Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-28
CONGRESSIONAL
BROKEN DOSES-DOSE Ith.
FRoM Nh. BoNp's SPrfcu.

w ii'N ' WIZ Stitt 'fNH ~ v" Nus "
tras'ins the rnrcrrr with the PRACTICE OF the re
formers. Initiating the example found in the re-
port already alluded to, ! may be best unde, stood
by a division OF the subject into a few prom,acnt
heads. But, in the language of that report. | am
" far from thinking shall now exhaust the subject :"
| shall a. have only opened it," pretend 10 notl,
ing more a At TIN, time than to lay the foundation
Of u system To be followed up and completed here
after by the PEorLE.
The prolonged sessions of Congicss formed u con.
spicuons chapter IN the book OF reform. The com
mlt,ce denounced the usage as - one of The most
serious evils attending the national legislation of the
Country " and, by way OF correcting II, recommend
ed " that the compensation of the members, during
the first session OF each Congress, be reduced 10
" odollars pen day from and after the first MondaN IN
Aprl, II Congress should SIT beyond thai time. THIS
was the prccept now ior the practice. The SEES
Sous of Congress, 50 far from being shortened, have
been prolonged, no remedy applied, and The people
OF the country ought to know that the gentleman
from New York, (Mt. Cambrelcng.) so enrly as
March, 1880, when an attempt was made TO carry
into effect The remedy proposed in the report OF the
committee ofwhIch he was n member, by reducing
the pay of mcmbcrs did himself actually resist and
vote against the measure.
The report alleged that abuses had "takcn
place from the various and arbitrary manner in
which members estimated their mileage" This
abuse was ascertained To have been piactiscd by the
reforncrs themselves aud they have continued the
practice without any restraint. will give you, sir,
an illustration, which may not be thought inappro-
pirate. In the DAYS OF promised reform, the two
Senators from the State OF Missouri differed IN poll
tics; one o ftlirm, the great reiormcr, Mr.. Benton;
tho other, Mr.. Barton, who thought the promised re-
form was y mere hunbug. The FIST session of the
twentieth Congress commenced the Sd of Decem-
Der, 1896, and ended on the Doth OF May, .la27.-
These gentlemen se,crally attended the whole SEES
sion thei, per diem allowance was 81 400 each,
being 175 days, at So per day but for mileage,
rPckoulup ~ for every twenty miles. MI. RarIpu
charged 1899 80, whilst Nj. Benton charged 81
33i Go. Mr.. Barton changed his mileage by the
great mail route, over land but Nh. Benton, who
was railing OUT and condcmning all abuses, count
ed his miles by all the crooks and Turns and iortu-
Gus ~windiugs of the Mississippi and Ohio riycrs.-
Mr.. Barton was left at home because he did not be-
lieve in the Prop,lety of protesting one thing and
practising anothc, ; Mr.. Benton was retained To
correct abuses and carry out the great principles of
his report on Executive patronage. Ten Years have
interviewed since the session Of Congress just referred
to; the repor, sleeps UNDECIDED, and, IN the mean
time, Mr.. Benton continues to count hs miles every
year by the way of the river, which has gwen him
upwards of 81 900 more than Mr.. Barton felt au-
thorized to charge under the same law.
.inoder preccpt.-The committee reported 'ihal
the privilege OF newspapers To the members ought to
be a~broga,ed - aud that the practice too often in
dnlgcd in by the House OF voting To themselves CO.
pies Of books ought to be lsoontinued. The
privilege and practice continue, and without re-
straint.
Precept.-The contina emf expenses OF this House
were reported 10 be sXiravagant. During the year
1928, the last of Mr.. Adans's administration, they
TO $50, 900.
Practicc.-Duting the year 1896, the last year of
the Jackson reform Administration, tins item was
5000, 900! And, during the year 1898, being the
first year Of tie 'succcssor,' who promised TO
- tread in the footsteps OF his illnstrious %predeces-
sor," these expenses are S2l0,000. This must be
the = magician's way" ofworking in the rule Of re-
duction-it was certainly unknown to old Thomas
Dilworth.
Precept-Thc committee, Of which. ! again re-
peat, the gentleman from New York Nh. Cambrc-
leng) was a member, reported that they had obtain
ed information by which they were satisfied :" that
by 4 Judlcious system of REFORM. Instituted by the
Exec utive officers themselves. at least one third of
the them present number of clerks in the depart
ments night be reduced With safety TO the public in
tercst."
Prdeticc.-The number Of clerks has not been re-
duced IN any of the departments, but on the contra
~ there has been u considerable increase.
another preccpt Of he reforming report.-TIc
committee thought the mode of appointing and
compromising bearers of dispatches, liable to strong
objections, prone to degenerate into a species Of
iavoritism litlle short of a convenient mode Of
sending favorites abroad to travel for their pleasure,
health or instruction, out Of the public Golfers
Prdchcc.-1he President and his Secretary Of
State, both Jackson reiormers, now take a iayorite
clerk Oh the State Department, whose salary at The
time was at the rate OF Sl7G0 per year, send him ass
bearer Of dispatches TO Mexico, and for about three
months service, pay him sl2l2 50, and suffer him
also to draw his clerks salary for the period of his
absence For this ! refer you to the case OF Robt.
Grcenhow, who is the translating clerk of that De-
partment all the facts of the case beng stated in
the reports Of the Secretary. lie excuses this
Transaction, by saying that the translalions winch
were required during MIR. Greenhow's absence
were made at his expense. 1t might be well 10 ia
quire whether any lranslations were required during
that period, and why also II would not have been
quite as well to discontinue the salary for the time,
and let the Government pay for any transla'ions
winch were needed. But do we not here distinctly
realize what the reirenchment report condemned in
these words that an actual incumbent is consid-
cred to have such 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 nothing ~
Another illustration of tins " convenient mode Of
sending favoriles abroad" :. out of the public cof-
lers,'' IS found in the SAINT list of contingent ex-
penses of foreign intercourse. latitude to the case Of
Mr.. Charles Biddle, who, when nominated by Gen.
Jackson for a judgcship in Florida, was rejected by
the Senate.
After this rejection Mr.. Biddle was despatched by
the Executive to Central America and New Grena-
da. What service he rendered we know not but ii
appears that for this mission an allowance Of 81
122 95 has been made. Mr.. Charles Biddle is the
same gentleman who had a controversy with Mr..
Senator Grundy, in which the devotion ofthe latter
to Gen. Jackson was questioned. We learn by one
Of the printed documents, ocCasiOLcd by that DIS
puie, that the Senator, for the purpose OF proving
HIMSELF to be what is called a - whole hog Jackson.
man. said he % had swallowed the hog not only
whole, but wrong end foremost, taking the blls'lcs
against the grain: and had gone for all Gen. Jack
sons bob-tal nominations, even to Charles Bid