Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-17

Washington, D. c., Jan. 16.-Thc ur-
gent deficiency appropriation bill was
taken up in the House to-day. 1t was
the general expectation that it would
open UP a stormy debate upon the
question OF expansion in view of the
large army and navy items it contains
but the members only became very
much engrossed in q discussion of an
item OF S150,000 for rural free delivery,
In which all are personally interested,
and the subject OF expansion was
barely touched upon. The last hour or
the debate was enlivcned with an at
tack by MIR. Richardson the minority
leader. upon the Secretary of the
Treasury for his course in connection
With the sale Of the New York Custom
house
MIR. Hopkins, of Illinois, championed
the Secretary.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
MI. Cannon was asked by Mr. Loud
OF California, about the item OF $3.50. :
600 for rural free delivery, and replied
mat SOU, 600 had been appropriated for
the present fiscal year. though he
frankly confessed it did not meet with
MS entire approval. The department
mad no right to create condition
" ''N't iSSCoSlttilGQ IL ucIClenCY nDDrO-
priation. He should vote for the APP
preparation. but he should fail in his
duty did he not call attention to the
mnl-administration of the department.
MI. McItae, OF Arkansas, made n
general plea for economy. Tho reye-
nue. this year would not exceed $780,
100000, while the Treasury estimates
aggregated $73S.0O0 900.
Mcssrs. Loud california;. Living
ston (Georgia) and Griggs '(Georgia)
were among those who supported the
EXPANSION.
Mr.. Ball CTexas) first introduced in
the debate the question of expansion.
re mad read extracts from the Declara-
ton OF independence and others from
speeches of James Wilson, of Pennsyl
vania. in the Constitutional Conven-
ton and OF Abraham Lincoln at Get
tysourg. 1t was a long step, said he.
from the conceDtions of the Govern
ment portrayed in these utterances to
the declarations of the spokesmen of
the present administration. He vigor-
ously assailed the recent speech of SEN
ator Bevcridge. of Indiana
MIR. Davis (Florida) said he dcpIored
the spirit of expansion which had taken
possession of n portion of the people.
Yet not for all the world would he
withhold from our soldiers all the
moral and material support they need
ed. If the war taxes were necessary
TO support them, he said. let the meas
ure stand. Mr.. Davis was applauded
by the Republicans.
APPROPRIATIONS REVIEWED
Mr.. Richardson (Tennessee) briefly
tire 5lTIJr OPP M tfu1y Tor ne
military establishment, showing that in
time OF peace the appropriations for it
with the deficiency provided in this bill
reached Sl21 100000. He then proceeded
10 criticise the transactions of Score
tafy Gage in the matter of the sale
OF the New York custom-house to the
National City Bank of New York. 1t
mad been charged, said Mr. Richardson.
that the Secretary of the Treasury had
violated the law and was subject to i'm
parchment.
THAT CUSTOM HOUSE SALE.
Nr. Richardson said he did not go
10 That length. but he desired to call
at'ention 10 the transactions relative
10 the sale Of the old custom-house in
New York. ~
The Secretary of the Treasury. he
said. had certainly violated the strict
letter of the law. Because the process
OF the sale had been deposited in the
national City Bank, which had mr.
chased the property some of the M :
pers, he said, had charged that the Sec
rotary was technically guilty of ON
beZZlement and had cited q decision of
the supreme Court made last Noyem
Der. Amid confusion that cnsued Mr.
| Richardson finally made the House un-
uerstaho mat ne did not agree with
this view. He expressed the oninion
that the Secretary had a perfect r,ght
to deposit the money in a government
| depository, such as the national C,itv
Bank then was.
But he desired to go beyond that
| The custom house was sold to tho hanl,
July 3, 1899, for 1926, 900. Just before
the sale June - the Secretary re-
ceived a letter from a. b. Hepburn,
| from which he quoted this abstract
"Of course this bank is very strong
and if you take the pains to look nj
the list of directors you will see NC
have great claims in view of what was
done in 1896"
Mr.. Richardson then read n list OF
some government deposits in this bank
at various times to show that for six
months it had the use of an average OF
$40, 000.0 900 OF government money Was
that due to the contributions made by
! the directors to the campaign fund OF
sc, he inquired.
A SLICK SCHEME.
Turning again to the sale of the Gus
| tom-house he showed how the bank
had deposited s3.s50.O 600 in bonds in the
| Treasury and then, instead of paying
the purchase money out, the Treasury
had simply transferred the purchase
price TO the governments account In the