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Glass. Book.

SPEECH

/

OF

MR. DUNCAN, OF OHIO, ^^^

ON THE

BILL MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR HARBORS,

AND IN REPLY TO Q

MR. BOND, OF OHIO.

DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SATURDAY JULY 7, 1858.

WASHINGTON :

PRINTED AT THE GLOBE OFFICE. 1838.

V

SPEECH.

Jn the HoHse (if Representatives, July 7, 183S — 0n Ihe

bill making appropriations for harbors, and in

reply to the speech of Mr. Bond of Ohio.

Mr. DUNCAN addressed the committee as fol- lows :

Mr. Chairman : I am happy to have this oppor- ■unity to make some remarks in relation to the financial policy adjpted, and so far pursued, by this and the late Administration. The bill now under consideration has been amended in tho Se- nate, by striking out the appropriation of twenty thousand dollars for the iraprovement of Ihe Cum- berland river within the limits of Kentucky and Tennessee.

The gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Williams] says that this amendment was made in a certain quarter (meaning the Senate) for a cer/nui purpose, (I suppose to punish the people of Kentucky for not being more Democratic,) and to affect a cer- tain individual, [Mr. Clay.] This may all be, if we are prepared lo suppose that grave Senators could so far I'orget their high stations :i.? to make such paltry considerations an object of action in the discharge of their high functions and sacred duties. But I think we may find another reason for this judicious and laudable amendment — a rea- son thai has its foundation in patriotism and econo- my. The howl of extravagant profligacy and bankruptcy has never been out of our ears since the commencement of the session until this time, and it will continue with the session. Yes, sir, that howl has cost the people more money than would redeem the Treasury notes now in circaU- tion, which constitutes our present national debt. I say it was a regard for economy, and a desire to confine the appropriations within ilif pmbable esti- mates for (he year, that induced the Senate to make the amendment in question.

Sir, what base and sickening inconsistency do we witness here every day : a charge constantly kept up thai the Government is banlcrunt, and tlie best pro^pecu of the country ruined, by a profli- gate Administration; wh^n it is a well known fact, and the journals show it, that every measure of e.xtravagance and profligacy is brought forward, sustained, and carried through to a law, by those who are opposed to the Administration, and who are constantly denouncing it for its profligacy.

It seems, from the profligate and reckless course

of the Opposition in worthless and extraragant ex- penditures, that bankruptcy of the Government is one of the means by which this Administration is to be brought into disrepute with the people, and finally overthrown. Whenever then? is an attempt made at reform, it is denounced as demagogueical. Whenever there is an attempt made at economy and prudence in public expenditures, the whole pack of Oppositionists who may have the most re- mete local interest, raise the howl that this attempt at economy is made for party purposes — to affect a certain State — to affect certain individuals — and to effect certain purposes. Yes, sir, although eco- nomy dwells on the lips of a certain party, ex- travagance has its home in their hc.irts. For the truth of this assertion, I refer you to the examina- tion of the journals of the last six or eight years; where on all appropriations made that savor of ex- travagance, there will be found a large majority of the names of those opposed to this and the last Administration in favor of such measures, and the names of a large majority of the membrrs friendly to those Administrations will be found to be re- corded against them.

Sir, I hold up the journals which contain the evi- dences of what I say. I only ask mvestigation. Among the vast number of unwarrantable appro- priations, which I have not time to notice specially, I ask your attention to one, only distinguished from the rest by the size of the mm. It is the appropria- tion made in the session of 18.35 and 1S36, for li- quidating the debt due from the District of Colum- bia to Holland, and for carrying out certain im- provements for which that loan was made. This entire appropriation amounted, I think, to one and a half millions. Eul let us inquire for what pur- poses this money was applied. It was applied first to the construction of a canal through the su- burbs of your city, (Washington,) which nee-ls a canal about as much as a cart wants a third wheel. The south side of the south wing of this capitol faces the whole line of that canal. It is in view 01 every one who looks oat of one of tlic south windows. I have been looking out for savea months, and I have yet to see the first boat disturb the stillness of its water. One is at a lo-s to know which to be most asloni.«;hed af, tha wicked- ness that conceived such unpardonable folly, o» the sterility of the soil through which the caaal

is excavated, or the poveriy and sicrilily of the country for whose benefit it is mad-r. This canal is of Whig origin. The next extravagant and worthless appropriation of this money is for the construction of a turnpike road, made on the bank of the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca- nal. This road was made at great expense, and runs the extent of the District. Tiie next is the turnpike road running parallel with the I'ormer. 1 am unable to draw the distinction between the folly involved in the construction of each of those roads. The existence of the one completely super- sedes the necessity of the other, and both of but little use. The hill road seems to have been made to display the power of the Federal Government to prostrate hills and fill up hollows. I occasionally ride out in the evening for exercise. My rides have, some six or seven times, been en these roads. I generally go out the bottom road and return the hill road. I have once seen a shackling wagon, drawn by two mules and a jack, (Demerara team,) so poor that one might hang his hat on their hip bones. This establishment was driven by a negro half naked, lame in one leg and blind of one eye. This, sir, is a specimen of the use made of what is called the bottom turnpike road; bull have never seen the first living creature on the hill road except the horse I rode. So much for for the roads — useless roads — I mean those that have come under my observation, which have been made by the people's money, and, I undertake to say, in gross violation of their rights, if not in violation of the Constitution.

But, sir, the most profligate and extravagant ap- propriation is yet to be presented. It is the appro- priation for the Georgetown and Alexandria Canal and Aqueduct. This canal is now under way. Is located on the bank of the Potomac — a canal, deep, still, and wi(.le, (being tide water.) Why, sir, what will your people say when they learn that half a million of their money has been appropriat- ed for the construction of a canal on the bank of the Potomac — a canal constructed by the Almighty, as far superior to your pitiful effort as the majestic steamboat that rides upon its bosom is superior to the contemptible packet that floats upon your ca- nal? But, sir, for whose benefit has this vast ap- propriation been made? For the benefit of the ciiy of Alexandria. It is almost incredible with tho^^e who have seen Alexandria within the last three or four years, that such an appropriation should be made for her — a city that seems to have the anger of God and the nand of ruin upon it — now desola- tion it.self, and without the most remote prospect of ever surviving. The almo>;t total abstraction of trade from her port, the barrenness and poverty of the soil th.it surrounds her, must ever prevent her from being revived. Nothing can save her from final prostration and ruin. In half a century from this time, there will hardly be a standing monu- ment of art for the tooth of tinje to op»rate upon; and yet it was for the benefit of these tottering re- mains of a city that this vast and expenj^i^^e work has been undertaken, and to finish it must take much of the sacred proceeds of toil and sweat of those wlio will never see or wit- ness the practical result of such consummate folly and wicked extravagance. Sir, you

may draw upon the industry of the people for, and recover, a sufficient amount to complete this work; but there never will be commercial mo- tion enough on it to prevent the stagnation of its water. The noble canal which the Almighty has made, (the Potomac,) and of which yours is but a contemptible imitation, will for ever bear the pro- duce destined for other places, (no loll being to be paid on if, but, like other Divine gifts, free.) Your canal will be the generator and birth-place of rep- tiles, and the abode of frogs. It will be a putrid, green pool of pestilence; and its exhalations will spread disease and death over your country. These, sir, are specimens of the appropriations that have emptied your Treasury, and been part of the means that have made it necessary for you to use your credit in the form of Treasury notes, to keep the wheels of Government in metion; and I repeat it, that these profligate appropriations are made at the instance, and carried into ruinous practice by the votes of the very party who are constantly de- nouncing this and the late Administration for lljeir extravagance and profligacy.

Sir, my object in discussing this question is not only for the purpose of sustaining the amendment in question, and to sustain the principles and policy that induced it, but also to answer and refute many of the propositions and assertions contained in a small pamphlet, which I hold in my hand, purp^^rt- ing to be a speech delivered by my colleague, [Mr. Bond, from Ohio,] on a resolution ofl"ered some time since by the gentleman from Virginia, on the subject of the public printing.

In order to give his remarks upon that resolu- tion some force with the Democratic party, my col- league says that the gentleman who offered it act.s generally with the Administration party. I deny that assertion. I deny that the gentleman Iroiu Virginia, [Colonel Hopkins,] has acted generally with the Administration party; and I say so with- out any disrespect to the gentleman, for he has a right to act with whatever party he pleases, and no one has a right to question his motives. But fair play is a jewel; and my colleague must represent things as they are, not as he would desire to have them, for political effect. Sir, this is a little pam- phlet, but it contains more Federal poison iu a small way, than any thing I ever saw of the kind. It is a little pamphlet, and its whole contents re- mind me of minnow-catching. I live near a river called the Little Miami; and into it there empties a creek called Sycamore. I fish in the river, and my boy catches minnows in the creek for bait. It is this last operation that the contents of this little pamphlet renvnd me of. It is a system of a small kind of fault-finding; and yet I am told that there is not a foul stream of Federalism in the Union, on which it does not float. Every corrupt, bought-up Federal press in these United Slates, I am told, has given it an iiiseiiion in its columns; and the mails have groaned under the weight of its multiplied numbers, by the franking privilege, ever since ir made its appearance.

Sir, seeing, on one occasion, a great number u Federal members engaged busily iu franking docu- ments, my curiosity induced me to walk round among them to inquire what documents ;hey wer^" franking for distribution. I asked one: Mr. Bond>

speech; anolhei: T.Ir. Bond's speech; anotiicr: Mr. Bond's speech; anolhen Mr. Bond's speech; and so on. This led tiie lo a perusal of ray Ciillea^^uf's spefch, and the vast circulation which was given toil, forpoliiif-al effect, induced me to collect some statistics by which I might neutralize any poison- ous effects his speech mis;ht have on the political atmosphere. Those statistics I have procured, and have them in my hand, and will ask that they may constitute a part of my speech, which I design to write out more fully than time will now permit to deliver.

But lo the speech. My colleague complains that, within the last nine years, there has been an increase of public officers and of public expendi- tures, which he charges as a fault oi the party in power. It is their fault, too, I suppose, that within the sarae time, two new States have been added to our Union, and several millions of people to our population. If public otlicers have been increased, so has public business, and in a much greater ratio. As a matter of course, an increase of expenditures must follow. If this he an evil, it can only be cured by stopping the extension of our settlements, and the increase of our population. There is a large increase of clerks in the New York custom- house; but the business there has been more than doubled. There has be^-n a large increase of clerks in the Land Office; but the business of that office has increased ten fold. It was physically impossible that the President could sign the in- creased number of land patents, and yet it is made an offence to create another officer for that pur- pose. There has been some increase of clerks in the War Department; but the business in that De- partment has been more than doubled. The num- ber of postmasters has been doubled, and so has the number of post offices, for the convenience of the people.

Would our new-light Bank Federal reformers have six or seven thousand post offices discontinued, to avoid an increase of Executive oflicers? Do the people want any such reformi Would they shut up the land oliices, because to keep them open requires an increase of officers'? Would they deny patents to purchasers of land, because it lakes a few additional clerks to make them ouf? Shall the business of all the Departments remain undone, because it requires more clerks Id do it as it increases with the growth of onrcounrry? These would be reforms worthy of Federal Bank reformers! Let the business of the people's Government re- main undone, and the banks will govern for the people.

There are few offices, if any, in the country, in which the public business has not increased faster than the clerks and the expenditure. As our country increases, the public officers and public expenditures must and will increase. It is una- voidable, as every man knows. It is as stupid as wicked to complain of ihe party in power on ac- count of this increase, for no partv can prevent it and do its duly to the country. The only inquiry should be, whether there are too many clerks to do the public business; whether any of them spend in idleness the lime for which the people pay. If so, they should be lopped off. But no such thing is alleged. It is not asserted that the clerks who

have been added have not enough to do, or i'- at the public business could possibly be doac without them.

These new-light Federal-Bank-Reformers pro- pose no measures to retrench, because tliey know that no retrenchment can be made, but scelr only to fill (he country with false impressions, Ibr the sake of prodacing political results favorable to the Federal-Bank cause. This game of l)ase and foul lying, to grt into power, is as old as Absalom, the son of David, and older too. My colleague under- takes to arraign certain members of the Administra- tion for having, in some instances, received pay- ment fm' extra services. But does he pretend that any one of them has received such compensation in violation .".f law? not at all. He knows that the principles upon which those allowances were n^iade have been repeatedly adjudicated upon and sanc- tioned by the Supreme Court, the highest judicial tribunal in the country. The allowances, there- fore, were all lawful. Is the principle wrong? If gentlemen think so, why do they not bring fbnh a proposition malving all such allowances unlawful? If they were really in favor of a reform, or change in this respect, should we not see them proving!!, by acts, rather than by words'! They have a majori- ty in this House, and have had during this seven months' session, and yet they have made no a'- tempt at reform of any kind.

Perhaps my colleague may have thought the pros- pect discouraging; but he ought not to have stopped on that account, he ought rather to hav^ followed the example of the gallant Colonel Mi;- ler, who, when he was ordered on a perilous service on the Niagara frontier during the war oi 1812, did not say it was impracticable, but said "I'll try, sir," to the commanding general. He did try. and he succeeded. The achievment not only ren- dered essential service at that crisis, but honored his country's arms, and elevated his own fame. I hope my colleague will not be dismayed, becaiJise the unclertaking of reform of the atouses of which he complains is perilous. If he wilt try he may succeed, and if he doe.s he will render essential service to his country, and crown himself with lawrels as unfading as those of Colonel Miller. Bui, sir, the fact that they content themselves with mere clamor, without attempting to do any thing to bring about reform, is conclusive that they do not believe there is any thing wrong in the prin- ciple, and have only one object in view, thai is te) put others out office that they may get in. How they used their powerover the public mon^y while in office, and how they may be expected to use it a^ain, I will attempt to show before I am done.

