Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-09-12

2
well with one fifth of that number. | have sup
pnsed sir that the state dinners and palace SER
wants Of Mr. Van Buren, may together possibly dc. |
mnnd an expenditure Of 81 500. To that amount |
may be added about $500 for provisions Of every
kind fuel oil, candles and corn for forage, and
we then have the gross SUN OF S7,ObO, which EN-
braces every cent that Mr.. Van Buren, annually
dsburses from his private purse, excepting his ex
penses for clothing and ornaments to decorate his
person. Aud IT he is vain enough to spend his
money in the purchase OF rubies for his neck dia
uUnd rings for his fingers. Brussels lace for his
breast, 6ilet gloves for his hands, and fabriqne de
huuEran and Fancy handkerchiefs for his pocket
if he choose to lay out hundreds Of dollars in sup
plying his toilet with the double Extract Of Queen
Victoria" Eau de Cologne, Triple Dstilee Sayon
Davene Mons Sens, Boquet and Arabic, Curin-
THAN oil of Cream L'iIue de Rose, Hndyasmia,
Concentrated Persian Essence, and Extract OF
Byzantine, the latter the most charming perfume
for the assembly or boudor, impnrhug To the hand.
ksrchef an agreeable refreshing and lasting odor
and "patronzed by her most Gracious Majesty,
Queen Victoria, and her r H. DJwIger Queen
Adslaide"--ir, | say, Mr.. Van Buren, sees fiji to
spend his cash in buying these and other perfumes
and cosmetics for his toilet. it can constitute no
valid reason for charging the farmers, aborers aud
mechanics of the country, with bills for HEMNING
his DISH RAGS, FOR HIS LARDlNG NEEDLES, LIQUOR
STANDS, and FOREIGN CUT WINE COOLERS.
(IIere Mr. Ogle proceeds to touch upon another
class Of unnecessary and eXtravagant eXpendl-
lures for alterations and repairs under the as
summed authority of an act Of Congress, of March
1897. lie then proceeds
Ihave Just read five separate bills, which exhibit
an expenditure, under the act Of Congress last
mentioned, for what are denomnated "repairs Of
the Presidents House" during the first six months
OF Mr.. Van Burens term, amounting altogether to
the sum of Sll27 50. By these bills we are taught
what is meant by the phrase, "rePairS The PreS'-
dents House" in the palace vocabulary. 1t appears
that "repairs Of the Presidents House" consist in
buying scarlet damask and Brussels carpet for the
Presidents office scraping scrubbng, and MAX
ing window curtains for the same purchasing
''silyer PAPER and green silk for the Green room
and removing furniture from the Audience room
to the Majors room, and from this room to the
Audience room; taking down window curtains
washing and making them again, for the Square
room; taking down window curtains, and taking
up carpets in the Circular and Blue rooms; putting
up window curtains in the Majors room and Mr..
Van Buren's room muking and laying down car
pets making bell pulls, purchasing dlvans, clean
ing and repairing chandeliers, pier tables with
French figures, column astral lamps. cornucopia
bracket branches, mantle branch lamps, candle
sticks and plaeaus | think, sir, the farmers.
mechanics and laborers will Judge the foregoing
items to be a very strange kind OF ''replirs Of the
Presidents House" They will have no hesitation
in pronouncing that there is scarcely single dollar
INCLUDED in the foregoing hills which can with pro-
pr ETY. be said to have been expended i'll repairs for
the Presidents HOUSE,
The honest truth of the whole matter, is this,
sir. Scarcely $500 have been expended during the
last twelve years in making legitimate, real permG-
nent "repairs Of tie Presidents house," excepting
occasion for painting the entire building
inside and outside, for which special appropria-
ton Of So 432 was voted by Congress. The Rep
resentatives of the people have been gulled-yes,
,1al 81, al, a.,
appropriations have been necessary for repairs OF
the Presidents House. that it might not '.tdli 10
pieces aud go TO RUM" and when those appropria-
tious have been made for repairs of the Presi.
dents house., they have invariably been expended
in the manner have indicated
But, sir, the pnrRseology of the act of Congress
passed Sd March, 1887, as before mentioned, en-
braced the word alterations, as well as the word
repairs. What do you understand by the term al.
teratiOns | can tell you what that word signifies
at the palace. If the broad walls of the East
Room have been hung with paper Of a lemon collar,
scith rich cloth b0rdsr," and if the lemon color
should be prescribed By the palace dandes as I'M
fashionable, the word alterations would in this
supposed case apply with remarkable clear
ness and would enable the master of the house
10 substitute "a rich chaste and beautiful ;"
silver paper, with golden borders for the unfash-
ionable "lemon color, with rich cloth border"
Let US now make examination of the the mo-
MES expended by the reformers for furniture. You
will recoilect, Mr.. Chairman, that | presented to
the committee, in the carly part of my remarks, a
list Of the various appropriations made by Congress
since the retirement of John O. Adams, "for alter
atoms and repairs of the Presidents House, -
planting trees, improving grounds, &c. Those ap-
preparations amounted, altogether, to tie sum of
$751; 90. | will now, sir, offer to the commit
tee a similar list Of app OPERATIONS, during the
same period, for furniture for the Presidents
House.
Act of Sd March, 1929. For furnishing Prosi-
dents House, under the direction Of the Presi-
dent Si4OOO 90
Act of I'd March, 1881 For furniture and re-
pairs of furniture 50 O0O 90
Act of Cd March, 1888. Furnishing Presidents
House. in addition to proceeds Of such decayod fur
El,ure as he may direct to be sold 52O,000 90
Act of Both June, 1894. "FOr COMPLETING
the furniture Of Pres House $1,000 %
Act Of 3d March, 1887. Fo. furniture OF the
PRESIDENTS House $4,000 90
10 these appropriations may be added the orc.
eeeds as before stated, made by the lie yf decayel
and untashionable furniture, $3.50 40, and we
nave the gross sum of SEVENTY THOUSAND SIX HUN
DRIED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS AND FORTY CENTS ny-
pended by the 'retOrners' for furniture for the
Presidents House. And this too sir after the re-
formers had themselves con'ended and insisted that
the Presidents House had been furnished BY John
=. Adams in style of regal magnicence' But
let us look little closer at the matter, Bv the
18th clause of the lst section of the act of 3Ob
June, 1874 six thousand dollars were appropriated
''tor COMPLETING the furniture 0f The Prgsi-
dents Mouse" The furniture was therefore com
plete after the expenditure of this 5000 dollars
NOW, Mr. Chairman, can you tell me how it came
10 pass that Mr. Van Buren, expended sci 1877 g
on the palace furniture during the summer and su-
tumn OF l53d? The last SUN (32I,l27 Os) con,
&c f1 az