Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-07-13
rConijuued Grom Fourth Pare. |

even written by his proxy, as IL shou'u DC,
but is written by some clerk in the Land
Office, and the whole service of the proxy
or agent consists in his writing his own
name For this he is paid $500 per
nnnum! The place is held by one of the
Presidents sons, aud it is an indirect mode
of increasing the Presidents salary. The
compensation is too high, under any cir
cums,ances. For a service requiring nei-
ther skill nor talent, aud employing q very
small portion of this young gentleman's
time, he receives higher salary than many
of the Governors and other high officers in
the several States do
Another office specially created is that of the
Smithsonian agent with n salary OF 5000 a
year, and furnishing convenient SO ourn for n
gentleman wishing to visit London. The duties
of this place might well have been discharged
by ordinary CORE spondencc, but at all events
they are such as could justly be required at the
hands of our resident Minister at London. 1t
cannot be overlooked that Richard Rush was
Secretary of the Treasury, and received the
censure and condemnation of the retrenchmcnt
committee. And yet Mr. Rush was appointed
TO the office of the Smithsonian agent. will
leave it for others to apply what the chairman
of the committee on retrenchment said at that
day, in debate on this tloor-'Whonover an Of
flee is to be filled, even a Jealous, constant and
faithful friend is compelled TO yield to a mush.
room apostate, shat may have been purchased
but yesterday
Let us next compare the Navy Department.
Mr. Southland, who was Secretary of the Navy
in 1929 employed in his Department seven
clerks, besides the chief clerk. The salary of
the Secretary, and tho compensation of the
clerks and messengers, amounted 10 Sl7,250.
The Department has been held for many years
and is still managed by Mr. Dckerson, who was
n member ofthe committee, in the Senate, from
whom came that famous report on Executive
patronage, to which | first referred. lie en-
ploys eight clerks besides the chief clerk; and
his salary, with the compensation of his clerks
and messengers, amount to $ $50. And at
this very session, he demands more clerks ,and
an increase in the salary of some OF those he
already has
The committee censure Mr. Secretary Sou.
thard tor unnecessary expense in subscription
for newspapers for the Department. They
specify, under this head, 1921 43, for three
years. ltnow appears that Mr. Sec. Dickorson
has expended, for newspaper and fashionable
books and literature of the times, in one year
near 500; and, including similar expenses of
the Navy Board, near $3.50.
The committee also condemn the practice Of
extra clerk hire. We find Mr. Dickerson not
only employing three extra clerks, but, what is
far moro dangerous, paying extra hire to one Of
the regular clerks in the Department, enjoying,
at the time, q salary Of SLIGO, but to whom is
paid, 'for extra services as clerk the further
sum of 1929 67, making his salary 50, l69 67.
Is not this ready mode of providing for ia.
vorite
The committee also specify the sum of SiGG
sc, as paid by the Navy Department, in three
years for printing, and condemn it as extrava.
CANT
The Blue Book of 1887 shows the Navy
Department, under the reformer, Mr. Dickerson
70 have paid SO. 55S % for printing in too
years!
The committee also reported that 'consd.
cradle sum varying from $500 to 5000, was an.
ually expended by the Secretary of the Navy
in the purchase of books for his office, most of
them having no appropriate relation to the ma.
val service of the country, such as reviews,
magazines and other periodical publications, and
the fashionable literature of the day. This
usage was, of course, to be abolished. Has it
been2 l beg leave to read few items from
Mr. Secretary Dickerson s contingent expense
account for 1887:
2 volume Repertory of Patent Inven-
tons, So 90
9 volume Southern Literary Messen-
ger, 5 90
One fourth of Audobon's Birds, l65 90
Audubons Birds, 55 90
No. l Indian Biography. 6 90
North American Review, S 90
No. 4 Indian Biography, 6 90
One number of American Scenery, IS
$3.50 Is
Here is display of the fashionable litera.
ture in which Mr. Secretary Dickerson ndul-
ges himself and his clerks, at the public ex.
pense. wish the gentleman from New York
(Mr Cambreeng,) who aided in concocting the
report from which | have jus. quoted, would
inform us 'what appropriate relation the books
and reviews just mentioned have 'to the naval
service p But, wha! means the item zone
fourth of Audubon's Birds?' Why, sir, un.
derstand that neither of the four Secretaries
being willing 80 take the responsibility 'as Il
unit they agreed to divide it! The cost to the
people is the same; 1t all comes from the pub
lie Golfers And the mode of doing the thing
proves that the Secretaries felt that its eXpc-
dioncy and propriety were questionable.
have read somewhere, perhaps in Serno's
works, an incident which most happily illus.
traes this transaction. AS | recollect the
story, the Abbess of Andoulets, and Marga-
retta, a novice, made a little journey together
in a vehicle drawn by mules. AS the evening
approached, they were deserted by their mule
teer, when ascending hill. The mules pres
emily became stubborn, and stopped. The
travellers were greatly alarmed, and, in their
dilemma. the novice said that there were two
certain words which, she had been told, would
force these animals on the moment they heard
them; but then the words were sinful. The
novice vas urged, and she gently whispered
the words 'bouger' and 'louer.' The Abbe.s, in
her distress, turned casust, and said they were
only yenial or Sigh sin, which might he divided,
and by taking half, and leaving the lest, or By
,akng il all and amica5y halvng it betwixt your.
self and another person, would become diluted into