Butmv colleague brings a general charge against the partv in power, who, bv their representatives in part (Colonel Denton, Mr. Camerklf.ng, and others) had promised something like relbrm (should they get into power) in abuses which they said ex- isted, and which they set out in a report on ihat subject, and which my colleague has presented in a garbled manner to the public attention, through his speech. Does my colleague not know thai maaj of ihe abuses in that report complained of, grew out. of the manner in which ihe powers that then existed got into oOice, and the corrupt manner by which they held the administration of the Government?

The Government fountain being corrupt, all the streams that flowed from it conveyed abuse and Tiolation wherever they reached; and thai by a re- formation of the Administration, most of the abuses ihat t3owed from it v>'ere dried up; which, in a s:reat degree, superseded the necessity of further reform. Some abuses still remained; they were reformed in part, ai I will show you before I am done. Some remain unreformed, and always will, as they do in all Governments, and are of a nature like the cho- lera, incurable. Yes, sir, the people have made that general reformation, by pulling down an Ad- ministration that had its origin in a corrupt bar- gain, and existed in violation of the spirit of the Constitution, and the sacred right of ihe elective franchise.

Here, sir, permit me to name seme of the objec- tions my colleague presents to the public against this Administration. Some of the practices which he denounces as corrupt, and still existing, notwith- standing the reform the people were promised; and permit me to compare these practices, that he is pleased to denounce as corrupt, with those of a imiiar character, but a thousand limes more aggra- vating, as practiced by the administration of Messrs. Clay and Adams, which is urged upon Bs as worthy of example, and entitled to the con- fidence of the American people, and soon to be re- vived.

My colleague complains that the aggregate ex- penses of iheGovernment far exceed? the expenses of the administration of the dynasty which he vishes revived.

That there is an additional number of clerks in all the Departments, and consequently an unneces- sary expense incurred to the Government. Such IS :he character of his charges against each of the df-partments of the Government.

And now, sir, I proceed to answer the gentle- man on .some of these charges, and, I trust, I shall be not only able to prove many of ihcse destitute of foundation in truth, but that the gen- tleman has withheld many important truths in re- lation to reforms and abuses, which it is due to this Administration that the people should know.

Sir, there is very little dilTerence in the moral offence of withholding the truth, where it may be due to reputation and character that it should be told, and telling ihat which is wilfully false. The gentleman constantly (indirectly) holds; up to view the coalition administration (Adams and Clay) as a mirror, in which is to be seen a pure Adminis- tration. I think, sir, we will find some corrup- tions charged to this and the Ir,st Administrations, whicli will be found to have been practiced with impunity in e/ia<. One of the great violations of econ-my and extravagant expenditures of the ad- ministriition of General Jackscin was sending; Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Randclph sevL-rallv, as IXIinistrrs to Russia, wiih a salary of pOQG per annum, and an outfit of ^1)000; that each of them staid but a year and a day, and then returned. Now, sir, let us see if we can off- set iliis "u^/css" expenditure of General Jackson's administration by one of a similar character in the ?idmini?iration of Messrs. Adnn-is rnd Clay. Daring iht; immaculate dynasty which my C(dlea^'ue desires to have renewed, no less than three minis-

ters were sent to England, viz: King, Barbour, and Gallatin, with an annual salary of $9000, and an outfit of $9000. This made 27,000 in outfit, be- sides the annual salary, which amounted to the same. Also, the son of Rufus King, who was left Secretary of Legation, was left by his father as Charge d'Affairs, who received an outfit of $4,500, although (being there) he had not to fit out at all.

Then the account for money expended for keeping up our legation in England during that short reign of corruption and bargain, which only lasted four years, was —

Outfit for R. King - - - ^9,000

" for A. Gallatin ... 9,000 " for J. Barbour - - - 9,000

" for Mr. King's son; who never was

fitted out - - - 4,500

Salary for do . - _ . 4,500

" «' Ministers - - - 27,000

$63,000 Yes, sir, ^63,000 was spent during that Adminis- tration, (o procure the discharge of the diplomatic duties of one single individual. I think this will offset the Russia diplomatic story. My colleague had better have kept that story in the dark, as his reform is a kind of one-sided reform My col- league says that the State Department sent Mr. Early to Bogota with despatches, and that he never delivered them, but received his pay. "Well, sir, this was a hard case, and, taken in the abstract, smacks ef fraud and improvidence. But what is the whole storyl Mr. Early was sent to Bogota with despatches: when on the way, and wi'.hin two days of St. Thomas, the vessel in which he had taken passage caught fire. There was a cargo of powder on board. The crew and passengeri-v amounting to nineteen in all, were instantly, to save their lives, compelled to take to ihe boats, two in number. They had left the vessel but half an hour when she blew up; and v;ith her went the despatches. After the lapse of seventy-four hours without water or food, the famished crew reached the island of Hayti, from whence they got home a.« well as they could. I believe Mr. Early was paid the same as though he had delivered the despatches. Perhaps this was wrong; but I can tell you some- thing worse under the coalition administration.

Mr. Clay (Secretary of Slate) sent Mr. PIcasanLs to Buenos Ayres with despatches. It is said that he found the crew rather unpleasant, (he being a plea- sant man,) being principally mechanics and work- ies, and not the white fingered gentry. He put the despatches in ihe possession of the captain, and he whe^^led about and put for England, where he amused himself in hi;h life a time, and returned; for which Mr. Clav paid him nineteen hundred ami forty dollars. ,So I think this will offset the charge of paying Mr. Early.

So far, I think my colleague has been unfortu- nate in his charges, inasmuch as they have the ef- fect to call to recollection charges against the dy- nasty he wi>hcs to reinstate, much more aggravating and pernicious. This, so far, seems to me to be a blunder on his pari; but the worst have to come yet. I think his speech will be un.'brtunate for his party and his purposes. Another most important blunder has been committed by my colleague in

his "few comments on the professions and practice of Mr. Amos Kendall, late Fourth Auditor, now Postmaster General." He quotes from certain let- ters of that fientleman, publisheJ soon after he came into office, showing some of the abuses he found in office, committed by my colleague's politi- cal friends, and showing, also, that he had or would reform them, and affects to show that he had not uone so. One of these extracts is as fol- lows, viz: "The interest of the country demands that this office shall be filled with mm o/ftifsiness, and not with babbling politicians.''^ Can any man say with truth thai this principle was not carried out? 1 as'-prt, sir, and challenge contradiction, that the Fourth Audiior's Office, while Mr. Ken- dall was i.i it, teas "111 led with men of business," and not " 'ith babblmg politicians." Mr. Kendall himself w,is "a man of business," and neither he nor his clerks ever neglected their public duties to babble politics with anyone. When he went into that office, what did he find to be its condition un- der the dynasty which my colleague is laboring to restore? Was it all p'jrity, all honesty, all indus- try? No, sir: it was all rottenness, all idleness. His predecessor was one, of the favorites of the Clay party; and Mr. Kendall soon discovered that he had been guilty of the grossest and most direct frauds on the Treasury, of which he was found guilty by an unwilling court, and more unwilling jury, after a tremendous party struggle to secure him from punishment. What thanks did Mr. Kendall get from my colleague and his party for exposing these frauds, and bringing them to merited punish- ment? Why, sir, he was abused through the parly presses as a conspirator and persecutor, and while the prosecution of the culprit was in progress, was night after night insulted and hooted at under his vindow. Yes, sir, this was the mode the gentle- man's party undertook to prevent the exposure and pjnishment of their corruptions. This was the reward they, then, bestowed m integrity and fear- lessness in office; an'l the ^amegaine has been kept up sulce, down lo ttie speech of my colleague. Now, I ask, was it ho reform to remove a pecula- tor upon the Treasury? My colleague does not .^eem to think so. Why? Is it because he be- longed to his party?

Well, Mr. Kendall filled the Fourth Auditor's Office "with men of business," and what was the consequence? Much of its business was one, two, and three years in arrears, and in about a twelve month, it was brought completely up. Did he ob- tain or ask any additional force? No, sir. After the business was brought up, he suffered two clerkship.'t to remain vacant for a long lime, and one until he left the office, because, having "men of business" about him, he did not need the whole force which the law allowed. Moreover, under the Clay administration, which ray colleague would restore, the contingent appropropriation for the Fourth Auditor's Office was $1,.')00 a year; but Mr. Kendall reduced it to $1,000, and one year asked for no appropriation at all, having enough surplus of former appropriations on hand to meet bis wants. Thus the expenditures of the office were largely reduced by him, while its business was greatly improved. What credit do my col- feague and his friends give htm for it? They have

poured on him, from beginning to end, a torrent of unceasing abuse. On every new exposure of a defaulter or a rogue, through his instrumentality, their abuse has been redoubled, clearly showing that an honest and fearless public officer is their highest antipathy.

While complaining that the parly in power have not made the promised reforms, my colleague gives incontestible evidence of his siricerity by sneering at those which were made. He even finds grounds of attack upon Mr. Kendall for sending to the post office, to be charged with postage, the letters and pamphlets fraudulently enclosed to the Fourth Au- ditor to evade the post office laws, and for discon- tinuing sundry newspapers, because he could de- rive no assistance from them "in ."lettling the ac- counts of tlie United States Navy." Yes, sir, in the reforms actually made by Mr. Kendall, as well as in those not made, the bank attorneys, immacu- late and consistent men! find ground of attack'.!

When Mr. Kendall went into the Fourth Audi- tor's office, the legal postage on private letters re- ceived under cover to the Fourth Auditor, was about a dollar a day, or at the rate of ^65 a year, and on ihe supposition that as great a number had gone out under his predecsssor's frank, the fraud on Ihe post office revenue, through that single of- fice, under Ihe Clay-Adams administration, was over $700 a year! Mr. Kendall put an entire stop to this abuse, and what thanks does he get from the Bank stipendiaries? They hate and abuse him the worse for it. But, says my colleague, he frank- ed some prospectuses of the Globe. , Well, if he chose to send ihem to his friends, had he not a law- ful right to do so? Did he violate any law, or do so much of it as to con.stituie an abuse? That is not pretended, nor can it be with truth. But because he put a stop to violations of the law, and then ex- ercised his privilege in conformity with law, the Bank attorneys find an inconsistency in it! I cati tell my colleague, upon undoubted authotiiy, that Mr. Kendall's course in that respect is not changed; that he uniformly sends to the post office letters for others enclosed to him, to be charged with postage, and sometimes pays it himself; that he covers no letters with his frank, not strictly his own; no, not even those of his wife and children. What praise does he get from the Bank attorneys for this scru- pulous obedience to the law? The highest praise — their unceasing abuse.

My colleague finds a vast inconsistency in Mr. Kendall's discontinuing newspapers as Fourtli Auditor, because they gave him no assistance "ia settling the accounts of the United Slates Navy," and paying for a number of them as Postmaster General! Is this effort to 5how inconsistency a whit short of contemptible? The papers were not of use to him in performing his public duty as Fourth Auditor, and therefore he did not take them; they are of use to him in performing his duty as Postmaster General, and therefore he dof s not discontinue them. Is there any inconyistcncy ia this? None but a Bank attorney can make it out. While Mr. Kendall was Fourth Audiitr, he paid all his newspaper subscriptions ant of his own ^wcke.i, because they were exclusively for his jnivale use; but, as Postmaster General, it is essential that ho should have not only the general but the local in-

8

telligcHce from every quarter of the couniry, and the only wonder is that he pays so little lor it.

It in natural, sir, for the Bank attornej's to find fault with the part acted by Mr. Kendall in the re- moval of the deposites. Their client was destroyed by that measure, and the source of many a good fee dried up. But here, again, Mr. Kendall is fol- lowed by misrepresentation. "He got ten dollars a day," it is said, "for doing this injury to the pub- lic"— meaning the Bank. Now, sir, 1 pronounce this statement entirely without foundation. Mr. Kendall, under an appointment from the Secre tary of the Trea- sury, visited the cities of Baltimore, JPhiladelphia, New York and Boston, to negotiate with the banks, and spent some days in each city. He had neces- sarily to see much company at the hotels where he slopped, and those who have had occasion to take private parlors, and have private tables, at the pub- lic houses in those cities, where they necessarily see, and treat civilly, many gentlemen calling on them, know that the actual expense, including tra- velling, can scarcely average less than ten dollars a day. Mr. Kendall paid all these expenses out of his ows pocket, and received from the Treasury barely enough to make himself whole. This is the whole of this mighty affair, and the sum received, all told, was $316 11. How rich this man must have made himself!

My colleague follows Mr. Kendall into the Post Ortice Department, and makes another mistake at the first jump. "The printed li.st of clerks in his Department," says he, "exhibits his father-in-law and two nephews, with salaries of $1,000, $1,200, and $1,400," &c. Mr. Kendall has not, and never had, two nephews among the clerks of his Department. But what if he had two nephews in his Department? Have they not as good a right to l)e there as any body else, if they are honest and competent te the duties assigned them? If there be places of peculiar trust, is it wrong that the head of a Department should fill them with men whose integrity he best knows, although they may be his nephews or his brother? When abuses and frauds, msiead of the most honest and honorable discharge of their public duties, are perpetrated by his rela- tions, it will be time enough to censure their appointment.

