The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-11
Representative Cannon Files Re-
publican Statement.
APPROPRIATIONS HEAVY
BUT MKINLEY AND DMGLEY
BROUGHT PROSPERITY.
Chairman of Appropriations Commit
tee Attempts to Explain Why Con-
gress Spent So Much Money-De-
feat of the Senate Canal Bill
Dingley Tariff Law Praised.

Washington. March 10.-Availing
himself of the privilege accorded by the
house of representatives previous to adj
journment, Chairman Cannon, of the
committee on appropriations has pre-
pared for the congressional record a
more extended statement of TIE appro-
priations made by the Fifty %lh con-
gress than he made the day after adj
journment. He places the total appro-
| priations for the entire congress at ST.
166.S90016 and the appropriations au-
| thorized for future congresses under
| the continuing contract system for bat
tleships, river and harbor Improvements
and public buildings at S70,O00,0OO.
The total appropriations made at the
last session Mr.. Cannon places at $685.
| 65S, 400, showing an apparent reduction
! of S219, 573.214 below the appropriations
of the preceding session. Mr.. Cannon
attributes this reduction to the extra
! ordinary war expenses of the preceding
session. OF the total appropriations for
! the congress he says that the sum of
1882, 562, 0S3 is directly chargeable to the
war with Spain. He thus shows that
the ordinary expenditures for the two
years covered by the congress were
! 81, 044 5S0,2 and this sum exceeds the
| total appropriation of the Fifty-fourth
congress by S39.746,65S.
| This excess is accounted for as fol-
! lows: For payment of pensions, 49,
S75,200; for the postal service to meet
| increased demands of commerce, $16,-
619,5s1 for river and harbor improve
! ments, $3,401, 12S; for constructing new
ships, Sc, csc, S3S: for beginning the work
of the twelfth census, 81 900 600; for the
Paris exposition, $1,210O00; for new pub
lie buildings, s5,0OOO00; for payment of
! judgments against the government un-
der the Bowman act, and for the
French spoliation claims, $3,100O00. To-
tai, $40,2S7, 516.
COUNTRY CONGRATULATED.
Mr. Cannon congratulates congress
and the country on this showing and
also upon the fact that Notwithstanding
the war, close attention was given to
the ordinary expenditures of the gov
eminent which is, he thinks, unusual.
He cites the defeat of the provision for
the construction of the Nicaraguan
canal, which the senate attempted to
get through in connection with the sun
dry civil appropriation bill, as an in
stance of the success Of this watchful
ness on the part of the house.
If he says on this point, 1.-The SEN
ate bill or any measure proposed had
/
| have paid S5.0OO00O for a worthless con-
cession and would have been committed
/ by law to the construction of a canal
along the Nicaraguan route, and under
! such conditions it would have been
compelled, before we threw a spadeful
j of earth or in any way began actual
construction. to have acquired by treaty
from Nicaragua. and Costa RIGA the
! territory Wnereon to construct the canal
a M
To this remark he adds the following:
such legislation would have delayed
and embarrassed the construction of an
isthmian canal The United States
cannot afford to enter upon this great
work until it has acquired by treaty a
zone of territory whereon to construct
| the same. Fortunately the house of
representatives resisted the enactment
of the proposed legislation, and the
contest between the senate and house
resulted finally in the only practical
provision possible. viz: the appropria-
ton of a million dollars to enable the
president to make full and complete
! investigation of the isthmus, with a
view to the future construction of a
canal across the same, particularly the
Panama and Nicaragua routes, and to
report to congress the result, with his
recommendations in the premises.
WORK OF THE CONGRESS.
Referring in a general way to the
legislation of the congress, Mr.. Can
non says:
During the whole of the four years
covered by Mr.. Cleveland's second adj
, ministration the material and industrial
condition of the country was calamitouS
and it's contemplation does not bring
satisfaction to any American citizen.
But the Fifty-fifth congress. beginning
with the administration of William Nc
Kinley, and promptly called in extraor
binary session, as promptly enacted
legislation which has yielded the addi
tional revenues needed to pay the or
binary expenses of the government and
has at the same time protected Ameri-
can labor. With the enactment of that
legislation hope and confidence struck
hands and the condition of the whole
country improved and has continued to
improve from that time to the pres
ent. Labor is now universally en-
ployed at increased wages and with
such employment the means are sup
piled for increased consumption.
In addition, without taking time to
discuss in detail the causes that led
thereto, congress declared war against
Spain and the prompt and decisive sue
cesses of the army and navy upon land
and sea have never been equalled any
where in history. The great expendi-
ture rendered necessary by tn war re-
uuired the enactment OF additional
revenue legislation and that legisla-
ton is now bringing into our treasury
an additional S100,OO0,o00 per annum.
1.-THE vast increase of the navy and
the creation of an army of a quarter
of million, together with the increase
of taxation. have not in any appreciable
degree checked our industrial advance,
which began coincidentally with the in
coming of the present administration
and the Fifty-ffth congress-
In conclusion Mr.. Cannon declines to
enter upon the present discussion of fu-
ture legislation, saying:
Il prefer rather to await the logic of
events and the full information that
will doubtless come as 1 hope, between
now and the organization in December
next of the newly elected congress. But
| venture the prediction that the
United States could not If it would,
and would not if it could, part with the
territories acquired from Spain by the
treaty of peace or shirk its duties anc
responsibilities touching them"