 273.S7 A comparison shows en-
increase in ordinary appropriations made
by this Congress over those made by that
Congress, the Fifty-fourth. of $50, 747 900;
but This apparent increase is more than
accounted for by increases under eight
items alone, namely, for PENSIONS $4,000, 600;
for the postal service, $4,000, 000 for rivers
and harbors, including work under con-
tracts previously authorized, So, 600, 900; for
new ships for the navy $1,000, 900; for be-
ginning the work of the twelfth census
$1,000 for the Paris exposition, $1,200,-
OO0; for new public buildings, including
the building for the department. of jus
ice. and for site and partial construction
of the new government printing office,
about $5,0OoO0O; and for payment of judg-
ments rendered against the government
on account of French spohations and I'M
der the Bowman act, SO, 100000.
Natural and Necessary" Increases.
These very natural and necessary in
creases in public expenditures, on account
of the pension list the growth of the
postal service in response TO the demands
of commerce, the Improvement of the great
waterways of the country, and for increase
of the navy, the construction of needed
buildings to accommodate the government
service in the cities in the country, the
taking of the census, the participation of
he NJ in he -
held at Paris next year, and the payment
OF the French spoliation Judgments and
Bowman act cases so long considered by
and pressed upon Congress, aggregate $50, =
s0O00-more than dissipating the entire
apparent increase in the ordinary appro-
prauons by this Congress over those
made by the Fiftyfourth Congress.
In addition to the direct appropriations
made at this session. contracts were au-
thorized, subject to future appropriations
TO be made by Congress, amounting to
about $40 100000. OF this amount, $4,000
900 is for additional ships for the navy,
$2,5O0,OO0 is for work on rivers and har-
bors and something over 100000 is for
public buildings. The contract system is
Of necessity applied to the construction
Of new warships, which require periods
of years for their construction. In the
case of river and harbor improvements
ui4N tAlS tOilSNIuCllO4 OF PUBIC
experience has shown that the authorize
ton of contracts tends materially to ex-
pedite and cheaper the same
The Democratic view.
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri, the ranking
Democratic member of the House appro-
prlations committee, made the following
statement giving the Democratic view:
This Congress easily surpasses all its
predecessors in the stupendous aggregate
OF its appropriations. 1t was thought that
the Fifty-frst Congress, commonly known
as the Billion Dollar Congress-" had in
point of extravaganza of appropriations,
touched limit which would not be reach
ed. or at least surpassed, by any of its
successors.
This Congress, however, has far ex-
ceeded the appalling total of appropria-
tons then made and it will be remembered
that the billion dollar Congress-" was
followed by overwhelming disaster to the
Republican party at the ensuing election.
Confronted with war with Spain, re-
curing the imposition of additional tax
alton, at is obvious that rigid economy
should have been applied in all other di-
rectlons TO the expenditure of public
money. The people were willing to meet
all the demands upon the national treas
ury made necessary by the Spanish war,
out It is fair TO presume that they ex-
pecteu lnelr representatives, in view of
the cheerful disposition manifested. to
meet these added burdens, TO limit the or
binary appropriations to the necessities of
wise and economical administration.
These expectations have not been realiz-
ed
Facing Great Deficiency.
The result is an actual deficiency in
current revenues, amounting, on the first
OF this month, to 500, 1O9, $3.50. This de-
nclency, as shown by a recent conserva-
i've estimate by Chairman Cannon. of the
appropriation committee, will probably
Ieach $l59,OOO0O0 on the 10th of June next.
IL is impossible to. estimate with abso-
!ute accuracy the treasury deficiency for
tne coming fiscal year. The Secretary of
the treasury IN his annual report made in
december last, estimated it as about s31.-
WoO0O; but it is now apparent that it will
not be less than $1O0OOO,OOO. 1t Is almost
certain therefore, that the government
VIII VIII be compelled during the calendar year
4'Vo TO lace an actual treasury deficiency.
Does 1t Mean More Bonds.
The 1882 100000 of income arising from
tuS sale OF bonds l1nIar fbs1