Nothing will satisfy these Bank attorneys. Ma- jor Bairy is abused for not keeping every thing right in the Post Office Department, and Mr. Ken- dall is abused for putting every thing right. The committees of Congress, majority and minority, complained of Major Barry for making extravagant allowances to Stockton and Stokes, and now Mr. Kendall is abused A)r not being willing to pay thcrn allowances a thousand times more extrava- gant. One of my worthy colleagues [Mr. Wmr- tlksey] I believe wrote some twenty-five pages in a book, 30,000 copies of which were prmted by order of the House, to prove that Major Barry had allowed those contractors some $100,000 more than they were entitled to by law, and yet voted for an act under cole r of which they have been allowed <1 111, 000 more under the same pretences, and has MooJ (juietly by and seen Mr. Kendall compelled lo pay it by judicial usurpation, if not surnething worse. I should like to ask my honorable col- league [Mr. Whittlepey] a question or two. Did

he not thoroughly understand this case, haviag investigated and written a long report about it? When the bill for the relief of Stockton and Stokes was before the H-use, did he not offer a long suing of provisos, which were adopted? Were not these pro/isos so care/MZ/i/ framed as not to touch one of the claims m controversy, and be, in fact, perfectly nugatory? If so, what was the object? If he did not think Stockton and Stokes entitled to as much as they got from Major Barry by $100,000, why did he vote for a bill to give them more? And when he found that an enormous sum more was awarded them, why did he not propose to repeal the act, instead of standing by and seeing Mr. Kendall compelled to pay it?

This case will illustrate the sincerity and honesty of the Bank attorneys. For political effect, they abused Major Barry for making allowances, then voted for a bill authorizing allowances much more extravagant; and because Mr. Kendall refused to pay still further allowances, which he did not be- lieve authorized even by that act, they abuse him for withholding from Stockton and Stokes their just dues! All this shows that they care not a fig what use is made of the public money, and that their only object in finding fault is, to impair the confidence of the people in the Administration. They see $161,000 wasted on Stockton and Stokes with in- difference, if not with joy, and complain that $316 was allowed Mr. Kendall, to pay his expenses when upon public service.

Sir, I have taken some pains to ascertain on what principles the Post Office Department is administe- red by this much-abused man. I understand that he went into it with a declaration that he should try the experiment of administering it in strict con- formity to moral principles, and the laws of the land; and, if convinced of its impracticability, would hold it no longer. It was the fashion for officers and clerks in the Department to receive presents from contractors; and, when travelling, to ride free in their coaches. Believing that, to say the least of it, these practices tended to corruption, he forbade the reception of all or any such favors from con- tractors under penalty of dismission, and prescribed the same rules for himself. All presents from con- tractors he has declined; and on every occasion has refused to travel free in their stages, steamboats, and cars. Free tickets have been sent him from some of the great lines, which he has uniformly re- turned.

As before remarked, this man does not cover with his frank even the letters of his wife and chil- dren, but piys the postage out of his own pocket; nor does he take stationery from the Department for his own use, much less for that of his family, believing thai the public stationery is rot his pro- perty, and that he has no right louse it but for pub- lic purposes. Of this, I have the most conclusive testimony, not coming from himself. When I was informed of this fact, although I was bound to be- lieve it myself, I did not know that others would believe that Mr. Kendall's honesty was so scrupu- lous. I therefore ad^lre-ved the folloiving note to his stationer, of which this is a copy, and received the annexeil answer:

Washington city, 1). C. .July 1, ISiS.

Dear Sir: Will you be so good as to inform me where llie Hon. A. Kendall) Postmaster General, procures stationeiy for

«

the Posl Office Department? If from you, will you have the kindnes3 to inform me from whom he procures his private sia- Moaery, such as he uses far his private purposes, and for the use of his family) If from you, will you next inforni me whether both are paid out of the public contingent lund, or is the latter paid for out of his private means! These inquiries are not made from any sinister motives, nor are their answers in- tended for any unfavorable prejudice to Mr. Kendall or any other person.

Your early attention to this request wdl much oblige your friend, A.DUNCAN.

John T. Sullivan, esq.

Washington city, July 1, 1838. Dear Sir: In reply to your note of this morning, I would remark, that 1 "supply stationery foi the Post Office Depart- ment," which is clmreed to that Department, and paid for "out of the public contingent fund." Those articles are procniedby the messenger, and are entered in a pass- book kept by him.

I have also furnished paper and other articles of stationery lor Mr. Kendall's private use. These have been ordered by his servant, or bv members of his family; sent to his private re sidence, and charged, in every instance, to his individual Accouyit.

I remain, very respectfully,

your obedient servant,

JOHN T. SULLIVAN. Hon. A. Duncan.

I know that most men think Mr. Kendall over- scrupulou.*:, and too precise en these points; but to all such suggestions he replies, that it is impossible for a man to err on that side, and that he will go out of office as conscious of rectitude as became in. And has this man done nothing for the public that he should thus be pursued with never-ending abuse? Has hf 11 'it been efficient and faithful in every public trust? Could the duties of Fourth Auditor be belter discharged than they were by him? Did he not bring the Post Office Department out of deep embarrassment as by magic? Ha.s he not almost doubled its business and u.sefulness? Has he not, with great skill, sustained its credit under circumstances which shook that of all the banks in the country, and of most business men? In fine, could that Department be managed with more efficiency or better success?

Sir, it is for his virtues, his talents, and his suc- «ess, that the bank stipendiaries hate him. They know he will not corrupt, and cannot be corrupted. He was efficient in putting down the Bank of the United States; and he desires to see the Government independent of institutions which, experience proves, have n®t discretion enough to manage their own affairs, and, of C0xr.-;e, not enough to be trusted with the use or custody of the public money. These are his real offences. It is feared that his integrity, his efficiency, and his success will give weight to his opmions and his judgment; and every pretext is seized on to assail him. He has seiit a few prospectuses of a newspaper to a fevf friends; he has expressed his opinions in certain letters and toasts; he takes a ievi newspapers to see what com- plaints there are of the mails, and what suggestions of improvement; and he received three hundred and sixteen dollars for his expenses in negotiating with the State banks! Are these his only crimes? No, sir. It is made an offence in him to have said that he could sustain the credit ot his department without the help of Congress! The Treasury De- partment is abused because it wanted help, and the Post Office Department because it did noi; as if to put It out of the power of Mr. Kendall to to sustain the credit of his department, we have been throwing extra allowances upon him, and endeavoring to force upon him in the present de- pressed condition of the revenue, near 500 new

mail routes to be put in operation. And I have seen men exult here, under the impression that they would thus embarrass him, that they had " got him up a tree at last." It has even been said that he was already embarrassed; but this is so far from the truth, that the most credulous do not believe it. Their " wish is father to the thought." The Committee on the Post Office Expenditures, centains a majority of Opposition men. If they find the Department embarrassed, why do they not show the fact? Do you think, sir, the matter would not be examined into, and reported if there was the slightest faith in the assertion? If it were so, we should soon know it, and the exultation of cer- tain patriotic gentlemen on this floor, would know no bounds. But, sir, scrutiny is invited, and ma- lignant aspersion defied. Instead of having treed their game, gentlemen will find themselves still "barking up the wrong tree."

I cannot help giving some very conclusive evi- dences of the sincerity of the bank attorneys, in their attack upon the Administration in money matters.

Mr. Kendall is abused for having received pi6 to refund his expenses, after performing a journey on public business. Now let us see what the bank men did while in power.

Mr. Southard was Secretary of tj.e Navy in. 1826, 7, 8. He is now, I understand, one of the pillars of the party; a man whom they specially de- light to honor. He had a chief clerk, named Hay; he was positively forbidden by law to advance the public money to any body but disbursing officers of the navy, and persons employed in the naval service, on distant stations; yet, though thus po- sitively forbidden, Mr. Southard advanced to his chief clerk ^800 of the public money, in November 1826, and sent him to New Orleans to look after the accounts of a former navy agent. He did nothing there whatsoever, but get §100 more from the navy agent; and without any bills rendered, Mr. Southard allowed him |800 for his expenses, when he was allowing only ^200 to offi- cers of the navy for the expenses of the same jour- ney. Would you believe it, sir, alter hearing my colleague's speech ? This man was receiving hia $2,000 salary as chief clerk during the whole pe- riod of his absence. In what ca.'e has any mem- ber of the present Administration so grossly and directly violated the law ?

Thii Mr. Southard, as Secretary of l-he Navy, was also Commissioner of the Navv Pension Fund, which was vested in slocks. On the 1m of July 1828, these stocks were paid off to the amount of $281,384 72, and on the 1st of January, 1829, to the amount of $243,880 17 more. These were not reinvested until February 17th, 1829, by which means more than $9,000 of interest was lost. Who was using the money in the mean time, is what I do not know. Mr. Hay having writtea a letter or two on the subject, and perhaps conferred with the cashier of the branch bank in this city, made out an account, charging half per cent, commission for reinve-sting these stocks, and $150,000 more which had been reinvp.'tpd in 1825. Mr. Hay was still Mr. Southard's chief clerk, at a salarv of $2,000 per year; he was cut off by law from receiving any extra compensation ; the service rendered was

10

properly a part of liis regular July, and did not pro- bably occupy iiim two hours; andyel Mr. Southard allowed him this monstrou'; chatge of ^3,',i'li'> 32, and he pocketed the vioney. Thus was this charity fund for the support of the crippled officers and sea- mea, and their families plundered; yes; sir, plun- da-ed, by loss ef interest through neglect, and cash actually pnid Ha',-, in violation of law, of about THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS; and yet the men who want to restore the dynasty who did this, mouth at us about corruption and abuses which now e.\it.t only in their own corrupt htxris. Has any thing like this been done by the present Administration? No, sir, it has put an end to the allowances of commissions in all such cases.

Let us look a little further at the pure dynasty whom the reign of banks is to restore.

Upon Mr. Scuthard's recommendation Mr. Adams, in 1828, I believe, appointed one Andrew Armstronsr, navy asent at I<ima, in Peru. Thi.s IS believed to be the only instance on record in which a f^ireign navy agent was nominated to the Senate, that class of officer* having been considered special agents, nni express- ly procided for in the law. Air. Souiliard then ad- vanced to Armstrong 'jiIO,000 out of liie Treasury. What this was for, nobody out of the secret cou d divine; for exchange at Lima is always in favor of the United States, and it seemed ridiculous to send money to a country where money grows. Cut a reason has been discovered. No sooner v/as the money got, than |p;7,ClOi1 of it %cas lent to J\Ii: Soutli- iird''s chief cli-rk for tuw years, tcilhoul interesf, and v>as never repaid by him! Whether this was ihe true reason for a departure from all usaae in this pro- ceeding, 1 know nut. Whether Mr. Armstrong thus bought his rppcnntinent, I know not. All 1 know is the fact I have stated, and every on<' must draw his own inferences.

What an outcry i» Icept np, Mr. Chairman, by the Bank advocates, up(m the lalse allegation that ihe Administration is seeking, by the Independent Treasury plan, to get the public money into ih^ir possession forsinrter piirpos"-? Tnose wfio are btrugulini; to get the public m^iiey for private use-;, are clamoring to the skies agam-i those who wish it kept by sworn and bonded otiicers, subject to heavy penattus, for puMic purposes only!! Let us see what was the praciice of these men when in power.

When Mr. Souih-rd was Secretary of the Navy, he converted the public cannon and cannon-shot into money to the amount of *(-i.'>,000, and had the money placed to hisown credit in the Branch Bank inlhiscit\! But, sir, 1 wjll give you particulars General Mason, who ha:5 a loiuitliy near George- town, was applied to by some of llie Scmh Amtri- caii authuiities for a (juantity of cannon; but he had none on haml, or noi enoiinh to meet the order. So, toenable him to make a y;»od speculation, Mr. Southard lent him a quantity of the public cannon and shot, and, as security for the return of new guns ill iheir place, required him to deposite $25,C00, as already slated. It wa.s I believe, about •eighla^n months before Geneiu! Mason completed the delneiies to replace the..'' cannon, and in the mean time the money iemamed ai Mr. Southard's credit, unlrss he used i', as if was in his power to

do. If he did not use ii. the bank did, by discoara- u)^ on it as a deposite.

Now I should like to know what law there was for such a transaction? I should like to know what law authorized Mr. Soul hard to lend the public proprrty, and receive money into his vica pocket, (for that is the amount of it,) as security ibr its restoration? It is in palpable violation i>f all law and all propriety. But did the Bank iidvocates ever whisper a word of censure against this illegal conduct of one of their great champions? Not a lisp, sir. All is right, because a Bank man did it! The public properly or money may be lent oiU and vsed by banks and their peculiar fncnds with perlect impunity; and to put a stop to it is a humbug and a crime! But have the gentlemen found a ca*e like this, in which any member of the present Ad- ministration has put §25,000 of the public money orpioperiy into his pocket for a twelvemonth? No, sir, nothing like it. If they could, we should be- gin to hear, and justly, too, of im peach i-nent by this Hou'^e. Yes, sir, any public officer who will com- mit such an outrage, ought to be instantly im- peached.

The corruption* and abuses of the Clay-bank admini>tiation were manifold and glaring.

The same Secretary of the Navy, aided the Fourth Auditor in (raululently drawing thousands I'ro.n the Treasury, and afierwards attempted to screen him from punishment by withholding im- portant facts, when sworn before a grand jury and petit jury to tell "the tiuth, the whele truth, and nothing but the truth."

He direct>;d the Fourth Auditor to s-'ttle a claim of Messrs. Allen and Leonard of New York, which was originally about ^3,500, as stated by themselves, but had been incie;ised by additional charges, from time to time, until it was swollen to upwards of $10,000, and, under the direction so given, upwards ol' ^11,000 were allowed, :ijl,060 of which were forthwith lent to the same Fourth Au- di;or, and «ct'cr pffi'A' ,

He violated the positive laws o( the land in rnul- liiudes of cases, by causing moneys to be expended lor one purpose, whpu they were appropriated for another.

