Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-17

ed 10 find this state of things. under an Admlnistia
ton whose friends ptoiessed To be shocked Al n mnl
IlpheatIon OF Offices, aud he published, IN the rerofto
tins House IN 1924, the warning ot hat Chief hngts
Irate. who SAID. "Considcrlng the gcnel,l ~tendene,
TO multiply Offices and dependencies, and To increase
expense In the ultimate term OF burden which the
cltlzens can bear, 1t behoyes us 10 avail ourselves III
every occasion winch presents iisell Ion taking oil
the surchatse.' Iii appropriate, too. now. To re
Ter gentlemen 10 the cenSnre which that report east
on the Seeretatyot VA in ls2S, tor paving sos tol
additional clerk line in the business ot Indian
Afiafs,
Nh. Il. said he was here tempted 10 name one ottwo
officers IN particular, which seem 10 have been Great.
ed iof spcclal larnrtcs one at them under the law
autlorislns the President 10 sisu aud patcnts by an
agent, instead Of doins II rs heretofore IA person.
II lie could not find time 10 do tins duie. 4s MI. Ad
ans aud all his predecessors did, then il would have
been better TO dispense with the 81 nltule altogether,
As you lave done with that Of thu Commissioned oi
The General Land Office, The Presidents maine
now IS not even MlIten by his ploNy, rs II should be,
but Is wntten by sume el,rk IN the Land Office, aud
the whole service of the proxy ot agent consists IN hs
whiting hlS own name For this he is paid $1,000
per annum The place IS held by one OF the PIcsi=
dents sons, and II is al Indirect mode OF increasing
the Presidents salary. The compensation is too
high under any circu Instances. For Il service 10
quiring neither skill nor talent, aud employing a
very small portion OF tins Young centleman's lime,
he receives a higher salary ilan many Of the Go
NV a." 'lilhi H'oh II III WI ''"''H
do
Another Office specially created is that of the
=" Smithsonian agent, = with Il salary OF $4,000 a year,
aud furnishing a CONVENIENT soIouIn ton a gentleman
wishing 10 visit London. Thu duties Of tins place
might well have been discharged by ordinary cores
pondcncc, but At all events they are such as could
justly be required n the hands Of our resident
Minister Al London. II cannot be overlooked that
Richard Rush was Secretary Of the Treasury, aud
received the censure and condemnation of the Re
tienchment COMMITTEE. And YET MIR. Rush was APP
pointed to The office OF the Smithsonian AGENT
will leave ii Tor others 10 apply what the chairman oil
the COMMITTEE on Kelfenchment SAID NJ that day, III
debate on thus floor " " hcncyer an office - 10
be filled, even a jealous. constant, aud faithful
friend is compelled 10 yield 10 Il mushroom apos-
tate that may have been purchased but ,ester.
dav.n
Lei us next compare the Navy Department. Mi,
Southland, who was Secretary of the Navy IN 1898,
employed IN his department seven clerks, besides the
chlcl clerk. The suary OF the Secretary and the
compensation OF the clerks aud messengers, amount
ed To Sl7,25 The Department had been held Ton
many years, aud IS sui managed by MIR. Dlckerson,
who WAS a member OF tie committee, IA the Senate,
from whom came that famous report on Executive
patronage, to which ilrst referred. lie employs
eight clerks besides the clnei clerk aud his salary,
with the compensation ulhis clerks aud messengers,
amounts 10 Sls.ej7. And. nj Tins very session, he
demands mole CLERKS, aud an increase III the salary
Of some OF hose he already has.
The committee ecnsnre Mr.. Secretary Southland
for unnecessary expense III subscription Ion ne"spa-
papers for the DEPARTMENT.. They specify, under
llus head, S62l - for three years. 1t now appears
that hlr. Secretary nIekcIson has expended, lf
newspapers and fashionable books and literature Of
the tunes, IN one year, near 500, and including
siInllnr expenses Of the Navy Board, near $3.50.
The committee also condemn the practice of cx-
TIA clerk hire. We find MIR. Dlckerson not only en-
ploying three extra clerks, but, what is far more dan
gcrous, paying extra line 10 one OF the regular clerks
in The Department, enjoying, al the time, a salary
Of 81 go, bui o .wllotn is patd, for extra services AS
clerk, the further sum O. $3.50 q, making his salary
S2,1 eo q. Is not this a ready mode Of providing
Ton a iayoritei -
The committee also specify the sum OF Sl66 s6,
as pad by the Navy Department, IN tlltec years,
Tor printing, and condemn II as extravagant.
The Blue Book Of 1897 shows the Navy Depart.
mcnt, under the reloruel, Nj. Dlekcrson, To have
paid *9,53122 iol printing IN two years!
The committee also reported that a - consldora-
bic sum, vary ing from loo 10 5000, was annually cX.
pended by The Secretary OF the Navy IN the pur-
chase OF books for ms office, most OF them having no
appropriate relation to the naval service Of the couu-
ny, such as reviews, magazines, and other periodical
publications, aud the fashionable literature oil the
day. This usage was. Of course, 10 be abolished.
Has II beeni beg leave to read a few items nom
Mr.. Secretary Dlchrtson's contingent expense ac-
count for ls37.