Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-03-12
Public Plumber !

Mr. Speaker, we have had thrown upon our la
hes this morning, long and shameful list of bal
sDces which have been due more than three years,
- one department of the government. A similar
sloc,ment from another department we were fav-
.oured with some days ago. | say shameful, sir
because though the whole amount is enormous, and
nanv OF the items very large, ii appears BY these
doc,imcnts that of the officers of the govern
,oeot know rho or ichere a great proportion of
these debtors are. This race of unknown, uanc-
s.omt,Bk nondescripts are the consumers, or the
,,upe eoats OF very small part OF the revenue of
a ibis country. Ii these long lists of balances are
.omehing real and substantial, it is the duty Of this
house TO make proper Use of information which
.,me oftheln contain, and let those debts be made
n furnish part Of the revenue required. But if
these are mere phantom, il they are only form,
md 10 all useful purposes no better thar waste pa
pes lei US know it, and let them never again ncum-
Der our tables.
But. sir, this is not all. From other documents
.,d renorts and letters laid before us il appears,
that within these three years, immense sums have
been appropriated and furnished to the various de-
partnents aud officers Of the government the dispo
sal OF which We and our constituents ought 10 be
informed Of ; and still remains unaccounted for
How much of il has been honestly applied 10 its
legitimate object, Ged knows. But / will venture
to aihglu that With respects to the disposition of
thousands, and hundreds Of thousands of it, no one
in this house, this nation, will ever be informed
Do our constituents know this ? CIR dc they
believe tina, all the money, which has been taken
from then, has been faithfully and honestly expend
edp II they do-blest be the siumbers of honest,
unsuspectiag ignorance. The pierer and defau-
ter need not fear that my voice will be heard-that
any effort OF mine will rouse the deIuded people of
this land from their death-like sleep. And per-
haps, If it were possible, it would be an Office of
ndscreet friendship, to discover to them those in
uries and abuses which might wish in vain to cor
rect
Sir, Iwshnot 10 indulge unreasonable jealousy
and suspicion Of any of those who are or have been
entrusted with the disposition OF the public money
We are assured BY their friends, their dependents,
and not very unfrequentiy, even by themselves,
that they the best patriots and best men, OF the
country. We are told, there is a perfect system Of
accountability, and that it is impossible public mo-
ney should be purloined, or even misplaced. Grant
ed, sir. The system is, i1i theory, most beautiful
and perfect. We have accountants and comptro-
lers, and all the checks and balances of the most
perfect machinery. We need only give ourselves
the trouble to wind it up. How well the practice
might formerly have correspondent with this fine
theory, Cannot pretend to decide. At present,
it seems TO be quite at variance with il. 1t has
grown oid-and every thing human is liable to de-
u
rub" The impelng force is wasted by friction,
il is diminished by the continually increasing ten
dthey TO the greoi centre Of oaracf,oa; and the
whole force Of the country vii. hardly keep it in
molten. What then is the value OF ali your checks
and baiances! And where is the intrepid, or
the rash and iipprudent man, who could dare at
tempt 10 apply them? Who will venture 70 de.
mani voucher or dissiIow claim, when the con-
sequence might be dismissal from Office, 70 effect
RbIcb, ii necessary, perhaps, even the head Of The
government might be induced 10 lend his aid
Glen The struggle is between conscience and the
loss Of Office perhaps of bread, il does not require
the gift of psepnecy to foretel the event.
Sir 1t is seriously asked. what ought to be done
what course should be pursued In the answer, at
least, there is no difficulty. Commence reform
Correct the abuses of oflce-tbose open, notorious
abuses, which are SO manifest t, that no man can
wink SO hard as not to see them Institute an ex-
animation into the management and expenditure
offnblic money. Collect your debts. Dismiss
nom oihce. the spectator yes sir, and If you de-
tect him, the peclticor too, those wonder-working
Juggers, who, out Of hundreds expend thousands,
and grow rich. Cherish and protect the honest
faithful public servant, who dares to do his duty,
and brave the menaces Puara jurenti,,m. Abolish
'mtcure and unnecessary Offices Create no new
ones Tor the purpose Of extending influence and
patronage PLACE the navy and army upon res
pectabe as far as consistent with the interest and
security oil the country. upon an economi cal estab
ilshment. But beware you not excite and nour
iha love OF military glory, and thirst for conquest
would be fatal to yonr liberty and natl onal hap
Pness Abundance of military resources and pre-
paratlon has a certain tendency to produce war
though the want of them may n OF always prevent
IL. he man, who wears his pi;tos and his dirk,
y mnch more likely to get into collision with those
wnom ne may meet, than the plain citizen who is
without them.
PICTURE OF MAIDEN CoYNEES!
saw MARX ANTONY offer him .
crown and, as told you he put i, by
once but, Tor all that, to my thinking, lie
would tain have had it. then he offered i,
20 him again: then he put it by again
out 10 my thinking he was very 10th to Law
MS nm. ,ers offit and then he offered i, t.
MIN the third time he pu' it he third time
oy; he put j, BY thrice, every time gentle,
than the other"
Times alter, and men alter with them,
sccordIngto Mr. DExrxR's Toast, 70
now the eyes Of our men o: Ambition are
more dazzled with the lustre of Diadem.
man wete julius CAESARS.
Arsraef Of letter received in \ esvJuryhort,
dated MQrbfphP0d nHnrcb . IoiS