He made to Congress estimates for the service of the Navy Department which were false, and, year after year, spent, I'or contingencies, nine to ninety thousand dollars more than was appro- priated; taking it out of other appropriations, in violation of Uw, anil concealing the fact from Congress.

He made use of a fav(»rite clerk in the Fourth Auditor's oilice, at a salary of $1,400, as special agent to make cer'ain payments, and by commis- sions and a double salary, in violation of law, in- crojiseU his compensation to upwards of §2,000 a I year fi^r a series of years.

j But the most obnoxious case remains to be no- [ ticed. The Navy Agent at Boston had made ad- [ vances on r.ccount of thi Government during the !la>i war with Great Britain, upon which he claim- !m1 interest. That claim, amounting to $7, ()79 ('4, or i thereabouts, was allowed by Smith Thompson, Se- icreiary of the Navy, in 1819, and passed to the ! ai^eni's credit. The agent went out of oSice in 1 1826, and eaiiy in I82P, h^ made cut an account

11

for certain alleced omissions in his former ac- counts, going back to 1812, upon which he char«;ed intere.>t. This claim was submitted to Mr. Souih- ard, who wrote thus on the voucher with his own hand, viz:

■Lrnhim be alloweil imprest upon the a^'iregaie advance o/' S3,809 7-2, ill conlbrniity with itie decision iiiade by Mr. Secre lary Thompson on ihi' Voriiier accounts.

Stl» March, lS-28. S. L. S."

Accordingly interest was calculated on the voucher up to the time of settlement in 1819. This shows that Mr. Southard knew the interest account had been settled.

Soon aClcrwards, the late Navy Agent trumped up a new interest account upon his war advances, obviously unfounded and false in every particu- lar. This new claim was submitted to Mr. South- ard, who wrote a letter to the Fourth Auditor, as follows, viz:

Navy Department, May 2], 1S2>". Sir- Having exaiiineJ the claims ol'Anios lilnKcy, late Navy Agent at Bo.ston, as lar a.sihe pressure of bnsinees ituriiiga ces- fiion of Coni;re.--8 will permit, I see no reason to iluiibtih-^ jus- tice efa claim on liisjiart fur losses on Treasury no'es, Six. Hut I do not feel at lib.rty to auihorize the allowance of any of the itemsi, e:{cepl for interesl actually paid 6y him ufkich yQU will be pleasidle .-tettle.

"For the other ^laimsi, he will he SliligaJ to adilress hiin- gelf to Coiigre.^s, where, I do not dodbl that his application will be tsnceesfful.

'Tarn respectfully, &c. •' ' SAM'L L. >iOUTHARD "

••T. Watrins, E^q. Fui'rCh Azifiitor."

The Auditor took up the case, and passed an account allowing upwards of THIRTY-OiNE THOUSAND DOLLARS for interal, when all parties concerned, J\Ir. SoxUkard, the ^luditor and the claimant, KNEW that every cent of just claim for interest had been settled and paid nine years be- fure! Yes, sir, Mr. Southard knew it. I have given an entry of his on a voucher, daiedSth of the pre- ceding March, not three months prior tu his letter to the Auditor, cimclusively ;>j-oy!nj- il)at he knew l!!

But this i« not all. This allowance gave Mr. Binnc^' nj reeuly money. It all went as a set-ufl' against moneys due from hiin to the GovernmeDt, leavirc; him still in debt over §9,000. Ilec-nld not, therefore, readily pay his corrujit insirumeni in this and many other gross frauds on (he Govern- ment. But Mr. Southard was kind em ugh to help him out. Money could not be legally advanced to him out of the Treasury, because he was not a dis- bur^ing otlicer, having been two years out of ofTice; but law, or want of law, was no obstacle in those glorious times, which my colleague tliinks are soon to be lestored. So Mr. Southaid advanced to that man, who was oflicially reponed in debt to the Go- vernment about 5j9,000, the comfortable atlditional sum of $30,000 more out of the Tie.isury! Yes, sir, having allowed a coirupt claim of more than i§30,0(J0, he puis the recipient of his bounty in cash by advancing loim, in the lace of the law, '^3i',0U0 more, to be covered by claims equally iVaudulent and corrup!; rmd it was alfcrwards covered by his friend, the i'ourih Auditor, snd the Govprnmeni bronghl m debt upwards of J^49,0UO, in addiiion; but the acce>-ion of the no-relorm Adni:;ii>tra!ii'ii of General Ji*ck>o!i, prevented the consiun.Tiaiion of thi^ last uutrage.

What was done with the pO,000 thas advanced ifi cash? I have heard what became of a pan of it,

but I cannot prove it. So far, I have not spoken tvhat I believe merely, but what I can prove. In re- latuin to die men and things of that Uay, I believe many iliings which I caiinoi protc. J It lievc snine ^10,000 -'f the 030,000 advanced by Mi. iSoudicUcJ, xoenl direcilyto »i«n in power, or was a[)plicd to pro- mote their designs. A charmingly pure Administra- tion that was, when Secretaries put the public money in their pockets, ^25,000 at a lick, and dis- Iribuied it gratnilt, «.-.ly to their favorites, or invest- ments $30,000 at a time' Can the impudont assail- anis of the present Administration justly charge it with crimes like thesel Yet, they ai« zealous to ihrust out the men who have put a stop to these corrupiii IIS, and restore lo power those who com- mitted them. What a Fourth Auditor got fraudu- lently from the Treasury, Secretaries guzzled down in wines and meats, and other luxuries ai his lable, or won of him in gaming. The Bank candidate fur the Presidency has been gro.ssiy wn^nged, if be did not, in the way of brag and other games, profit more by the current frauds in the Tre..,-.ury, than the men who committed them. But that was all pure and right, Mr. Speaker; lo pwt an end to it is no reform, lor which Mr. Van Buren ought to be put out, and Mr. Clay put in.

And where now is the man who cnnuuitted, au- thorized, or winked at, all these coiiLj-uons? Do you find any account of him in my coUeagtie's speech? Not a word, sir. There is loo much of a f.llow-feeling between them. Mr. Southard, wh« held the Navy Department, is now one (if the open- mouihed foes lo Executive corruption i^nd abuse; bill il report spcaUs true, he protiis as much by bank abu.^cs, as he could have Ibinnrly done by Govemmtnt abuses. He is president oi tme of the gambling bank concerns of ihe day, a parlioalar adjunct and favorite of the Biddle bank, at a salary ol $G,000 a year! He holds a public station whicri gives him fjjiS pi-r day, and at the same lime 1 am told receives his ihou.sandsitt fees for practising as a law- yer in ihe Supreme Court. He is paid .is u bank pre- sident, a legislator, and a lawyer, all at the same time, and of course, is absent moi of his liin€ from hi.^ public duties, except when there i> a bank question on baud. Thereis no abac or corruption jn this. To be under pay by a bank, while pre- teniiiiig to ."^erve the peop'e, is no ofience in the eyes of those who would pull down this Adminis- tration. But do you think, sir, the people, when they understand the game, will be content to It* governed by bank presidents from New Jersey, and bank atiorneys from Ohio? The banks pay belter than the people. It is but a small pan of $6,000 which a mtmbtr o( Congress gets from the |)eopj(-; but ihe banks can afford to pay thumping sahinrs and fees, especially to those who are honest eno;i,:^fi to reprcstnu them in Congress instead of their^^i- stituents. One Henry Clay, who s looked ^9,ps Ihe lestorer of the old order of things, i> knovji|j,'io have received in fees, from the BanU of ihe l^^rf/sd Slates, upwards of $17,000, an.l probabiy $fift,OpO more i'r(:n\ the branches. What a pu'c G9,,,f^n- meiit w.' >hall have, when the I'nsidi n', hcgt^jOf Diipanments, and a majority of Contirr-*-, s^^U.be l)rfsiofms, duvciois, sloctthoKiers, (kbu^rs, i;,^d atiorneys of banks! Should not the fai mq'r.s.jiflpe- chanics, and all ether honest men in the cpi»i^7>

12

be required to lend a hand in putting down the pre- sent Administration, that they may bring about so glorious a reform?

To bring suspicion on innocent men, S one of the arts used by villains to escape detectioin. Our bank orators and stipendiaries practice upon this principle. Corrupt themselves to the very core, they are eternally bawling corruption against the Adraini-^tration, hoping to gain credence by their impudence and their perseverance. The very men who have practised all sorts of abuse and corrup- tions ai the expense of the people while in power, and are sold body and soul to banks, great and small, are now spending iheir money to dissemi- nate far and wide a certain speech, knowing it to be char5;ed with false and libellous imputations from becinning to end. To add the honor? of of- fice, and the emoluments of Government corrup- tion, to those of bank corruption which they now enjo3', without regard to honor, justice, decency, er truth, ;;- the great end and aim of all this false clamor and mischievous industry.

Let the people not be deceived. Great reform was notoriously accomplished by Gen. Jackson's administration in expelling from power the direct, profligate, and felonious plunderers of the Trea- sury. Yet it is said there has bees no reform! and the people are appealed to to restore the old order of things. Yes, to restore Southard to the Navy Department, and perchance Watkins to the Fourth Auditor's Olfice, and Clay, the head man of the whole corrupt gang, not to the State Department, but to the Presidency dsjure, as he once was Presi- dent de facto. And poor old Gen. Harrison hav- ing, with one White, been used by them until they feel strong, is to be laid on the shelf, and yield all honors to Monsieur Brag, the corruptest of the corrupt. Whether honest men of any party can be so deceived as to relish such reform, remains to be seer .

My colleague has made an attack on the War Department, and because there is an increase of clerks and expenditures consequent upon the in- crease of bilsiness and unavoidable duties to more than double of what they were in the times of the eeonomicnl administration of Messrs. Adams and Clay, nnd has attempted to impress the public mind th.-^i extravagance and profligacy mark this Department with the rest, and that reform pro- mised has been neglected in relation to this 'Department.

To ascertam the facts, I called upon Mr. Poin- .solt, the Secretary of War, and presented him a copy of iny colleague's speech, with a request that he would furnish me answers to the allegations and charges contained in said speech. In conformity with my request, he has been kind enough tn fur nish mt with the following statements. They are full and complete so far as they go, and will be sa- tisfactory to all who hear or see ihem. Comment is unnecessary. Time and space have not permitteit a further investigation into ihis and other Depart- ments; but I have little doubt that the result, on further investigation, would be the same. I before stated thai abuses do exist, alwavs have exi,>.te<l, and alwayf^ will exist, in this and in the adminis- tration of all other Governments. It is impossible ^ULl Ibis vast political federal fabric can be con-

ducted without some abuses so long as frailty and depravity exist and form a part of the very nature of men, by whom ii is governed. But here follows the statement from the War Department:

Paymaster OJenbral's Opfick, Washington, July 5, 1838. Sir: In compliance with your insiructions to examine Mr. Biinil's speech, as published in.tlie National InteIligence^ of tlie 4tli and 5th of May last, and report how his statements agree with the facts as they are known to exist in this office, I have the honor to submit the following statement;

Mr. Bond says, ''in 1S28, the Paymaster General employed three clerks, whose united compensation was 83,900."

'■In 1838 the salary of the same number of clerks is ^,290, besides the messenger's salary.'"

The estimates submitted to (iJongrcss for those years, show that the sums asked for the clerks and messenger im the office of the Paymaster General, were as follows: In 1828. — "Clerks in the office of the Paymaster

General . - - . $3,900

Do. "Messenger ■ . - . 700

S4,60O

In 1838. — "Clerks and messenger in theefficeof the Pay- master General "- - • . 6.100

Difference between the two years - - $1,500

Accounted for as follows:

The clerks and messenger in the office of the Paymaster Ge- neral are appointed under the act of the 20th April, 181f', which provides for, viz: 1 chief cleik, at a salary of $1,700 - - $1,W

1 clerk " 1,400 - - 1,400

2 clerks " 1,150 each - 2,300

3 clerks " 1,000 each - 3,000 I clerk " 600 - - 800 1 messenger " 700 • - 700

89,900 The business of the office has not lequired at all times so many clerks, and they have been reduced accordingly. In 1828, but three were employed, and not all of these at the high- est salaries. The numerous volunteers and militia, calltd into service to suppress Indian hostilities, increased the business so much as to make it indispensably necessary to reemploy one of the five additional clerks to wl'.ich the office is entitle*), and, in order to retain the services of competent persons, to allow to those employed the highest salaries provided by law. This makes the difTercnce in the estimates for the two years.

It is still competent for the iSecretary of War, under the act of the 20th of April, 1818, to nppoint for this office three addi- tional clerks, at $1,000 each per annum, and one at seOO per annum.

Very respectfully.

Your ebedient servant,

N. TOWSON, P M. G. To the ll'in. .1. R Poinsett,

Secretary of War.

Compiirative statement of llf. number of persons employed

in the Quartermaster Getieral's office, in the years 1828

and 1838.

In 1-28 — 3officers; 2 clerks; 2 sergeants, acting as clerks; 2 sergeants, acung as messenaers; total, 9.

In 1835— 2 officers; Gclerljs; 1 messenger; total, 0.

Note.— It will be seen that there is no increase in the num- ber of persons employed in the QuanermasliT General's office, since 1828. The only change is in the substitution of clerks for officers and sergeants then employed. During the last two years, (he duties ()f the office have been increased fourfold.

T. CROSS, Act'g Q. G. Quartermaster General's office ( Washington city, July 5, 1838. S

Surgeon General's Office. July 3, 1S38.

