Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-02-21

in o6ice-holder-D. A. A. Buck. Our Wash
ington correspondent last week wrote us that
Mr.. Buck testified before the committee Of ia
vestigalion tba; his pay as Clerk common
ced while he was member Of the legislature
Of Vermont. This was bad enough for an Of
ce-holder-holdng seat in the legislature,
to which, by the constitution Of Vermont, he
was not entitled, and at the same time draw
ing pay from the General Government for SER
vices which he was not performing-unless,
perchance, the real service for which govern
ment paid him was in fighting for " the party"
here in Vermont Indeed, we are not sure
that he was entitled to pay, even on the last
suppositon one Of his greatest speeches in
our legislature at that time was for an incorpo-
ration, with capital Of s3,0OO,O0O. But bad
as our correspondent represents Col. Buck, we
find that another tells a worse story. The fol-
lowing is from the correspondent of the N. Y.
Courier and Enquirer:
They 1.-THE committee have examined HfrBuck
ef VoI InOn'i whose case accidentally came up be-
fore them and is of the numerous cases sus-
pected 10 exist where individuals have received
payment from the treasury, without performing any
duty and this demonstrates the mpossbility OF
! making Specific charges" The examination Of
another witness led to the examina ton of Mr. Buck
from whose testimony 1t appears that in July 1885
he appointed to Clerkship in one of the pub
lie offices in this city, at salary Of twelve hundred
| dollars per annum-hat he elected member
! of the Legislature Of Vermont, where the party re-
| quired his servces-that he acted in the capacity
Of legislator for FIVE weeks, and come to
Washington about the first Of December-that he
received payment out of the treasury from July IN
til December, deducting the five or six weeks that
his own state paid him. thus pocketng three or four
hundred dollars for services rendered, whilst he was
comfortably enjoying the summers breezes in tho
delightful Green Mountains Of the patriotic state of
| Vermont.
Notwithstanding the particularly Of the a.
bove account, we are inclined to think our own
correspondent in the right, both because his
account is more favorable to Mr.. Buck who
was once certainly very good anti Jackson
man, and withal very strong political friend
of ours, to say the least,-and because it bet
ter agrees with the knowledge we previously
had Of the matter. Near the close Of the ses-
sion OF our legislature, in 1885, Mr.. B. inform
ed us that he had received an appointment. as
Clerk at Washington, with handsome sala-
ry; that he should give up his seat in the le-
| gislature ard soon leave Vermont. Our i'm.
preston is that he did not leave his seat though
he perhaps did ask leave Of absence. Howev-
er the fact may be os 10 this point, we suppose
there can be no question of the improperly Of
government in paying him for services which
he did not perform. While on this subject we
wish 10 say that we have been told that Col
Buck was at Chelsea in September las,-ihai
he roted al the state election, and that he was
exceedingly active at the polls, particularly
concerning the qualification Of person whose
right 10 vote was then, and is now, seriously
doubted. Whether or not the committee will
take such matters into consideration, we dc
not know; it eeelns 10 us, however, that thi
people will not relish u course Of things like
this.