Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-25


such parts thereof as isli within the Legitimate
scope Of their inquiries They have asccrtained
that for the years 1928. s. and Y. there was paid
out of that fund.- for extra clerk hire, the sum of
Sl,eIi 20. which, with the sum of Si3,7il RI.
expended for that purpose, oil The contingent fund
Of the State Department within the same period
amounts. in the whole, TO the sum of 81 $50 02:
a sua nearly equal TO ncthird of the amount an
nually appropriated for the whole clerks of the
Department and Patent Office. The COMMITTEES
are of opinion, that the compensation TO each
clerk employed in the Department. (whether for
general or special purposes) properly devolves
upon the appropriations for the Department, and
ought to be paid out of that fund, il for no other
reason than thatthe disbursements would be more
simple, less difficult to understand, and not SO Ii
able to abuse.
The Committee have also extracted from the
said statement, the amount paid out of that fund
Tor extra printing, during the same period, which
they Ind amounts 10 the sum of 81 1867 52
S2,f55 S3 ofwhich amount, was for publishing
notice TO the St. Domingo exies.
They also find, that, of the sum hercinbefore
stated to have been paid for printing, out of the
contingent appropriations for the State Depart
ment, 81 ,2o5 90 was for the same object; making
(aecoring TO those statements) the sum OF SO $50
", paid for the publication of that notice. out OF
the different appropriations before specified. The
committee are unable TO perceive why, for the
same services, disbursements have been made out
OF both those funds. Surely, the appropriations
for the contingent expenses Of the Department,
and that OF foreign Intercourse, dissmilar in
their characters, and could not have been intend
| ed by Congress TO be thus blended. The COM
mittec will not partcularize the persons employed
to-publish that notice. the amounts paid, as the
respective accounts annexed 10 this report, 10
| which reference can be had for that purpose
They will here repeat what they have said on the
subject OF printing, in the FIRST statement that the
compensation for that service is exclusively atthe
discretion OF the Head of the Department.; and
the House will be better enabled to judge of the
expectancy OF regulating by law that compensa-
lion than the committee. From the statement
B IT will be seen, that $40 ,304 90 of the appro-
priations for the contingent expenses of foreign
intercourse, has been expended upon the certf-
cate OF the Secretary of State; the greater part
whercofhas been paid TO the bearers ofdespatches.
Inc committee have no means OF ascertsining the
necessity for employing special agents. to the ex-
tent practised; that must necessarily, be referred
to the discretion Of the Head of the Department;
and the greatest security against the misapplica-
ton OF that fund will be found in his integrity
They are unable TO say, by what rule the Secre-
tary OF State determines upon the amount Of ex-
Penscs incident upon such agencies, which Gin the
case OF John Mason, jr.) more than doubles the
amount OF daily compensation. In that account
there is an item Of S273 90 for hire of coach
from Mexico to Vera Cruz; also expenses from
Mexico TO Vera Cruz, including two days de-
tent!on at the latter place, $7S; making 1856 for
carriage hire and expenses
In the account Of Theodore W. Clay, al
!owance is made for carriage hire from
Mexico 10 Vera Cruz S75 90
Expenses 20 ditto 90 20
Total S9s %
Making difference, IA charge, for the same dis
lance, and travelling in the like manner, of 1888
| in favor of Mr. Mason.
They find, in the came statement, the sum oil
81 s4o paid TO John II. Peasants, for bearing des-
! patches 10 Buenos Ayres and Rio Janeiro and his
! expenses. That Mr.. Peasants was employed by
the Secretary of State to perform hat service, and
did set out OH his journey, the Committee believe
10 be true; but that he performed the journey par
tcuiaiized on his account, and for which he was
! PAID they believe 10 be untrue. Whether pre-
! vented by indisposition otherwise, from per-
forming the service, the Committee are of opinion
the facts should have been stated aud tho records
! OF the country been made 10 Prsvc the services
Tor which the public money was disbursed. As
the case now stands, they are furnished with no
means oil determining upon the adequacy of the
compensation paid. All they can say, from the e.
whence furnished from the statement b, is, that
the said John II. Peasants was not entitled
TO compensation for bearing dispatches to Buenos
Ayres and Rio Janero, as stated in his account
lhey recommend to the House the propriety of
/ liking By law the compensation of Special Agents
on such basis as would do justice to them, * exempt
the Government from impositions. In the same
statement they discover an item Of $500 paid,
upon the certificate of the Secretary State TO W
Prentiss, for his expense in deliv ering a box of
Dooks.to the Governor of Maine. The vouchers are
OF description vi DOORS, or OF their
quality, SO as to enable the Committee to Judge OF
the business OF the compensation, or of the fund out
OF which ii should have been paid. They were
informed at the Registers office of the Treasury,
tiiat they were the Acts, Journals, or Documents
% Congress. If SO, such claim was not chargea-
Die upon the contingent fund for foreign intercourse;
put upon the current expenses of the Department,
. should have been supported by proper vouchers.
The committee will now advert TO the apEropria-
tons ''oF defraying the contingent expenses OF al
I'M mis- @f u.
no statement has been furnished them, because it
appeared on examination, that disbursements of
that appropriation had been made upon the certifi-
A. King, Charge des Aildires at London, and Beau
toned in the letter Of the Register OF the rreasu-
ry, annexed to this report. The attention of the
committee has been directed to the former case
because it was brought before the last Congress-
by member Of this committee, and has since been
asubject on which much has been said in the House
The whole amount Of that claim is 5,25S Is, ard
is stated thus
John A. King, Charge des Affaires at London
Tor his salary from the ls of July, 1926, the day on
which his duties commenced, 10 the 3Ist of Aug
following, when they terminated, 62 days, at S4,-
oo9 per aunum, 1888 Is
For amount Of his outfit, equal to one
years salary, $500 90
S5,25S 10
Endorsed thus sThe President approves the
above charges, 22d December, 1926.
II. CLAY"
John A. King had been appointed Secretary of