Sir: Im obedience to your instructions, 1 have examined the speech of Mr. Bond of Ohio, so far a^ it relates to this office, and have the honor to report, that the regular salary of the clerk employed in this office is the same as was received by him in IS28, viz: $1,150 per annum, to winch 10 per cent was added, during the last year, bv an act of Confress, making $1,26.') p-r annum, and not $1,266. as stated in the speech re- ierred to; ihis addition of 10 iiei cent, continues to the adjourn- ment of the present session of Consress.

From the oreanizaiion of tiiis officea sergeant from the army was employeJ to peiform ihe duties of messenger, until 1836, when, by an art rippiovfd on the 4ih of July of that year, pro- vision wa«made lor a messenger in lieu of i he .nrgeant. whose salary is $-j00 per annum, and to which 20 per rent, was added by the act of Congress of the 3d ol March, 1837, referred ;to

13

when stating ihe salary of the clerk, s9 that the actual diffe Ttnce consists in paying the messenger by specific appropria- tion, instead of his being paid from the army appropriation, as was the case when a sjrgeaiit was employed. I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Vour obedient servant,

BENJAMIN KING, Hon. J. R. P«iNSETT, Acting Surgeon General

Secretary of War, Washington.

Office op the Com. Gen. of Sub.

Washington, July 3, 1838.

Sir: In compliance with your request of 2d ins^t. the speech ofMi. Bjndcl the4thand.>th May ult, has, as lar as regards this office been examined, and I have the honor to repori, that in that speech as published in the "National Intelligencer," it \s asserted, that

In lSi5, the Subsistence Department employed four clerks, whose joint compen-^ation was $2,950; and

In 1833, the Subsistence Department employs four clerks, whose joint compensation is $5,8S0.

In 1823, the number of cieiks permanently employed in the Subsistence Department was three, and their compensation was, thus: , „ ,

2clerksperact,2Gth May, 1824 • - - «2,150 00

1 clerk per act, 2d March, 1827 - • - 800 00

1 clerk temporarily employed by permission of the Secretary of War at $25 per month

«2,950 00 300 00

83,250 00

At that pel iod, an orderly sergeant was employed as a mes- eenger, who received his compensatiou from the ''pay of the Army."

By the 1st section of the act of 9th May, 1836, the employment of noncommissioned officers in any of the offices of the De- partment of War was prohibited; and it became necessary to ask compensation for a messenger to be paid out of the appro- priation for the civil list.

In 1833, the compeii3a:iun of clerks and messengers in the Subsistence Office is,

1 principal clerk peract, 3d Mirch, 1835 - - $1,600 00

1 clerk ...... 1,200 On

1 do 1,000 00

AutI the messenger paid by appropriation Aggregate

$3,800 00 500 00

$4,300 00

By act M March, 18:37, Congress added ten per centum upon $2,800, of the above salaries making- - • $280 00

And upon $1,500, including the inesseBger, twenty

percent. - - • - '• 300 00

Making

Which added to the above

Makes

$.^80 00 4,300 00

$4,880 00

being $1,000 less "paid to clerks permanently employed, than stated by Mr. Bond; but when the resolution of Congress of 1st February, 18-36, pa^fsed, •'authorizing the President to furnish rations to certain inhabitants in Florida;"' the Secretary of War directed that a special account should be kept in this office of the issues under that resoluti'.n; tlie permanent force in the of- fice being insufficient for that purpose, in addition to their other duties, it became necessary to employ a clerk to attend espe- cially to that business, whose annual compensation was fixed at $1,0 0, which added to the other items, constitutes the amount as stated in thespeech.

When the department wiis renderod permanent by act of 3d March, 1835, the then Secretary of War thought thaf the sala- ries of the clerks in this office, should apprximate as nearly as'practicable, those of clerks employed in the civil bureans, as he was particularly aware, that the salaries previously paid, were inadequate to the services rendered, and the responsibility attached to the situations; but in every instance where compen- sation to clerks or me.ssenaer in this office has been |)aid, it h.as been done invariably iindei acts parsed by Congress itself, except in the two instances above mentioned. Very respectfully.

Your most obedient servant,

GEO. GIBSON, C. G. S. Hon. J. R. Poinsett,

Secretary of War.

Indian Department.

Assertion No. 1— Tlie business of Indian Allaira- was dis- charged Dy some one or tv/o of the seventeen clerks employed hi the War Department.

[.\^cr — In 1828, four clerks were engaged in the transactio n of tl.is bn;-ines.s— ilr. McKenney, Mr. Iliimilton, Mr. iCmlz and Mr. Miller. The Secieiary thencondnct-'da niiie;i lager portion ol the coriespondence, and supei vised tie details fat more ex tensively than now.

Assertion No. 2— In 1828, there was one Superintendent of Indian AflUirs, who was paid $1,500 per annum.

Fact— In 182S, there was one Superintendent, eo nomine, at. SI, 500, and three Governors of Territories, acting as Superin- tendents, one at $1,500 and two at $750. These allowances were made by Mr. Calhoun in 1821, 1822 and 1823; to theCuiernor of Michigan in 1821; (see i.r. C's anstxerto the resolution of the House of Representatives of January 18ih, 1332, Sta;e papers, 1st session 17th Congress, vol. 6th, Doc. 60;) to the Governor of Arkansas in 1822; and to tne Governor of Florida in 1823; (see extract herewith of letter to Governor Duval of October 25, 1823;) aggregate compensation $J,500.

Extract of a letter from the Secketary OF War to his Ex- cellency William P. Duvall, daled 2blh October, 1823.

"Your letter of the 2d ult. was duly received.

"Upon a review of all the circumstances, the following prin- ciple has been adopted for the settlement of your clai.n to com- pensation as superintendent of Indian affairs in Florida, to wit:

"For the time past when there was no Indian agent for Flori- da, an allowance will be made to you, as superintemlent, at the rate of fifteen hundred doUnrs per annum, which is 'lie rate of compensation allowed to the Indian agent now authorized by law

"Since the appointment of an Indian agent lor the Territory, in viitue ol the authority above mentioned, and hir the future, an allowance will be made to you at the rate of seven hundred and fifty dollars pei annum, which is intended lo cover the ex- pense for clerk hire, office rent, and all other? necessarily in- curred by you in your intercourse with the Indians, that being the same amount as is now allowed to the Governor of the Ar- kansas Territory, and is considered a fair compensation for all expenses incurred by him of a similar nature " ,

Assertion No. 3— In 1838, we find four Superintendents of Indian Affairs, with salaries of $1,. 500 each.

Fact— In 1838, there is one Superintendentat SI, 500, and one Governor (of Wisconsin) acting as such, whose compensatiou ,is Governor and Superintendent is fixed, by law, at $2,500. Adoptins the piincipleofdivision established thi^- session, in re- gard to the Governor of Iowa, and his pay as Superintendent will be$l,tOO; aggregate $2,500.

The other two acting Superintendents are Indian Agents, and receive only the pay of agents, as fixed by the law of 1834. This is stated in a note in the Blue Book, page 91, to whicli Mr. B. evidently had referred.

Assertion No. 4— In 1828, there were twenty-one Indian .\£enls, (ihree at $l,SOO, six at $1,500, one at $1,400, five at 81,300, six at $1,200, see State papers, 2d session 20ih Congress, 3d vol. Doc. 117, page 7,) and twenty-eightsub agents. In 1838, ten Indian Agents at $1,500, and fourteen sub-agents at 8750.

Fact— In 18-33, there are but eightlndian Agents, exclusiveof the two acting as Superintendents, and whom Mr. B has count- ed as such.

In 1828, the appropriations for the Superintendents and Indian Aients was $31,000-111 18:J8 It is $16,500.

In 1828 the appropriation for sub-agents was $15,ll!0— In 1838 it is $13,000. . . . . ,

In 1838 the number of interpreters at agencies ).= e/ght less than in 1828. The average pay of an interpreter in 1S28 was $;00 per annum, (see Bine Book for that year,) making the ag- gregate compensation of the thirty-nine employed in that year $15^600 —Appropriation in 1838,89,300.

Assertion No. 5 —In 1838 we hear ofa commissioner whose salarv is $3,000, and 12 clerks and two messengers, whose joinl compensauon is $19,400.

Fj^ct.— In 1828, Governor Cass and General Clark, at the in vitalion of the Secretary of War, prepared a report, containing, among other things, "a code of regulations for the government of the (Indian) Department, and for the general adminisiration of its affairs." This was in the form of a^bill. Tlie first section provided for the appointment of a commissioner at $3,000; the second prescribed his duties; the third related to the number of clerks; the fourth gave him the franking privilege, and the fifth aiilhwrized the emoloyment efa messenger. These five tectiona are stated to "contain substantially the pvovisions of a bill re- ported by the Committee on Indian Ai airs' in the House of Re- presen'atives, at iho first session of the same Congress."— (See State Papers 2d session of the20;h Congress, Vol. 3d, Doc. 117, p 4. ) This report was sulnnitled t ) Congress by the Secretary of War, " with a respectful but earnest recommendation."

' So, th"n. It appears that this Indian Departm«'nt, with its Commissioner at $3,000, clerks, and messengers, was first pro- pn=.-d by a VVhis committee, under a Whig administration, in the very year 1828, v^hen the business was not more than one- ihirdofwhat it is 1S38.

14

'liie numliiT nf e'.ark.-; now employed in the Iiiili.in ofiko is J2. Tiie fi>j'i)ber in 18:S was4. In 1^) I waa arftlcd; in 1831 another; a;ui ui 1S32 a messengiT. In (lie latter year, the bcsi- wessofeTiigniiidii wms coin i itied ;o llic ComiTUssary General, who employe 1 5, a^cl a messenger. In 1^36, 2 were aml'.arizeJ by law to li.- t>:i,;il()yeil on ilie business of Inilian reservaiionn The increase wa'^'icc.iMoiie.i in 18311 an^I ISJl. by the passa;r(Mi( the act of Miy'2S;h, lo30, prnvidinsr lor an rxciuinge of lands, and the trea'y ol St'|j;ember27th, IS:^0, with the Choctaws, ar- coriiing to the stipnl iti.insof whith, their removal Vfas imme- di^itely commenced. The provi«iions in the same treaty, in that with the Ci- eks of March 21, 18:32, ind wirh the Chickasavvs in 1832 and 1834, gr.Tiiiing reseive.= to individuals a d he id^ ol lUmilies, to th.j i,iimbi>r of about 10.CX)0, and which were the firt^i provisions of rim kind to any extent, anihorized in ihe .judgment ©f Congress theeniploymenl of the other two in 183^. The wliok Biimber was 13.

The busineEj if emigration ha=-been Jransferred tp the Iiidian Ofiii-e; tin; number of clerks i.s 12, and the number ol messen- gers is 2.

Thu." far for (he l.i.Uan Department in the two years -specified, independent of ire.'.tyctipulaiiwn.^. The expense of .superin- tendents, aients, siibasents, and interprctei% in 1.838, wa'^ «61,970; in 183^ it is §35 800; less in 153^!, ■523,170. This is ex- elusive of th ' coinpensation of the acting superintendents, which, a'! has b-cci .shown, is $2,000 les.'j than in 1828; making (lu< entire diflercn-e in favor of ia33,$25,170.t

We now come to the compositiou of the Indian Department, «llJor ari.'l by vijhie oftreaiy stipulations.

Mr. B.md enumerates 6 superintendents of emigration, 15 cmduciinz an! enrojling agenis, 2\aluing ngeiU', 8 collecting agents,2is'siiiiig agents. 16 assistant agents, l.'j physicinns, H clerks, 14 inter:ireier.s,2 conductors of e.vploring fiarties.

UsMAnK — Tue-jO are all engaged in the bu3:ne.=:s of emigra- tion. As 0) ag:^nsofei;h r of these classesare sta'ed to have feeen emploved \n 1S26, or prior thereto, theimpre.s.sion wid na- turally he that none were employed,

S-'act — III ch>! trca'.y v.ith the Creek.^ of .lantiary 24, 1326, ▼.-ere stipulati'i-is forihe valtnlion of their iiriprove'inents; for tlieir removal a.id suh^-istence; valuing, collectiim, enrolling, cmducting. and isr.iingagcn's were emjdoyed. The number of each class, a rd tne p.iy of each, cannot be ascertained with- out refererxe lo the Auilitor's Office, and a long t.\-airiinat:on; the feet of their rniployinsntis proved by thecorrespondenrc in the Indian Odii'e. Someappoinlinsnts of the sauie kind were also made un lei- ihe treaty with the Cheroicees of May 6, 13 >! Rbmark — Thn treaty with he Choftaws of September 2", 1330, was the tii-t undor which emigration took plare ex'en- alraJy; and it Wisiint until the follewing year that it tommencecl withmHi-h vigor under that wifh the Cherokees of 1835; and ii was in 1831 that, for the first time, regulations were prescribed whitjh g.-rve fit.-in anl sy.sicm to thebusiness of removal. These provided for the employment of the difleient cliis.-s« of aeents above ejui moral eJ, and fixed their compensation. These were not only approved bv ihe President, bu\ slightlv revised have ttoen appendsdto th ■ reports from the Indian Office for the last year.

