The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-12


ter TO the editor Of The Washington GLOBE, seeking
correction Of statement made IN mat paper oi me
"a inst in reference to the printing for the House OF
Representatives and the appropriation Of. large
sum Of money for the purchase Of books from Messrs
Gales and Seaton In which my name was intro
duced by mere statement oil iacis Wi'nout sipsie
comment The letter is as follows:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
January, A. 1889.
Messrs Br..Ia AND RIvEs; In the Globe" of the
"a inst find The following editorial article:
aOUTCRY ABOUT EXPENDITURES.
a The onpos,on Of the House OF Representatives
nav Gales and Seaton well for raising hue and cry
against the extravagahce OF Inc administrator,
while they are doing all in their power 10 bankrupt
he Treasury We take from the expenditure con-
tiHgent hndn of the House OF Representatives, the
amount charged upon Il the last session, single
session y from the printed document Jus lad before
the body al It's present session From This IL seems
that Gales and Seaton, in The name of Allen, have
received for their hue and cry against expenditure
"For printing cancelled Treasury Drafts on the
call of Mr. Bond obsolete correspondence, on the call
OF Garland, and other documents, li,5i2 80
To Gales and Seaton, In their own names,
in part for old documents and other
trash printed, 4,2Os so
For stationery and newspapers, and sun
dries L. Isl
about,he House, ll5,363
The expense Of a whole Congress 1.-TWO
sessions) during the first years Of Gen.
Jackson's administration, was for
printing and othSr contingencies, 20, I5S
Now, since Conservatism and Federalism m.
have united il is, for one session, 2i2,245 81
"Here we have one session of one branch costing
under the Federal Conservative reign, upwards OF
forty-s thousand dollars than tco sessions Of
both branches in Gen. Jackson's term-that Is, about
four times as much as il should have cost and of
this extra quarter of million, Gales and Seaton
have pockeed one hundred and fifly-fve thousand
dollars The Conservatives transferred by Allen,
have made good their bargain"
This article, referring 10 me, as it does, indv-
duay, and placing me in false position before the
country, demands that should correct il by brief
statement Of facts The document which you refer
to- called for by me- and characterized o6soiee
correspondence" contains only four hundred pages,
and cost $l,07i 80. But from the connection in
which you have placed it, and the promnency which
you have given il, those ignorant of the facts would
naturally conclude that this, and the document called
for by Mr.. Bond constitute the leading items in the
aggregate Of Sill SAP SO, the whole expenditure for
| printing during the last session of Congress This
document SO far from embracing obsolete" contains
mass of recent correspondence, commencing no
further back than with the year 1884, and running
| through period of about four years. The infor-
| nation il contains is useful and valuable to every
American citizen, and should be in their possession.
In making the call, had design to call for any
| thing obsolete or useless. ....
did not vote for the appropriation of i4,2os SO
| to Gales and Seaton for the purchase OF the books
you characterize as q old documents" and ttrash"
was not present when the vote taken, or should
have voted against it, as had done upon two former
occasions, when the books were to come into my
possession. The vote of the last session is to be
found on the 223d page of the Journal my former
votes against such an appropriation on journal Of
1856, pages l0l6 and lie.
| In making the call did, had no concer, or un-
| H. IA. n
acted upon the suggestions of my own mind and
upon my own responsibility; nor had any concer,
or understanding with Mr.. Bond about the document
called for by him. ...s
| l have no comment TO make NY only object is to
state facts, and place myself right before the country.
trust that you will do me the justice TO publish this
| statement OF facts. .a..' .......,
| ..- Your obedient servant,
.. J. GARLAND.
This letter, containing not single offensive ex-
preston, was published in the "Globe" OF the 7lh
inst. accompanied by commentary OF nearly two
columns, containing a ruthless wanton, and I'M
founded attack upon me, in spirit Of vindicveness
and ferociy rarely equalled in civilized life. 1t is
not my purpose 10 enter into newspaper controversy
with the editor Of the Globe" l never intend
again TO reply any thing that he may say in rela
| tion TO me, of whatever character, and would not
now, il a momentary indiSe7etion had not betrayed
me into notice Of the first attack, which hoped
the magnanimity Of the editor would have corrected.
| ] now design nOtn1ng more than 10 expose all the
facts connected with this transaction, which have
been so disngenuousy stated and represented by the
Globe" to my prejudice.
1t will be remembered, that at the extra session,
after the Sub-treasury bill had been laid upon the
table, its friends avowed their determination 10 bring
il up again at the succeeding session of Congress,
and to press its passage Finding that this question
was again TO be discussed in Congress, and belev-
ing that the operations of the collecting and receiv
ing Offices would shed much light upon the subject
| htn
viction of the value of the documents which would
| be elected in illustrating the insecurity of the Sub
treasury system, on the 10Th of October, 1887, four
days before the close of the session. offered the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved That the Secretary of the Treasury
communicate TO this House. as early in the next
session as practicable, the names Of all receivers
collectors or repositories of the public money, who
are IN deauh to the Government the amount of such
defaults the length of time due; the security if any,
and how much has been will likely be lost to-
gether with copy of all correspondence upon the
subject from the LIST day of January 1884 TO the pre-
sent time"
II seems to me impossible for the human mind,
unbiased BY the grossest prejudice, to misconceve
the object and scope of this resolution. 1t did not
call for the names of those who had been but of those
who mere in default TO The Government at the time
the resolution offered; the correspondence
called for, was that alone which had reference to
those who in default and that only as far back
as 1884. In moving this resolution, | could not
reasonably have anticipated that in responding to il
any "obsoietc" or worthless" correspondence would
| have been returned. Are documents which exhibit
the names ofexsling defaulters the amount oftheir
! defalcations, the means employed by the Treasury
Department to prevent them, the diligence in re-
covering from delinquents the balance due the i'm
| projections of existing laws or irregularities in ex-
ecutng them to be regarded obsoiete" and rrorh-
less" and he who asks for them to be stigmatized
and abused2 Verify, If such information is not
valuable to the people, am at loss TO conceive
what would be; and if such a course is to be tole-