Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-06-09

lance of which shockingly scandalizet
1.-THE purifiers and reformers Of the day
They were disposed to retrench the ex
lpenses Of the Attorney General, which
then amounted to $4,000 for the Office, anC
$500 for a clerkship. In 1884, Mr.. At
torney General Butler received for com
pensation $4,000, with an extta Of $50
1900 for clerk and messenger, and $500
for the very convenient iiet1 Of "contin'
Igent expenses The same was the ex.
penditure of 1835--but in l8A6 the sum
Of l,407 was appropriated toth clerk and
messenger, and his whole compensation
was $4,332. But during a part Of the Pc
lriod in which he was receiving the emolu-
Ments Of this office--"contingent expen-
ses" and all--he discharge the duties OF
the Secretary of War, and pocketed for
the Interval, Of course, the additional Of
fee The Government has improved up
on the story ofthe "two single gentlemen
rolled into onen--and managed to ron ono
single gentleman into couple of respon-
sible and lucratiyes Offices, as often as 1t
was found desirable to stimulate partizan
effort, or to pamper favorite at the ex-
pense ofthe people.
The immaculate Mr.. Kendall figures on
this list to some extent. While he was
first occupied with the reform Of our Ban.
king institutions, and the Introduction of
the Better Currency, he was employed on
the contract-making mission to the Depo-
site banks, which was given as more
"uniform and sound" circulation, and to
i'regulate exchanges" at such insignificant
~ moderate charges. During this mis-
sion, in addition to the salary Of his office,
he received $40 day, for a service which
has brought more distress upon the coun-
try than could be expiated by the devotion
of thousand years to the patriotic servi.
ces of the State-if Mr.. Kendall should
reach to that patriarchal longevity-fot
we are assured by the Democratic Review,
that all Mr.. KendalPs ancestors have been
very ''long-liyed!" We will allude to but
one more instance, which is. mentioned in
the speech Of Mr.. Bond Of Ohio, to which
we have been indebted for the statistics of
our present article, andthe reproduction
of the facts to the attention of the public.
This is that OF the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs, who was Cor while acting eecKe-
tary Of War, and during this period drew
the salaries of each Office, at the rate OF
$4,000 per annum.
A kindred abuse with tho abuses above
detailed is that Of family provision, or the
practice of quartering relatives and de-
pendants on the public Treasury, and pro-
viding for uncles and newphes and bro
thers-in-law out Of the public purse. On
this subject we annex a paragraph from
the speech ofMr. Bond, which is already
sufficiently condensed TO require no fur
ther abridgment:
"But, Mr.. Speaker, no man better knows
all the uses Of office than Mr. Kendall. |
have read political tract, written | think,
by Dean Swift, entitled somewhat in this
way--"The convenience of place at
Court, or a sure mode of providing gar
ments for whole family" Mr.. Kendall
appears to understand the "moduSsoperan-
di"of this matter. Tho printed list of
clerks in his Department exhibits his ia
Northumberland two nephews, with salaries
of 81 200, 81 200 and 81. 4O0;-and thus
we see family provision of nearly
$4,000 year, including his own salary.
But Mr.. Kendall is not the only officer
who thus takes care Of his own household.
If provision of this kind be evidence of
"faith," few Of them will be found "infi-
dels." The Presidents son has an office,
which | have already mentioned of$l 500
a year. The Secretary Of States son, un-
til very lately, held the place OF District
Attorney in Alabama. A near relation by
marriage of the Secretary ofthe Treasu-
ry has comfortable annuity Of 81 400 in
the Navy Department; another holds the
appointment of naval officer in Boston,
with salary of $4,000 per year, besides
being President Of the Lafayette Bank OF
that city; and a third is the Cashier of the
Franklin Bank Of that city, which became
a special pet under the pet bank system
These gentlemen would all make excel
lent Sub Treasurers."
These may appear small matters, but
small as they are, matters no more lmPor-
tant, brought 10 bear upon the admins
traticn Of Mr., Adams, shook and subverted
it, Il was by reform and retrenchment
more than by any other power
that pseudo patriots, ofice-hunting denia-
gogues, and shameless hyPccrites, who
now stand out Of their own mouth con.
demned- an administration
governed on principles constitutional and
economical, compared with which ell that
we have since seen is Authoritarian and
prodigal in The extreme. We we're prom
ised q more strict construction Of the Con-
stitution; and we have seen that instru-
ment submitted 10 the changing wh'nls,
and absurd caprices Of headstrong, lgno-
rant old man, who consulted i with no