For the rea-'^nnablenesa nf ihcm, consider the number of la- gans to be roinnv»d. and the stipu!ati.in.=> to be fulfilled. Since thebaginningof 1528, sixty-four treaties have been made with Indians 0,'ih •:^!^^ thiry-fuiir provided for llie leniovalof the Indians, the valuation of their improvements, stock, &c. and theiraiib--isre-ue for twelve months at their new hornei'. Liv- ing in dir;. rent sections of the country, difTerent sfts of aeents were nee --ajily employed, the numbn- in each cise beinz graduated \vi"i regard to the niimhcrof Indians, and the amount ofservic..- 1;. b^ r,'n lered. For the remn-al of ihe larger tribes. Agencral su -n'i;enden( was essential as the only "means of preaervin: iismi my an ) subordination among the other ag'-nts, ano amoTii the 1 1 linns, and of rnsorin? unity of action." All mponsi'd'ity w.as devolved upon him,' To him was commit- ted Jhe 3'U»r i; Ml. n ihe first in.stance, of all the other persons lo Be employed, /.il al.soibe i<ower to suspend them from duty; and upon b's requisitions alone were the disbursinz officpis, military and civil, lo make- payments. For this responsibilitv, and his viirto:>4 ,-^r,d numerous service.^ 182000 will not be coii- sidered too la :■'.'.: a compensation. The six nani.-d bv Mr. H-in 1 »a in the service in 1835 are Qoneral Smith, superintemlending theremovd of die Cherokees, numbering 18 000; Maj. llp,"hur, the remov.il ofthe Chickasaw.s. Si'OO; Colonel Pcjiper, the r.-^ '"'*•-■ " 'tl iw.itamies, Ottowas, and Chippewas, 6,7i0;

luoval of the

1 There is :\'r?i another consideration. The appropria- tions lor the Ivmiiu Depariir.cnt ptoper. in 1S3S, were under four ^lea 's— pay of superintendents and agents, pav of snh- agents, ire«-ni'-. and contingr»jicirs. The airoiint under the kitter was S''').000 w li'-h was ap,.lieil at the discretion of the Departr"'-.ni, and o;;; of it were pai 1 smiths, farmers, interpre- ters, iin-: any hodv the I),-partnicnl niiffht clioo--e to employ. In 183? th" appt'opriaiilns are specific, hafed on laws avd U-8aiii«,and th: esiimatej for which are minute and full.

Colonel Sands, .•^i.'icoritinucd, and duty tran.-ftrred to Pej per. There are, tlierel'ore, three atS;2,000, neither of wboiii will ho in service, probably, at the clc^^e of the present ye r, as all these Indians will be removed. There is one other at five dcdlars a day. collecting straggling Choctaws in Missiseipfd, vthi se em- ployment is temporary, and the gixth, who rectivtdthe eaiiw pay, has been discharged.

Of the fifteen enrolling and conducting agent.-*, five arc em- ployed among the Pottawatomie?, Otiow,is, ant! Chippewa;^ five among the Chickasaws, and five amdlni the tlher.okfes, wlio.e services ?.ill tcrn:iiia:e before thore oi the su|.erint(nd- ents. The enrolment luiist exhibit the name of each head of a family, and the number in each family, to he ascertained by personal inquiries ilirough the nftiun, and.it is rtquiitd to re- gulate the issues of raiious on Ihe route, and pfiynicnts and subsistence alter their arrival west. The conductor ha.s charge of the movement of a parly, directs the issues of provi.sidiis, ihe transportation of the sick, and of the baggage, &c. and is held accountable lor the delivery of the pariy to the agent of the Governmer.t West of the Mississippi. The interpreters arc as nefeseary in the emigration as at the agencies; their com- pensation is higher, lo cover ihe expenses of travelliiig. The employ t:ient o! physicians is required by humaniiy, ami the ex- perience with Hie earlier einigianis would not j list ifv the Go- vernment in refu.-^ii.g toemjdoy them, merely tn avotd the ex- pense. Four &f the physiciiiiis enumerated by Mr. Hond are provided fir in treaties; two in that with the Winnebagoes, of September, 1832, and two iii that with the Ottowas and Chip- pewas, of March £S, 1836; in bo;h the pay is fixed. Conductors o.'"exploring parties are al*o employed under treaty'stipulations. Mr. Bo.xn savs: '• Wc find thirty three commis.=:oucis and special agents."

Remabk. Of the thirty-three, twelve were employed under resohiticiH or laws olCongiRss, directing negotiations. or tlie examination of claims; six to execute treaty articles, and one conducted an exploring party, for which theapfiopriation ivi-i- inride at the suggestion of the Committee on Indian Affairs in the Senate. Of the remaining fourteen, ten weie employed by tlie e.\ptcs3 reqtiirenieril of laws or treaties, two to exrcute trfiiiy articles, one to conciliate the wild tribes of the prairies, and bring deputations of thcni to Washington, and the Last is Ihe di.ilr"iit attorney in Florida, charged with temporary duty, having in view the removal of the Apalacliicolas. Of the thirty-tliiee, there is but one not authorized and required by re- soluttoii, law, or tr£aty, and that one has been employed to jireserve the peace of the Western frontier. Since the .30tb of September, 1837, the date of the report from which Mr. B, quotes, 19 of of the 33 have been discontinued. The pay of com- missioners was, as far back as 1801, eight dollars per day, from tiie time they left home, until they returned, and all necessary expenses were reimbursed, (see iisiruciioiis iroiii General Dearborn to Messrs. Davie, Wilkinson and Haw kins, American State Paper.s, Indian Affairs, vol. 1, page G.jO. )

Mr. Bond presents an arrtiy of fifty three blacksmiths, twenty farmers, eighteen teacheis, five miliers, one surveyor, and five miscellaneou.i agents. It is enough to say wiili regard to thes-'', that with the except'on of one in tiie last class, who is a tries- Ncnaer in Ihe office of the Acting Superintendent at Detroit, performing duly also as a c!eri<, ai $30 per monih, (not a very extravagant allowance.) they are all employed in ihc fulfil- minit of ireavy stipulations, and thtit when the treaty does not li\- their compensation, it is resiilated by the 9tli fection of the act of June 30th, 18&1, organizing the I)i-partment of Indian Affairs, Every one- conversant with Indian relations, knows that, in every nes.->tiation, the Indiai^s wish provision made for sinith.-=, farmers, and teachers, &c. and the Government has al- ways assented, because such measures will conduce to their civilization. The amount set apart for tlies> pariio.'^es, forms a part of the eonsidi ration paid for the lanil ceded by the In- dians. If these per.'ons were not employed, so much niore monov must have been paiM to the Indians. But in this case, too, iWr. Bond leaves it to be inferred, that tuch persons were not in the service in 1828, But from a very hasty examination of the reports from twoof the su|>erinteni!encies, St. Louis and Michigin, it appear.5 that there tiien v.ere thirty biacksmiilis, twentv-two laborers, nine farmers, two teachers, three r hysi- cians, and lour special agents. And it is probable that most of'the treaties under wliicii they Were employed, aic still in foice, and of course these ajipointments make a [lart of those enumerated by Mr. Bond.

But, savs Mr. 11 even this is no' all. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs says the list in the Hlue Book is not accurate or complete. He leaves room lo add or alter. And why did he not quote the r'-ason assigned by the- Comniissionrr? "It bring required ihal the names' of all the persons em- ployed on the ."Oih September should he given, it is impossible 10 f'r'Kiire the r- turns in season for printing the Regisier. Besides thi,", many of the ogints neglect to make riMurns, and in other cases it is imiiracticable, from a variety of causes lo obtain ihe reqaisiie inpirmatinn. It is bslievc.l to be cowplcto and accurate, so far as this office has the means of making it so.'*

#'

15

Knowing well the provisio-ns hi the treaties, the Commia- sioner cuulii not help seeins ai once that the returns did not em brace all the persnus in the service. Taking only the tre.ities roaiie s-ini'e 182?!, (sixty-luur i;i number.) he knew thni they provided for fjrty principal smith-^, while the list shows only twentj-^eight; the resi'lus of the fiityihree named by Mr. ii. \)chigs.^si^iAM!!; Mnd:?o with the olhor classes of persan^i.

"Heie, indeed," excl.iims Mr. J?, 'i^ a display oi palronr.pe." Truly it is n g.eat tliiiij; to have the appoiiitinent of a smith or a lUimet lor Indians on the frontier, and hardly within reach of a white setilement. But how has it happened that r-'o miici.i "patronajre" rests with tl'.e Execiiiivel Not by any net, y\i- manly, of his own. It is Congress that directs' a treaty to be. made, ratifie-i it, aad makes appropriations to carry it into ef- fect. If tlio E.\i-..''ilive, in consecjv.ence, possesses power, it has been knowiiigly and deliberately given by Congress.

It has been sliovvn that the cxfienses lif siiperii.t^ndenls, ige'jts, and in'.erprctere, is twenty-five thousand dollars Ic^s now than in 18iS. And m"re than that. In Doc. 474, ^on^■e of !\e presen'.a'ive-, First session, Tvventy-tliird Congre.^s, pase 40, may be found an "organization of tiie Indian Department," pro- IKjsed by the CJininiiiee on Ini'i.'ni Artairs, the e.\,''en.-;e of which IS a Iraciion nioretliau ilie present. This report was prepared by Mr. Everett of Vermont, wbo deservedly actjuired uiucli credit by it, and the conntry was congratulated on the rdorm and retienclimenl introduced by the laws tlicn passed, and which weie !• jsed ujion it.

The sum of ilip. matter isthi?. There have been sixty- four Creaties made with Indians since IS2S The S:ates have been elowly and gradually relievodof their Indian population. The tribes have^heen settlcil bi.-yond the Mississippi and Missouri, jio that intercourse with them is necessarily more expensive than ever. New features have been introduced into treaties. The Indians have not been talked with merely to get thcii lands, been oii'ored for it only li iiling and temporary aid, and left in the neigiiborliood they were found in. They have had assigned to them a fertile and healthy country, and liave been li'oerally supplied with plough.?, Iioes, and axes, for the men, and looms for thj women; wiili mechanics to teach and wot k for them, and farniefs to break up land and plant it for them, and teach them to do likewise. They have ceded to the Thiltetl States lS,x;50,0 0 ;;cro.'', r,.ir which "the Government has .stipu- lated to give them in kind money, kc. Si72,560,0,")6; and it is expected that all this should have been don;! at no in.rease of oxpcndiiuve over that in [SiH.

My CMllea?r;ie has rectmf.se lo ihe official ."-tti'e- ment? of "the amount received by the Globe ofiice, daring the last and pre.<ent Adminisiratioti?, as proof of the exiravagf.nceof tiie llepublicfins, and ground of suspicion against the honef ty of the editor. He gives ihe i>um total of the amount paid for printing for Coiigrey.s r.nd ihe Departmenls, in the Glt^be of- fice, hunting ihr. -ugh the lernisof two PresiJenhs, at $220,000. I take it for granted, having no oppor- tunity ior Ih? examination of the inuliitude of item.-; of which it Ls made up, that this sum may have been disbursed through ihe Globe office for printing and p.^.per, and other materials necessary to this species of work, so abfolutely indispensable in the proper discharge of tiie business of Congress and the Departments. My colleague will allow that print- ing muit be done for the Government. It is looked •apou as the giory of our free Governnient, that all its acts are exhibited in print, and full inlcrmation afibrded to an cnlighlened com>nunily of ever} thing done by it.'^ pubic agents. This is the me- dium through which the fuctionaries and representa- tives of a people overspreading a conlinent, are held to an accountability, stricter than that v,-hich the people of the ancient Republics could com- mand in a di-strict of country, not greater than one of our large counties. The only questions brought up by my colleague's display of the public printing done by the Globe e.stabli.>hrnent are, has it been done wein Has it been done cheaply 1 Has it been done honestly? By bringing tt gether the labors of a great estahlishnienl fiom its fiiundation to the pre- sent mcr.icenl, my collf ague [Mr. B] would insinuate an .'".ccusauc-n of Ciorbitaiut charges against the

Government on the p-ut of Messrs. Blair .md Rives. My colleague >howed hi.s caution in Ihas accusinj; by inuendo. ]Iewas perlectly aware of the unimpeachable honesty of the proprietors of the Globe office, and did not dare to make a single specification against them. But a member from Tennessee, [Mr. Crocke-it,] in pi;r.-uing the game of the (Opposition in a private letter, charged ihat three or four hundred thousand dollars of the pub- lic money had been paid to the Globe ofhce for printiiig the speeches of Messrs. Ee.nton and C.vl- iioUiV in dti'tiice of the Administrai.on. His col- league, [Mr. Carter,] perceiving that this ex- ceeded by some hundred.^ of thousands ?.ll the public money that passed through the Globe office in payment lor work done and materials put*jhased for all the Departments and Congress, came to the rescue of his fiiend [Mr. Cat ckett] by declaring that a tariff had been laid on. the pay of the clerks lo make up the sum paid for publication. The moment that these charges sppeaved, the Editor ot* the Globe, th.'^ough ids paper, clial'ongfti an inves- tigation by a committee of Congirss. The lafm- bers of Congress who made them were told it was their duty to bring ihe delinquent they denounced.to justice. My colleague and his accouijilice aavistrs shrunk frou) meeting the man they had charged, beft re a commiiiec of our own body. Mr. Blair then appealed to this Kou.se, by petition, to refer Ihe matter to a committee, and have a full scrutiny of all his accounts wilh ihe public. The .spe- cial commiltef; was ordered by this House, tnd then commenced the effort c-f the Opposition 10 defeat, by indirection, the inquiry, which they knew would disgrace the persons they had put forward to sxgmatize the A(Imini.->lr tic^n and the official paper by their acciisaiii>i.s. Only six weeks of the session remained, and ilie Opposition knew how dil'ficuH it would be, v. hen all the busin6»s of the session was huddled into this narrov.' space, to take up a postponed question, especially in regard to a petition which could only come up, by th.e rule, on the Monday of every alternate week. An hour, therefore, after the inquiry had been ordered by a special commiitec, a Conserva'ivc- [Mr. Hop- kins, of Virginia] moved a reconsiderauon. This hung up the decision iv,'o weeks, and wa.->", I am afraid, intended for that purpose. When the siibjeci was again taken up, every atlifice v.as resorted to for the purpose of defeating itiquiry. It was first proposed to refer it to a standing ct-mmittec, composed of one of ihe accii.'^.ers [Mr. Crockett] and others, making a maio'ity of Opposition mcmbeis who had shows themselves afraid of the invesiigalioH. If the case had been referred i'? the accusers as jud^^is, would not the whole inquiry have been Mnoihe;i'd,or a re- port as foul and erroneous as the original charges returned by those making them? The accusers [Bond, « C.nocicKTT, and Carter] cxericvl themselves in this attempt, but it was voted down by the House. An eiTorl to lay Ihe sf.bject on the table, an so get rid of il, v.as tried by t!u; .'^amo party in ^■ain, At last, after ihe committee was appointed, and had ihe instructions wf ihn Hous-" to inquire iii'i. the whole subject of the public piinting, when ii came forward and asked the ordinary power of sending for person.? and papers lo obtain evi~

16

flence of ihe facis it was required to report, the Opposition opposed ihis, and moved to <li«-harge ihe commitiee altogeiher t'roin the duty a.s.>igned.

