Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-22

4 uSdIiiS WIZ tloliOtS = lCNdth~B SuDoC-
| quenily withdrew bis opposition.
MIR. Iaii,ad,ies minated that IN some
| districts of the country, an impressions did
prevail OH the minds OF some persons,
| that there were incorrect and coiusiye
| practices in The public offices. The time
I! had not long passed, he SAID. When he had
/ been one oi those ireNplaued parti-
cuiar circumstance, of ex,rec,rly forbid
| din. aspect, which, OH his arrival here,
| lac had thought il his duty to enquire IN
| 10, and which, on the. enquiry, had been
| cleared up 10 his entire satisfaction. He
I therefore urged, as suspicions were aiioaj,
! which the honor oi the government re-
| CURED should be cleared up, ii wds equal
| /, due to the individuals implicated. and
| TO The country, that the enquiry should
| proceed.
| Mr.. Holmes explained his views in Of
| feriag the resolution, and specifically sta
| ted, as Il foundation iorit, that he had been
| informed, that there WAS certain business
| which the clerks did within certain hours !;
, that, for what they did d!ier those hours,
| III some cases, compensation had been re-
| ceivej from claimants. lie did not say
| the fact WAS SO, but the rumor afforded d
! fit occasion for enquiry; fur, really, he
| added, If all the Clerks now employed IN
| the public offices, were not susf,cient 10 do
! the public business in such Il MANNER as to
make it necessary for claimant to en-
ploy AN agent TO get II done, II was high
time to remedy the evil.
MIR. Comstock hoped the moiion would
be agreed TO but, at tile same time, ca
pressed his pleasure i'll giving testimony
TO the honorable and correct Conduct of
the Clerks in the public @fiices, as far us
lie was acquainted with it. Some suspi-
cions, however, tn the contrary had gone
abroad, and that was sufficient reason
for the enquiry.
Sir. Paris was also III favor of the mo-
ton: not that lie had any knowledge OF
frauds in the offices. But, as had been
said, certain office hours have been es-
lablished, say from 10 10 3. Having had
considerable business to do for his con
SlitueniS with the public Offices, he had
found iiinvariably the case, that the heads
ofthe offices were there, attending 10 bu-
simess, before the Clerks belonging TO
them. There were Clerks, he said, who
were, for days together, not 1T their Of
fee. This, he said, was subiect of some
interest to the public, and ought 10 be
enquired into. At present the Clerks
come when they please, and turn the key
and go when they please.
Mr.. Harrison said, he coald not con-
ceive il possible, that. for the conduct re
ferred.to by Mr.. Paris, the Clerks were
as much TO blame as the Heads of De
parlments who permitted 1t; and who
ought therefore, 10 come ID for their share
OF the enquiry.
Mr. Sto,rs said, that the particular al
legation, whether true or false he did not
know, was of misconduct on the part of
the Clerks in the public Offices. The re-
ISOLATION, embracing III lis scope the whole
machinery of government, did not afford
to the committee any indication OF the
particular enquiry they were expected TO
make. lion every occasion of mere ru-
NOR, the House was to appoint commit
tees TO investigate the conduct of all the
officers of the government, there was an
end al once to legislation, for which no
time would he left Rather, he said, let
every enquiry be limited 10 the object;
then some good may be expected In re-
suit from il. He moved 10 amend the
motion so as that il should be the duty of
the committee only to enquire WHEELER
any and what Clerks in any OF the public
Offices have received any other compen-
sation than that prescribed by law"
MIR. Ross was in favor of the enquiry
The Clerks in the offices, he said, have no
right to receive pay for extra service:
and there was danger attending the prac-
tice, when ii was recolected OF what na-
ture were the duties contided to many of
them: that Of scruiinizing accounts, III
regard to which it was self.evideut how
much depended on the integrity of the
Clerks. He was the more induced TO de-
sire this enquiry, from having heard 1T
rumored, before he left home, that the
L. Il To oonSt1,.-
able amount, for acting as agents, and
getting business through the Offices If
so, he hoped such regulations would be
adopted, as should put them beyond the
reach of temptationStoo strong for human
nature.
Mr.. Holmes opposed the limitation pro-
posed by Mr.. Storrs. Whilst we are not
over Jealous, said he, hope we shall not
be Oyer-delicate i'll regard 10 public oifI-
GERS. He did not think tins was time
wien the House ought to feel any parti
cular delicacy on the subject. We are
told there is money enough III the ITea-
sury, and TO spare the superiority is a
temptation to use it. The time of tran
qullity the present moment, when par
lies are not worrying each other Is the
time 10 look at the responsibility of the
officers Of the government. Let us not
be TOO delicate in our enquiries If 9th
erwiSe, 1t is no reason for our shrinking
from il, that it will be disagreeable to
him.
Mr.. Lowndes stated q fact bearing on
this question, which had come to his
knowledge; that, rumors having reached
their ears of incorrect practices IN the OF
fees, under the color of agencies. the
Heads Of Departments were dellbera-
ting on a rule to prohibit all Clerks
from acting as agents. Permission had
perhaps been occasionally given, under
Ill. Il l.. -. 81