Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-05-17

and reform and he regretted to find such
marvellous discrepancy between the sayings
aud doings" of "thc party" on that sub
ject. The journals of the House show that
in February, 1925 select committee was
appointed 10 consider and report on this
whole matter: the gentlemen appointed were
Mr. Hamilton, Mr.. lngham, Mr.. Rives, Mr..
Wickliffe, Mr.. Cambreleng, Mr.. Sergeant,
and Mr.. Everett, all friends Of General Jack
son, save the two last. They were charged
10 inquire into the whole machinery of The
q Government, with view 10 reduce its cxpcn-
scs and patronage, and to correct all abuses.
They engaged in and devoted themselves to
this task their report, | mean The report Of
the four avowed reformers, prolrssed 10 the
country that the public expenditures al home
and abroad were unnecessarily great that
every thing was done on too grand scale T;
that each department had too many clerks
and spent too much money that this was al
so the case in Congress, whose sessions were
needessly prolonged and, by way of cor
rccting this latter evil, they recommended
that "the compensation of members, during
the first session of each Congress, be rcduc-
ed TO S2 per day, from and after the first
Monday in April, if Congress should sit be-
yond that day."
Mr. BoyD said he would not read the re-
port to the House, but he hoped this notice
of it might aid in recalling il to public recol-
lection, whereby it would be seen how much
had been proposed and how little had been
done. Here, too, it will be found, that in
concert with their co-laborers in the Senate,
the House reformers describe most graph
,cally the extent and power of patronage, and
for all their discovered abuses they suggest
remedies. But, Mr.. Speaker, great as this
work was represented to he, the gentleman
from New York (Mr. CAMBRELENG) and his
friends told the country in this report that
they had made only beginning, what in
hunters phrase is called a mere priming."
They then inform us tina. nothing more in
the way of reform could be done by them,
until the People should drive from the citadel
of power those who then held il, and pllce it
under the control of these jealous reformers.
] his was done. This specious report, like
its twin-sister Of the Senate, was irumpeted
aloud by its friends, and at public expense,
under the order Of the House ,many thousand
copies Of it were scattered throughout the
country The People read, and, honestly be-
lieving it, took the alarm, aud placed these
reformers in power.
| And now, Mr.. Speaker, after your undis-
turbed possession for nine years, what has
been done Have you reduced any expcn-
diture, corrected any abuse, or provided any
restraint on the power OF patronage? No,
sir, no. But, on the contrary, your party In
power have made all public expenditures
greater than before you have practiscd the
very abuses Of power Of which you complain
ed, and have not provided any restraint on
Executive patronage We have thus a
practical illustration Of the abuse of the iden-
tical power of which your friends, when
sounding the alarm, gave only theorc,ic
description.
Mr.. Il. said the resolution now under con-
sidcration still looked to reform, and especial
ly to the correction of the abuse Of power in
regard to the public printing. The gentle
man who offers it. (Mr. lIopKINs.) though
acting with the Administration generally, is
not blind to the abuses which may be com
United. lie is still demanding reform from
rNiuciple. and is not satisfied that abuses
have been corrected by simple change of
men. am surprised, Mr.. Speaker, to find
this resolution opposed by the Administra.
ton. The gentleman from New Hampshire
Mr.. CUsuMAN) resists it on most cxtraordi-
nary grounds. lie admits abuses, but snys
fore useless 10 pass the resolution. Is it pos.
siblo that such an objection can be openly
avowed and sustained here? The gentleman
says it is tho usage Of party to dispose OF TIM
patronage in its own way, and that he neve'
heard of any complaint against Mr. Adams
administration for so doing. Here, sir, is
another open avowal Of the doctrine, 'lhn
the spoils belong TO the victors."
nd n
served he had not said the spoils belong to
the victors.
| Mr.. BoSp admitted that the gentleman had
not used those identical words, but this was
the doctrine Of the party with which he acted,
and a distinguished member of that party
now the Governor of New York. Nlr. Marcy
had, when a member Of the Senate OF the
United States, openly used those terms, and
justified this usage ofpar,y. The friends o
the Administration uniformly prdcfiSed undeI
this prccep,, whatever may be their theory
I do not wish to do the gentleman from New
| Hampshire any injustice. and viii read from
his remarks as published, and he VIII thcr
have an opportunity of correcting them, .
enormously printed. Tho gentleman Is re-
ported as having said:
II "Itwas well Known that since the establishment Q
c had varinbl, employed what has been cniil,u No'
please partisan printers aud partisan ttiorS but wh>
should they not do 80 So hong hS lhr opposition hH
The prcdomnancy, :hry used to supply their own part
san printers. and no compliant was ms1e bh"ut IL ah'
yyhy should any complaint arise now! He saw no easoi
for H."
| Hero, then, think, sir, position is TAX
en- and terms used in effect Tho same, ant
tending directly to the doctrine that tho
"spos belong 10 the victors." Hut can 1t bc
possiblc that the gentleman thinks he is cor
rect and sustained by the iact'. when he says
that no complaint was made against Mr.
|, Adnms's Administration on account oi the
exercise of the printing patronage Has he
forgotten that Isaac Hill, the present Cover
nor of his own State, was the editor aud pub
fisher of newspaper called the New Ham
pshire Patriot" aud that the disconunuance
| of the publication of the laws IN that pape
i was considered so outrageous persecution
4 for opinions sake, that II may aim st be sni'
10 have given him his subscquent po','ca
elevation and consequence The ediscontln
lluanco of Isaac IIill as printer OF tue laws wa
occasioned, too. by his publishing libel OF
1.-The lady Of the President, without the leas
semhlance of truth. and so grossly indecen
lltbs, Mr.. Randolph. though Jealous oppose
of Mr.. Adams. said il ought not even To b
read ON this noor. The occasion, howevc'
was seized. To bring the subject o' P"'i'
printing under discussion in this House, an
llMr. Saunders, Of North Carolina. Introduce
resolution calling npon the SECRETARY