Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-07-13


in iufilmcnt Of tho public expectation, which
he and Others had excited. TO the surprise of
all, he referred the subject TO the clerks Them
selves! and hero, sir is his reply
WAR DEPARTMENT, Jan. 81, 1880.
sSIR: have the honor to lay before you
reports from the several bureaus connected
with the War Department, on the subject OF
n resolution orthc 9Th inst, referred TO mo BY
the Committee on Retrenchment.
Respectfully, J. II. EATON
'Charles A. Wickliffc, ESQ.,
These bureaus, so far from agreeing to part
with any of their cscutchsons, actually ask for
an additional supply! Thus ended that farce
Another Precepi.-This retrenchncnt re.
port alleged that our diplomatic relations and
foreign intercourse were unnecessarily cxpcn-
sve, and recommended n fixed appropriation
for the contingencies Of each missiop,' sin no
case exceeding 5000, (annually,) TO cover The
expenses Of stationary, postage, Office, clerk
hire, and all other contingencies whatsoever.
Let us see the practice. Andrew Stevenson
our Minister at London, is allowed for these
contingencies, including 'prescntst to the mtni.
at officers and servants Of the Court, tnd
others. on his presentation, and at Christmas,
S2,093 Sc cts, in the space Of above a yer
The like expenses Of nearly all our other
foreign missions are in correspondent ratio.
Profession The grade Of our Foreign Min.
isteis was to be reduced in some instances
especially that at Madrid, to Charge. with u
salary Of $500 dollars.
Practice.-A Minister Plcnipotentary has
been kept at Madrid constantly, and John II.
Eaton is now there on salary of 1000 dos
lars, having also received his outfit Of the
same amount. And during the las; session OF
Congress an attempt was made to increase
the salaries of all our foreign Ministers
Who could have anticipated this from an
Administration that proclaimed on this floor
lat least one Of its most powerful and innu.
entail supporters, the late MIR Randolph, who
joined in the cry of rclrenchment here pro-
claimed, and what he said received the full
appreciation eff the party
$50 long as members Of Congress, and not
of this House only or chiefly, will bow, and
crngc, and duck, and fawn, and get out of the
way at pnching vote, or lend helping hand
at pinchng vote, to obtain these places.
never will consent TO enlarge tie salary attach
ed TO them. We are told tina they live at ST
Pctcisburgh and London. and that living there
is very expensive. Well, sir, who sent them
there Were they impressed sir? Were they
taken by prcss-gang on Tover-hill, knocked
down, hand,c lfi'ed, chuckcd on board of a
tender, and told that they must take the pa,
and rations which His Majesty was pleased
10 allow?'
Now appeal to you, Mr. Speaker, if the
moral application of these remarks has moi
been justly felt in Congress, and not il
this House only or chiefly. under the re
trenchmont and reform Administration?
Another precept Of the reforming repor,
The committee thought the mode o
appointing and compeDsatng beare,s o
dispatches liable to strong objections
prone to degenerate into a species of ia.
vori'eIsm little short of convenient mode
of sending favorites abroad to travel for
their pleasure, health, or instruction, ou
Of the public Golfers
Practice. -The President and his Sccre
tary of State, both observation-disclosures
now take favorte clerk Of the State De
partment, whose salary at the time was a
the rate of 100 per year, send him as bear
er of dispatches to Mexico, and for abou
three months service, pay him Sl2l2 SO
and suffer him also to draw his clerk
salary for the period of his absence Fo
this refer to the case of Robt. Greenhow
who is the translating clerk Of that depart
ment all the facts of the case being stated
in the reports of the Secretary. He ex
cuses this transaction by saying that the
TRANSACTIONS which were required during
Mr. Greenhow's absence were made at hi,
expense. 1t might be well to inquire
whether any TRANSACTIONS were required
during that period, and why also it woul(
not have been quite as well to discontinue
the salary for the time, and let the Gov
eminent pay for any TRANSACTIONS whcl
were needed. But do we not here distinct
ly realize what the reirenchment repor
condemned in these words: "that an &C
tuaI incumbent is considered to have sucl
a sort of Property in the Office as to enable
him to farm out its duties, and to receive
a part of its revenues for doing nothng,"
Another illustration Of this convenient
mode Of sending favoriles abroad 'out o
the public Golfers, is found in the same is
of contingent expenses of foreign inter
course. allude to the case of Mr. Charlie!
Bdlle, who, when nominated by Gen
Jackson for n judgship in Florida was re-
jected by the Senate.
After this rejection Mr. Biddle was des
patched by the Executive to Contra
America and New Grenada. What ser
vice be rendered we know not; but it an
pears that for this mission an allowance o
S7,l22 95 has been made. Mr. Charlie
Blddle is the same gentleman who had {
controversy with Mr. Senator Grundv, il
which the devotion Of the la,,or TO Gen
Jackson was questioned. We learn by ont
of the printed documents, occasloned by tina
dispute, that the Senator, for the purpos,
of proving himself to what is called
whole hog Jackson man. said he 'hat
swallowed the hog not only whole, bu
wrong end foremost, taking the bristle
against the grain; and had gone for al
Gen, Jackson's ob-taiL nominations, ever
to Churles Biddle'