Litchfield enquirer., 1840-07-30
Eron, Ae Hartford Courant.

r.
 under our observation, contains greater collection
 ot acts calculated to show the ostentation and mag nifcence of our "plain, simple, economlcal admin tistraon, and especially the Exeeutive head of the tgovernment, than this speech. The subject before f the House was the Appropriation bill and MT. Oge had moved to strike out clause " For alterations
 and repairs of the Presidents house and furniture,
 for purchasing trees, shrubs, and compost and for
 superintendence of the grounds, s,665 dollars. He
 opposed this grant on variety of grounds and par
 tlc9aTy as rannng counter in its tendency to the
 ring whether they disposed to malntain for ther
 chief servants private ..,modation, "a ROYAL
 REIMBURSEMENT at the cost of the natre.. L.,
 It appears by MT. Ogles statement, that since the
 accession of General Jackson in l89 there has been
 appropriated by Congress, for repairing the Presi-
 dents house, grounds &c the sum of SS, ,722 dollars.
 The house itsef first and las has cost the nation
 little rising 634, zoo dollars.
 In detailing the expenses for furniture &c MT.
 Ogle gives extensive and minute list of articles
 and their cost; and in large proportion of the in
 stances, produces copies of the original bills with
 the prices, received from those from whom they
 were purchased. The lamps chandeliers, &c for
 Room, of which Col. Thomas H. Benton, in is27
 gave such false description, for the purpose of
 showing the extravagance and aristocratc taste of
 the President de J. Q; Adams, and which was utterly
 and Wlltuly false-the room at that time, having no 1 furniture, except few old chairs, numbering ben | ches broken glass and cob bwebs"-as furnished un- der Van Ruren, in chairs alone, has cost the nnton 600 dollars, and the looking glasses 24OO dollars. In
 another room, during the first ten months of Mr. Van
 Burens presidency there was expended in furniture, i,SO555 Among the articles in this room are so- t0bouret is described as composed of gilt wood, cushioned and stuffed with very fine black horse- | halr, covered with crimson damask figured satin, and garnished with silk lace, gold )ri"ge ,asseis, tntts, and sdrs ;" and in book lately published by 1 the Hon. Lewis Cass American minister at Paris to sit upon tabouret is spoken of as "one of the ted more sensation than many political event affect ! ing the prosperity ot the kingdom" The window | curtains in the same East Room, about which Col. l Benton published such false account, provided for the more simple republican, frugal taste of Pre- sident Van Buren, cost 2,S75 dollars-or about 553 dollars for each curtain.
 | After mentioning gilt and damask satin covered settees bergeres tauteuils chars ottomans, tabou- rets, musicstoos, ootsools, and pillows, MT. Ogle says, " Still Mr. Van Buren was not content he | longed for the Turkish Divan" and the French comfortable: good loco. loco democrat, methinks, might have been pretty well satisfied with crimson damask sofa and pillow of soft down encased with | a silver cover"-" But although many of these hon. | est loco-focos would be pleased to see AMERICAN CoMFoRTABLEs introduced at the palace, they will hardly admit the proprety of the true representative of the real hardhanded democracy sending the cash of the People across the wide Atlantic for the pur chase of French comfortables," at time, too, when thousands who are quite handy in their res pecve crafts, as the artizans of Paris and Lyons, are out of employment for the want of market for l their beautiful fabrics" Mir Ogle proceeds in giving his account of the palace in the following manner:
 'There are no other apartments on the first floor the palace excepting the court leree or Janqueng
 room. and the family dining room, with sundry store rooms, and ptdte and china closets between them. shall shall call your % attention so the Court Basq"ens
 the great entrance hall, that we may ascend the grand staircase covered wtha rich Brussels carpet
 in order to take very cursory view of the interior arrangements on the second story ot the palace- | The apartment on this story which has been most admired, is denominaed the Lodies' Circuiav Par lor, corresponding in form, ustre, and elegance, l wi fhn in IFSf This beautiful parlor was fitted up m handsome style by MT. Adams, and was occupied by that Presi- pany receiving room. Soon after MT. Van Buren came into power, the Ladies Circular PdrtOr, as well every other apartment in the palace, was daned to accept splendid outfit at the hands of the glider the painter, the carver the upholserer and the importer of gold and silver paper, royal Wilton and imperial Saxon carpets, gilt rays, stars, fringe toiiett sets and other eoeiy oregn orSamemts Idis cover by a voucher now in my hand, that MT. Van Buren, on the 18th day of December, ls37. paid
 oi tse eper eas the 0 He then quotes list of the various ornaments l consisting of Silk Tasses, Satin Medallion, Satin l Galoon, Cords, Rosettes, Gimp, Crimson Tafieta, and the cost of curtains and ornaments He then l says:- l "I ana disposed to believe, MT. Chairman, that the present occupant of the palace is not reai gem | uine' loco-foco, hard handed democrat. He cant Something onS 1 must must be out of gear Why, sr he loves tassels, rosettes and girsh fnery, almost as much as real Bank Wh;g loves '4ard cider. By the ac! | of the 3d of March, 1887, Congress appropriated twenty thousand dollars lor furniture e the Presi denfs house. quote the language of the law, for FURNITURE ef he Presidest's hOuse"-"l would, therefore, respectfully inquire whether sik tassels and roseffes considered household Jurnifure in | the legitimate democratic meaning ot the word F. Are silk Gssels and rOsettes hereafter to be writ ] ten down, deemed and taken in the same category with frying pans oaksn chests, chaf bags and cront tubs As we'll might the honest citizen of Iulpe- l hacken valley, who garnishes his by 10 looking glass with string of blue:jay. yellowhammer whit I aker, and mocking-birds eggs, and formally be- queath them when he is about to take leave ot plhn | tations and speckled eggs, by his will, written or nuncupatve. Sir, this would be too bad for Chris tian country:
 But this is not ali, for in the same abstract ofpay ments, the following bill is also included
 "For Gold Leaf, Gliding materials, labor aud expen-
 aes to inc Presidents house, S%, %,OOO Do you suppose, Mir. Chairman, that a plain; un- sophisticated locotoco can stand this WlH ne out money which had been appropriated by law for FURNITURE for he Presidents honse. m buyng GOLD LEAF and GLIDING MATERIALS, and afterwards whip ping the Devil round the stump by calling Gotd Ley and GiLi,ng naoteriaLs household furniture! ,, But the end is not yet. l have before me bill | for sundry French Bedsteads, Marbletop Wash stands Diningroom Commode, with Statuary marble top Dressing Bureaus, and other upholstery, bought August 10, IS37 for the sum of Sl,5D5O ot the Peo, | ple's cash. These articles may be denominnted household frniture in the proper and true under standing the term. But protest against 'ending l the money of my constituents for elegant French
 Badseads Must the American oak. and nick kOry. and cherry, and walnut, and maple that admit 0t the | the gilt RosEwooD, sandal ebony, box, and mahOga
 nv of France and the far of isles of the sea? Shall | the Peoples money be shipped across the ocean,
 by the Peoples chief servant, to support FoREicS