This /'ailed, and ihe commiitee met and organ- ized ti r the examinalion. It opened its ^itling^ ai- mobt every ranrning at 8 o'clock, but not one of the accusing members came forward to make good iheir charges. At last ihe committee adcre.-sed a note to iVlr. Crockltt, inviting him to support by evidence, tiie allesationsmade by him in the House and his private letters. Mr. Crockett replied, if the invf.siigatioH was to be confined to the prayer of the petition, lo a scrutiny embracing only the accouiiis of the Globe office with the public Deparl- meni: and Congress, he would have nothing to with, it; but if the coiniriittee would go out of the instruc- tions of the House, and inquire into \he private accounts of the edit-T of the Globe, he would cxa- naine witnesse.-! How the committee treated this evasion, I a'n not informed; probably with silent contempt. But I am authorized by Mr. Blair lo say that he i-^ willing to submit his private accounts and his private life to the closest scrutiny. The bold assailants in this House .skulking thus from the summons, the committee had no alternative but lo seek GUI testimony on the allegations made be- fore the representative body, by interrogating those who, from the nature of the charges, must know iheir truth or fa'sehood.

Mr. Crockett's charge, made by him in writing, verifird by his signature, and secretly circulated, was couched in the.'^e words:

"HunJrefIs of thousands of Mr. Benton's and Mr. Calhoun'^ epfieclies, as I am iiiiormetl, have been primed gratuitously, and circulated Iiy 'rhepartt/'' thioughout the land.

"My own .>|)iiiioii is, hone.stly,ihat they are paid for out of the public TirabUiy, and I lielieve it could be proven lo tlie satis faction of ev<ry unprejudiced mind; aiany rale I should like to know how Dear Blair, 'the printer of the Globe, can afford to print s() many thousand sjieeches' for nothing, and findhiinselH No man can believe it who is nut as blind wuh party prejudice .isasnake in dog days. The cost at the ordinary rate cannot, I think, be less than Imm .3 to $400,000 "

As explained by his colleague (Mr. Carter) in the pre.sencp of the House and of Mr. Crockett, and afterwards published by Mr. Carter in the National Inf^Hieencer, it stpod thus:

"8.r, my cnlleai?iie ilii! not i.ilend tosay that the money was taken (i/rec/Zy fro in the Treasury, and applied to tliese pur- poses, bill he intended to say, and does say, that the public money is indirei-tly appropriated, and applied to this specific use. So-, are there no grounds for ihis opinion! If the salaried officers of the (Jovernrnent are paid extravaganily, and those .-alarits made sufficiently high to sive the officer a reasoniible compensation f'r his services, after coniributini! several lum- dfcd dollars for party purposes— to pay for these partisan epeeche.sand extra Globes, if you plea'^c, which is said to be coerced from them by this parly regnlaii.in and discipline— I would ask, in the name of common sense, if this is not virtual- ly defraying these expenses out of the public Treasury, to all intents and imrposes? Sir, it is vitiuallv the same ihing, just nsm'ich so as if the editor of the Globe was directed by the Go- verniiieni to cause to tie printed ten ihoiisaiil f opies of that pa- per every week, and circulated to non-subscribers, and to draw liis money directly from the Treasury, The efTect is the san c; the Governnent pays ihe mon y in either case, and, in either jioinl of View, imprnperly. Sir, were not ihe salariesof these officers increased ten or twenty per cent, just before the last Pre- sidential ele.-tioii, upon the recommendation and vote of the pariy thai rei?ned and ruled in ihis House so triumphantly— jn r-^nsp,! in ■' -is m;rh a^ i^ slid to he the tax laid and collect- d off those ofTicerafor party operations?"

This impuiaiion en the Government and the Editor of the Globe thrown out in .secret letters at first, and alVrwards promulgated on the floor of this House, for the purpose of giving it the stamp of a Congressional impeachinent; and which, as I

have shown, they attempted lo kccji pending and unrefuted by an inqu.ry, until after tne elections, was j)ut down by a cloud of witnesses. The coiii- uiitlee adurejsed a note tw all the Dtpariments, in pursuing ihe mquiiy as to the fads |.ul in issue by Messrs. Crockett and Carter:

It was responded to by all the Departments; every one proving that no thai.ge in the ordinaiy price of printing had been made favorable to the GK.be office; but on the contrary, ihe Department of Stale, Treasury and Post Office, poiiP to particu- lar instances of considerable reductions. The clerks of all the Departments have, in a body, given written testimony, signeii by iheir names, establishing, in the most explicit manner, the utter want of foundation in truth for ihe a.ssertion of the members from Tennessee, [Messrs. Crockett and Carter,] that a taiiffhad been imposed on them to pay for publications at the Globe ofhce. I select the shortest leplies as a sample of the whole:

Navy Uepariment, July 7, 183S. Stn: I herewiiti transmit the answers of myself and clerks, and that of the clerks of the Navy Commissioners' office, to ihi- queries propounded in your teller of the 3d instam. I have the honer lo be, sir,

Very respectlully,

Your obedient servant,

J. K. PAULDING, Hon. .Tas. J. McKav.

Chairman Select Cunimitiee House of Rejireseiitatives. DisTnicT OF Columbia, s.«.

Personally appeared before me, Robert Getty, one of the Jus- tices of the Peace for said District, James K. Paulding, Secre- tary of the Navy of the United States, and, being duly swoni; saith:

1, That he does not know of any instance in which the Edi- tors of the "Globe" have been allowed for printing (or the Navy Department a compensation greater ttian ihat usually paid to other printers for jiiinting, similar to that required to be done by those Editors.

2, That he does not know any instance since he has been at the Head of the Navy Department, in which printing, not pro- perly chargeable lo the United States, according lo law er Ihe usages of his predecessor, has been oidered and paid for out of the public fund, either lo the Editors of the Globe or any other printers; and that he does not know of any of ihe officers of the Navy Department being tariffed or required to raise funds to pay for public documents or speeches to be jiubiished at the office of tlie Globe or elsewhere.

3, That no change as to the mode or prices in the execution of the printing done for the Navy Department has been intro- duced since he has lieen at i(s head, dill'ering from that gus lomary under his predecessors; and furlhei saith not.

J K PAULDING. Sworn and subscribed this 7th day of June. I83S.

ROU'T GETTY, J. P.

Navy Dep.^rtment, June 7, 1838. The undersigned, clerks in the Navy Depariment, respecl- I'ully stale, in answer to an inquiry contained in a letter of the .3d instant, aildresced to the Secretary of the Navy by the Hon. James J. McKay, chairman of ihe select committee of the House of Representatives, to which was referred so muchif the memorial of F. P, Blair as invites a scrutiny into all his accounts for printing for ( ongress and the public offices, that they have not "been tariffed or re(piired to raise funds to pay lor public documents and speeches lo be published at the officer of the Globe, oi elsewhere."

(Signed'' JOHN HOVLE.

J. I) SIMMS. L, It, llAKOl.^i. T1I03 1.. RAtJSDALC. H. M. VOORHEES, H STARK. M. POOR. A. II (illlNCY, N. B. BOYLE. Sworn and subscribed before me, at Washington city, lhi» 7th day of June, tK'>8.

(Signed) ROBT. GETTY, J. P.

A declaration like the above was sw orn to and snbscribed by the clerks in the Navy Commission-

-¥

17

ers' office, before Chas. W. Goldsborough, J. P. aad sent to the committee.

There are 444 clerks in all the Departments. Of these a large majority are in opposition to the Administration, and to the press which supports it; and yet, with perfect unanimity, they bear unhesitating testimony to the utter groundless- ness of the charge made by the members from Tennessee, [Messrs. Crockett and Carter.] It appears there was not the slightest circumstance to countenance it — not a pretence to found it on. It was made on this high authority, was to do mischief to ths Administration in the approaching elections, under the hope that inquiry might be baffled during the remnant of the session, or that the comm'ttee would not be able to examine the whole subject submitted to it; and that as it could net report in full, the evidence would not come out in time to correct what I might call fabrica- tioB, until it had done its work for the party. To defeat this iniquitous scheme, I felt myself called on to seek from the same quarter the same evi- dence which the committee has obtained, and I use it to put in a proper light before the country those who would abuse their high station to destroy the reputations of innocent men for party objects.

It appears from the official and verified state- ments of the Departments, that no increase of price on any jobs executed for them by the Globe off.ce, has in any instance taken place; on the contrary, that great reductions have been made on several; and on inquiry, I learn that the printers and others who appeared before the committee, who measured the work, and made the requisite calculations to ascertain whether it had been well done by the Globe office, and charged for according to law, proved, as far as they progressed, that all was right.

To enable the public to judge of the excess of profits; which my colleague, [Mr. Bond,] by his aggregate of fi2Q0,O00, would make the impres- sion had been made by the Globe office, I have obtained from JMr. Rives, who has the entire man- agement of the establishment, the following state- ment:

"The prices wliicli Congress pays for its primins; were fixed by three disinterested practical printers in 1819, residing in dif- ferent sections of the Union. Two weeks after the Globe office commenced priivLing for Congress, (the llth December, lS35,)lhe wages of journeymen printers were raised by the Typograpical Society of thisj city, 10 per cent, on former prices. That rate has continued ever since; but the price paid by Congress lias remained unaltered."

The Globe office and materials cost 840,060; the wear and tear of materials is about «5,000 a yeai; the interest on $40,000 is $2,400; the hands in the Globe office have been paid in six years 8140,000; the paper used in printing for the Departments and Congress, cost $68,000.''

It will be seen, therefore, from the foregoing statement, that the actual expenditure of the Globe office, in connection with the public work, is $268,000; a sum greatly exceeding the amount re- ceived from the Treasury. Yet a reasonable profit has been made upon the public work, because an establishment adequate to iis performance in the intervals of public employment, and in association with it, is enabled, by publishing newspapers, speeches for members of Congress, jobs for private

ndividuals, and advertisements, to add largely to

ts income. I now turn to the public printing executed at the

ewspaper offices of the Opposition in this city. One

would suppose from the outcry that they, at least, had been preset ibed, as they pretend the office- holding partisans of Federalism have been, aad were almost starving for patronage, while the Globe was rioting in an enormous monopoly. My col- league— who has been almost petrified with horror at the extravagance of the Administrations which (with the command of the Departments and majo- rities in Congress) have, in a course of six years, allowed the only press in this city advocating the Republican policy to derive a reasonable profit oa work and materials furnished to the amount of $220,000 — does not think worth while to mention the trifling amount which has passed through the mills ef the Intelligencer and Telegraph during the same six years, and when both were devoted to the cause of the Opposition. Every body in Washing- ton knows (it is of record) that the National Intel- lenger, office, house and lot, types, presses, profits due and to become due, are deeded to the Bank of the United Stales for facilities granted it at various times, amounting to between ninety and one hun- dred thousand dollars. This is prima facie proof that it has been starved at the Treasury during the six years that the Globe has rolled in such abun- dance. I have looked to the record, and find that the editors of the National Int lligencer hav» drawn the following sums from the Treasury dur- ing the six years of long abstinence that the Globe interfered with its income:

Gales and Seaton received during the six years be- ginning the 1st October, 1831, and ending the 30th September, 1837 - - $432,348 18

Dufl" Green received - - 363,293 94

Together, $795,642 12

For the extra session, in the name of

Allen, up to this time (7th July)

Gales and Seaton have received

for printing to the House - - $120,000 00

In addition to this, is an appropria- tion of $49,000, which has just

passed, for the purchase of Gales

and Seaton's Register of Debates,

(volumes made up from the pages

of the Intellis;encer) and other

books which they have printed and

kept on hand for distribution, at

the expense of the public, among

the members. Of this sum, a few

job printers in this city will come

in for five or six thousand dollars.

Gales and Seaton's part will be at

least .... 43,000 0« For work ordered at this session and

not yet paid for, there will be added

to the receipts of Gales and Seaton

(in the nane of Allen) at least - 15,000 0© The sum total already voted by the

present House to its printers, is - 178,000 00 If the next session of three months

may be calculated upon as the ra- tio, (and as there is always more

work done in the same space of

time in the short session than the

long one,) it is a fair calculation

that one-third of the printing ex- penditure already incurred by the

18

House, may be set down for the '^^'rriming thort' se.-sion — that is ' - 59,000 00 "^■'''rhe following results are shown by the com- parison:

'^'■' 1st. The editor^ of ^he Inlelligpnccr will have re- ceived for the printing for one branch, dvring the fiSth Con^re^, and for olJ bocks distributed among Ihe memftfe' seventeen thousand dollars more than the whofe anicjuni which my colleague [Mr. Bond] His drawn ' together for Avorl< dc^ne by the Globe Itytablishment foi f.ll the Departments, and forCon- "jftess, during six 3 cars.

