Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/253

 CONGRESSIONAL PAPERS.

��235

��aroused him from his reverie or sleep ; and while the evidence is not entirely satisfactory on this point, your commit- tee are of the opinion that Hines in his zeal to fight the fire and save Govern- ment property lost both trousers and blanket.

With this view of the case your com- mittee accept the finding of the board of survey and discharge him from responsi- bility. Xo specific recommendations ap- pear in their report, but through some misapprehension a gratuitous issue of trousers and blanket was made to him. As events proved, this was a fatal mis- take. His commanding officer, miscon- struing a mere suggestion, and perhaps unwilling that Hiues should appear be- fore the people of Aiken, trouserless, or, concluding that the honor and dignity of the United States would be put in jeop- ardy by his appearing on duty in a pair "damaged to their full value,'' made proper haste to rehabilitate him.

From this time Hines vanishes from the scene. How he disported himself in his new trousers nowhere appears. Un- consciously he had performed a great service to the Army and the country by causing an authoritative decision on a matter that had been involved in doubt. The question of a gratuitous issue of clothing is now settled, and while Hines may be indifferent to the trouble he has given captains, colonels, major- generals, a Secretary of War, and a congressional committee, he can content himself with the reflection that he has neither worn nor lost his trousers in vain.

In conclusion, vour committee desire to call attention to the fact that they have devoted much time and thought to this case. The papers are voluminous, containing no less than seven distinct in- dorsements, commencing with a captain and concluding with the Secretary of War, who, in a communication to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, asks for the relief of Hines ; or, to use his own well-chosen words, "requests the sanction of Congress for the issuing of said clothing to said Hines. "

This communication is marked "A" and made a part of this report.

It is in no vainglorious spirit that your committee state that whatever delay there has been in this matter the blame does not attach to them.

The trouble with Hines began nearly eighteen months since, and the papers only reached the hands of your commit- tee a few days ago ; and in placing the final determination of the question with the Representatives of the people, they feel that they are discharged from further responsibility. They cannot, however, dismiss the subject without

��calling attention to the almost perfect system of checks and guards thrown around the issuing of Government prop- erty. The thoughtless may call it " red- tape, " or circumlocution, but without it, Hines today would be in undisputed pos- session of a pair of trousers and a blanket to which he would have no legal title. As it is, the system has been vindicated, the right of the United States to Hines' trousers fully established, and his per- sonal and pecuniary responsibility deter- mined.

Under all the circumstances, your committee recommend the passage of the bill.

After all, the bill failed, with numer- ous others to reach the President, and the great question still remains unset- tled.

In order to convey some idea of the amount of money required to carry on the Government, the following table of statistics compiled from official docu- ments are given, showing the sums ap- propriated in each of the eleven regu- lar annual appropriation bills.

FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

��First and Second Sessions.

��Military Academy

Fortification

Consular

Navy

Post-Office

Pensions

Indian

Army

River and Harbor

Deficiency

Legislative

Snndry Civil

Miscellaneous

��Arrearages of Pensions

��bill $282,805.80 " 275,000.00 " 1,070,135.00 " 14,152,003.70 " 33,256,373.00 " 29,371,574.00 " 4,721,275.70 " 35,583,180.01 " 8,307,000.00 " 14,534,072.52 " 15,430.781.30 " 24,750,100.00 1,572,059.50

��Third Session.

$319,547.33

275,000.00

1,087,835.00

14,029,968.95

30,121,400.00

29.300,000.00

4,713,478.58



7,842,100.00 2,901,478.42

��18,414,171.51

t

20 807,200.00

��t-

��Total '$173,308,165.79 #141,998,179.79


 * Failed. fNot yet published.

In comparison of the above totals it should be remembered that the Army, and Legislative bills, had they become laws, would have added about $45,- 000,000 more to column of the " Third Session" ; and the Arrearages of Pen- sions bill was an extraordinary appro- priation, unlike any in the preceding Congresses. The Sundry Civil bill of the Second Session, also, was increased $5,500,000 by the Halifax fishery award, and the large Deficiency bill of over fourteen millions was ten or eleven millions above its normal amount, in consequence of deficiences extending over a period of several years previous.

Among the prominent measures,

�� �