Year: 1876

creased the credit OF the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. hewitt and Mr. Wood have felt themselves com
PEELED protest against the proposed reductions and
Mr Hewitt's able speech Of yesterday affected good
many opinions among members OF bis own party Mr..
Cox to-day, came to the defence OF the bill and made
his annual comic address The foreign service, an
effort which is always listened to with amusement by
both sides OF the house but it seldom any
arguments, has little effect on the vote.


il was remarked to-day very good comic speech
could be delivered against the bill If any chose TO-
the ridiculous manner in which the changes have been
made and the yet ridiculous blunders into which
the subcommittee, under MI Singleton feil. In the
OF their Investigations their determination
TO discover eNtravagance and maladminstraton IN the
State Department, they came at one time upon what
they supposed to be real leak in Secretary Flshs es
Inmates There is item Of $4,000 'to meet neces-
sary expenses upon the execution Of the Neutrality
act" under the act OF Congress Of May
1910 fixing the compensation Of Ministers and
Consuls residing the coast Of Barbary and
for other purposes The Barbary coast staggered the
subcommittee AT lrst they demanded TO know, II il
sald why this powerful! government should continue


TO pay tribute Of 10000 year to the thieving and
piratioal rulers Of the Barbary coast They were
assured inquiry, that such tribute is paid them
Considering that the Barbary is part Of Africa


they snuied connection with the slave trade and
demanded know why certain courts having cogniz-
OF slave trade were still kept up while the


trade bad ceased At this point kind friend il is
said relieved their anxetes by telling them to look at
the act when they discovered that section OF It.
and the only unrepeaed-provides for contingent
fund and OF accounting for it, this fund being
drawn on when necessary to enforce neutrality laws.
There has been good deal OF quet laughter at the sub
commuters genius for the discovery OF ''mares nests
Of which this is an example.


In their anxiety for economy. they say here the
committee have created a kind Of ambassador,
who is TO be called the "Minster' Peripatetic and
whose whole time and about ten times his salary will
be spent in travelling from South American State
10 anothor-aoross the Andes up rivers, deserts
and through various wilderncsses each OF these
fortunate South American Ministers being accredited
10 two or more governments lying several weeks
travel apart The committee seem TO have regarded
the consular a OF income to the gov
ernment General Grant advised the purchase OF St.
Domingo on the ground that carrying trade with
that island would presently pay OF the
tional debt There is some reason TO believe
that this committee conceived the brilliant idea that
with good democratic energy, they might least pay
the the debt ont the consular fees 1t is
said that they were determined at time to abolish
all consuates which did not yield income in fees
above the consular salary. Mr. Hewitt told them yes
terday out OF his own mercantile experience that the
rule was "No consus no trade; >; and If the committee
had compared with the British expenditures
they would have found this out For instance, our
consular and diplomatic service in China last year
$50 OOO that Of Great Britain cost $3.50 Oo0 but Eng
land has all the trade. Our service IN Japan cost
SIS 600 the English from SEQ 600 $50 600; but the
English have the trade.