'' 9d. It shows that the two leading Opposition i^Yesses in this city have received about one million -dollars, commencing with the period which my "colleague [iVIr. Bond] has fixed upon as besinning (Me condemned career of the Globe establishment. ' And yf-t my collrague sees nothing extraordinary 'i% the enormous expenditure on the National Intel- ligencer, but is shocked at the pampered condition bfthcGh'be.

" But if the difference of amounts received by the two estabi;siur;ents is amazing, the mode in which ih'e Intelligencer's receipts have been so swollen is not je;s astonishing.

Keiiber branch of Congress has ever been soli- cited by ihe proprietors of the Globe to print books for tii-triliuiion among the members; nor have any such publi.-^ations been voted lo be done by the Globe (.flice. Only two works, I understand, have pas>eil through its press — the Diplomatic Corre- spcndeiice of the United States from 1783 to 1769, and til!' Commercial Regulations. The frrmsr was priii'ed lor less than it had been done for pre- viously; and ihe lat'cr, which had not been printed before, was printed and bound at less than Con- gressional prices.

T(5C enormous sums which have swelled the bloited receipts of the Intelligencer, are made up of botks to fill the private libraries of members of Congres.-, bcin.'j iht republication of old State pa- pers and Regisfers of Debates, containing the speeciK"=: of the members themselves. This sys- tem ol seducing members of Congress, by their private interests and personal vanity, to vote the ■wagon loads of volumes aniiually distributed from the Intelligencer ofiice, began before I came here. The old members having obtained their share, the new comers do not refu^n what has been previously printed for them: and the old members, as matter of course, vote it, because, if they did not, it would be an acknowledgment that Ihey had taken money from the Treasury to make perquisites in books for themselves to which they were not entitled; and so this abuse is h.mdod down (rom Congress to Congress by the rump of the old members, who are obliged to give to the new members Ihe douceur of books which they h;id previously shared among themselves. I voted fir this resolution. I regret that I done s'>. I did n.il understand at the lime its full bfariii::, and the amount it involved; and I now say, that the portion ofihe books which falls to me, is the property of the Government, and at it^ service, whenever it may be found advantageous to surrender them. Th« Senate have again and again I'oied down this appropriation; but the majority m th? House then tack i im some indispensable ap- propriation bill, and compel the Senate to vote it,

and the President to sign it, or else lose the meang of supporting some tegular establishment of the Goveinment, and be compelled to throw the busi-" ness of the country into confusion, or leave it un- done. The forty odd thousand dollars appropri- ated to the Intelligencer's book contribution, was rejected by the Senate at the present session, as heretofoie; but it was afterwards coupled by Ihe House with the bill "to provide for Ihe support of Ihe Military Academy of the United States for the year 1838, and for other purpcses," and so Arced upon the Snialc and President. It rs in this way, wifen the Federalists have a majority in eitlier brancli of Congress, that they compel a Democra- tic Administration to submit to the appropriation of unnecessary millions, with which, by log-rolhng, they load the bills indispensable to the support of Government. Their corrupt appropriations to subserve private, local, and personal interests, are always tacked to a bill which must be passed, or the Government be stopped.

But another mode is adopted by the Federal party having the majority in either House, to swell the expenses against the wishes of the Administra- tion, and then charge the extravagance to it. For example, at the present session, the House printed more than one hundred thousand dollars in docu- ments, many of them not worth the paper (now made vraste paper,) on which ihey are printed. Of this sort is a volume of one hundred Jind thirty- eight pages, consisting entirely of the cancelled drafts ol the Treasury which iny colleague [Mr. Bond] called for, and had printed. He could have had no motive in calling for this but to make a fat job of rule and figure work for Gales and Seaton. It is just as valuable a work as so many cancelled checks drawn on a bank. In the beginning of the session, Mr. Garland of Virginia, a Conservative, called for the correspondence of the Treasury with the banks. The House was informed that there were not clerks in the Department sufficient to pre- pare it tktring the term of the members. It would have made a fat job of at least (^50,000, on which the gentleman's friend, Mr. Allen, would have had a per centage, and Gales and Seaton their profits. Another call was made by him for all the docu- ments in regard to tire defaulters to the Treasury; andthis would have been to copy and print ihe pa- pers' of the ofiice of the Solicitor of the Treasury out and out. This would, besides the expen.se of copying, cost at least $50,000 more for printing. It uas found the.'-e were not clerks enough to make the copies, and Mr. G.\rland moved a resolutien t!i authorize new appointments for ihis purpose, but it failed. This shows what the Consi rvaiives and Whig> would have dene, by way of bringing grist to Gales and Scaton's press, to afford vast profits to Ihem, and increase the percentage of Albn. What they h:ive done appears, from the gross sum cf a hundred and twenty thousand dol- lars for the extra and present .session of the House priming, with an arrctr of fifteen thousand dollars yei to be received for it, with f.irty-threc thousand dollars for books; and at least fifty-nine thousand dollars to be realized, at the same rate, for the ap- proaching ses ion, showing an asjsregate of TWO HUNDRP:r) AP-fD THIRTY SEVEN' THOU- SAND l)i»LL.\RS for one branch of Congress

Itf

for one Can^ressumal term; whereas Messrs. Blair and Rives h?ve, received, during the six years by colleague [Mr. Bond] has scanned their puinting, only one, hundred and ^ix thousand dol- lars for Cong^-ess printing and mat'^rials, and one hundred apd fourteen thousand from all the De- partment.', tor the same time. .

Bat the most scandri Ions pari of this history of the printing of the House is yet 'to be told. x\l- though Gales and S^a1;on receive all this money fqj- printing, iJiey uere not elected its printers. Alien was elected to perform this confidential tru-st, although he had only abovit- 21 or 22 votes in a House of 242 members. Does it not look as though atler three days' balloting a corrupt bargain was made, under which it was arranged that Allen was to becume nominally the printer to the House, but Gales and Seaton were lo do the work and receive the pay? After the caucus was held which consummated the infamous agree- ment, (if such was the case,) by which it was stipulated that Gales and Seaton's friends woul 1 go over to Allen and unite with the Conservatives m his election, suspicions were excited by the announcement of this determination; and several of the honest Conservatives, whose votes were ne- cessary to the success of Allen, interrogated him as to the supposed intention of transferring the print- ing to Gales and Seaton. He denied positively that there existed such an engagement, and pledged himself to execute the printing in his own office, declaring that he was making provision for that purpose. That he made the pledge, and forfeited it, is established by the statement of a member on this floor, [Mr. Snyder, of Illinois.] Their votes were, in eflect, sold to Gales and Seaton, although they ])rotesti?d, in advance, against being made accessory to such a shameful and corrupt trans- action.

Mr Chairman, a high public trast, personal in its character, has been farmed out in violation of all principle and decency, to individuals to whom it is known a majority of this body, as well as their con- stituents, were unwilling to confide it; and Allen, in violaiion of another Republican principle, holds a?sinecure. Will any one hereafter say, that this House is to be trusted to elect the Chief Magistrate ©f this country, when it is found, that in electing a printer, pecuniary considerations, the bases of bargaining between parties, have controlled the re- sult.

Another natural consequence of this bar- gaining, has been discovered before the com- mittee nppointed to investigate the subject. This commiitfe being appointed at the heel of the session, has not yet had time to make full investi- gation, r.nd report; but I feel at liberty lo use the information which I have derived from a witness, sworn before it. A first rate practical printer, call- ed on by that commiitee to measure the work and calculate the price which it was lawful to charge for it, and compare it with that which Gales and Seaton, in the name of Allen, as printer lo this House, had received for ir, found that the first «locuraent printed for this House at this session, by Gales and Seaton, was fraudulently printed; and hat by diminishing the page, and u^ing types dif- ferent from those authorized by law, they had

made an illicit prsfit, amounting to between thir- teen and fourteen hundred dollars. He 'examined another document, and found a like fraud' cornmit- led; and an unlawful profit of between 3 and $4(30 obtained by it. This was but a beginning. The con^mittee had not lime to prosecute the in- quiry further, at this session; and asked leave to continue it at the next, which was grant- ed. I have a stalerneut of these facts, in writing, from the witness, as swora to by him before the committee. He is a first- rate printer, well acquainted with Congressiona work, and of unimpeachable character. I have little doubt from this commencement that it will be found ia the end, t^.at Gales and Seaton have made as much out of their frauds, as will pay Allen the per centage he required as compensation for IJhe deception practised upon those Conservatives whom he betrayed; and to make good to those who acted with him his promise, to convert the consideration he received into the means of supporting the press established in this city for their common benefit. All the legitimate profits upon the public work will thus, probably, be cleared to the Intelligencer, and the aliment of the Madisonian will be derived from the frauds committed by his V/hig accom- plices on the Treasury. How characteristic this of the two printing concerns, and the two parties which entered into the vi\t coalition that gave birth to the bastard Madisonian? Is it not noto- riously led on ofial of the foul peculations of the Intelligencer? And this is an earnest of what the Federal party will do for the little Spartan band of Conservatives, who shall have joined their standard, in the event of success. They will, no doubt, give them a share of the plunder, but not an atom of the power, of ihe Government.

Will not the American people ask, for whose interests the honor of the great representative body of this country has been compromised, and its hall made a market place, in which the votes of members, and a high public trust, have become a subject of mercenary barter between the leaders of two parties assuming to be actuated by lofty poli- tical principles? When understood, their prin- ciples are like the man for whom they have sacri- ficed the noble character of the country. He is an Englishman, a perfect prostitut;.- in politics — notori- ouily the stipendiary of the Bank of the United Stales — and the ready instrument of every fac- tion, which, in alliance with that instituiion, would contribute to the overthiowof our Republican in- stitutions. He is an alien, too, in all his fellings. He was found the willing organ of Gorustiza in vindicating the cruel and perfidious conduct of Mexico towards our citizens, and its insults to our Government. He took the part of France, when she shamefully v.'ithheld the indemnity she was pledged by treaty to pay, and endeavored to throw the blame on our Governpneni, and raise a party for France, in case we were driven to war in de- fence of our rights. He has encouraged the re- sistance of the Indians to the policy of the Govern- ment, and stimulated the feeling which led to the bu'chery of so many gallant men, the exhausiioii of the public Treasury, and tha ruin of the la- , dians, whose ca-;s2 he pretended to espouse. It is ou this dishonest fraululent Englishman, that more

^b

than a miUion of the public money has been lavish- ed from first to last. And yet my colleague, [Mr. Bond,] and the party with which he is associated, think him poorly compensated.

Mr. Chairman, I think I have said, perhaps more than once, that there are existing abuses; and for reasons which I have given, abuses will exist. But if " those who administer this Government were as pure as the angels that minister in Hea- ven," there would be lean, lank, hungry, unprinci- pled hyenas to howl around this Capitol, with ap- petites prepared not only to devour the reputation of those who live to administer the Gavernment, but the grave itself would be insufficient to secure the dead from their blighting and withering howl.

My colleague has finished his speech with a case from the Old Testament Scriptures, illustrative, as he supposes, of the corrupting influence of power upon the Democratic party; the total want of ana- logy between which, in some of its strongest points, may be easily perceived; for while Hazael came to the throne by the murder of his master, that is, through blood and crime, the present and past Ad- ministrations came into power, not by crime and blood, but by the suffrages of a free and indepen- pent people; and by the same operation which brought these Administrations into power, was a cor- rupt and usurped Administration politically throttled, and its corrupt workers of iniquity thrown into the mud. But, sir, to the Scriptural case. I shall close my remarks by a reference to a case from the same high authority. Sir, the course of the party at present out of power — but earnestly desiring, and sparing no pains, labor, or expense, to get into power — reminds me, and may remind the country forcibly, of the case of the unfortunate Absalom. I refer not to his contriving the death of Amnon, nor his forming a conspiracy with Ahithophel against the administration of the government, but to his ambition, and the means he used with the people to carry his designs.

Being sufi"ered to return from his banishment into the neighborhood of the throne he plied his

political wiles with the unsi^specting people, al- ledging that justice was not done them, promis- ing if he was put into office, that things should be made better. Thus speaking, and forming a party against the Government, we are told that Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate, and if any man had a controversy, and came to the king for judgment, then Absalom said "The matters are good and right, but there is no man de- puted of the king to hear thee. 0! that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath a suit or cause might come unto me, and / would do him justice." And it was so that whea any man came nigh tohim to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him and kissed him. So Absalom xtole the hearts of the men of Israel. He sent spies throughout the land (political mission- aries) to all the tribes of Israel, and ander pre- tence of piety towards God, he left Jerusalem for Hebron, where he was to set up his authority. But ere his mad ambition obtained its consumma- tion, the beast which he rode forsook its rider, and Absalom fell by the hand of trusty Joab, wh» made his grave in a pit.

Absalom went out to war upon a mule — a mon- grel beast, half horse, half ass. What kind of a mongrel hobby is the present Opposition mounted on? Bank, Anti-bank — Tariff, Anti-tariff — Maso- nic, and Anti masonic, &c. &c. They have no opinion in common, except it is hostility to the peo- ple's best interests, and a contempt for their under- standing, or, in other words, a decided hatred to the simple institutions of Democracy. But 'when the people shall rise in their strength, this modem mule shall forsake its riders, and leave them to the fate of Absalom.

With all the ambition and chicanery of Absa- lom, backed by the cunning of his counsellor, Ahi- tophel, the Federal party never can again succeed in getting into power. They have been driven into political banishment, from which they never will be permitted to return.

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