The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-05
ADYERTYSEnEN1..

your columns 10 notice the resolutions which, as |
perceive by the published proceedings OF the House
Of Representatives IN your paper OF yesterday
ing Mr. Charles Johnston, a member from New
York. attempted TO introduce into the House on We'd
nesday, and which, being read from the Clerks table,
and spread the face Of the proceedings, have al
ready accomplished their barely concealed purpose of
dhnsing gross partisan attack, conformity upon Mr..
Garland, as Clerk of the House, and upon so humble
an individual as myself-ior which am doubtless
indebted, as IN similar previous instances, TO the
crime of being publisher of the Democratic Review.
do not, OF course, call in question the privilege
OF any member OF Congress to quote recent
preston of appropriate severity to make HIMSELF
the floor OF that body, the retaer of the false and
malignant gossip that taints the atmosphere Of this
city nor, in the present dearh Of better materials
the right Of INSCRIPTIONS politicians to descend TO the
meanest from which to CLEAN little political
capital, available for the passing hour. But since the
manifest object Of this proceeding is simply 10 operate
upon public opinion through the privileged diffusion
Of pate attack, deem il proper, through your
columns to meet It at once with an emphatic reluta.
ton Of all its substantial charges.
To do this, it will not be necessary for me to notice
the personalities, the unworthy equvocations contra
dctions in terms, and palpabe absurdites apparent
the face of the resolutions themselves 1t will be
sufficient to show that Mr.. Johnston, in thus attempt
ing to transfer this matter from its proper committee
to the political OF the House, has done in the
face of the following facts known to himself:
OF the fact that Mr.. Garland in ordering the sta
tionary from a single individual--an ord and con
tract OF that nature being manilesuy convertible
terms-did no than follow the preoedents Of his
office-precedents before questioned until the
ordinary business advantages Of such an order
assigned, after the uniform practice OF legislative boz
dies as to the public printing and other similar
vices, to the publisher OF periodical obnoxious TO
party enmity.
or the fact that the prices Of the stationary furnish
ed limited to those paid by the last Congress,
sanctioned by the high character of his predecessor in
office, and approved by successive Committees of
ha
cuted by contract restriction for fifteen per cent less
than the former prices paid for such work.
OF the fact, that the prices paid were in no instance,
on the average, higher, and in many lower, than those
paid by the House in any year since 1927 when every
article bought by the Clerk from the original
wholesale sources of supply, with all the advantages
OF cash, and proper periods of selections whereas
there has been no fall in the prices OF stationary from
the scale OF previous years such being the public de-
mand, and the progressive improvements in quality.
or the fact that every article delivered was COM
PEELED by contract obligation, with sufficient security,
to be OF the best description, according to specimens
and samples furnished; and that the Committee Of
Accounts, OF which the gentleman himself is mem
ber and the proper officers of the House. have already
full power, as it is their duty, to see it faithfully ex-
ecuted
OF the fact, that the articles in general gave I'M
qualified and unusual satisfaction at the time Of their
delivery and that those which did not it the wish
and direction of the party furnishing them TO have
turned.
Of the fact that the paper has been pronounced by
disinterested and competent Judges resident this
city and New York, to be OF unusually excellent
quality, and decidedly superior to that previously
used by the House. U may also add that the manu-
facturer of this paper, Mr. Hudson, of Hartford the
most eminent in the country, who has made most of
the paper used by Congress for many years past-and
moreover, since politics materially influences the
qualities of stationary, leading member of the OPP
position party, for whose political orthodoxy, well
high personal responsibility the delegation in Con-
nj tuiIt
STATES that il is Of quality and beauty superior to
any ever before furnished by him, and peafy per cent
better than the samples delivered with the order and
transferred to him the models for his manufacture
vi the fact, that the storerooms of the House are
loaded with worthless stationary accumulated before
Mr. Garand's tenure Of office, under the system to
which the gentleman is so anxious to revert-a sys-
TEN, the obvious liability of which to abuse is sufii-
GENTLY illustrated by the fact recorded in document
81 OF the present session, that x-andtwenty odd
thousand dollars worth have been recently sold under
the hammer by resolution of the House, for seven
teen thousand dollars less than cost, while. under the
prudent restrictions of Mr.. Garland's arrangement
not unnecessary cent could be expended for these
purposes and not one cent of loss could possibly ac
crue to the government.
OF the fact, that from the beginning have sought
to keep the account for stationary low instead of I'M
necessarily swelling it and even strenuously recon-
mended the use of the inferior stock ofpaper on hand
instead of the purchase Of upwards Of ten thousand
dollars worth which the order for supplies directed
me to furnish deeming plain statement of the facts
would prove sufficient justification of him to the
House--an advice which Mr.. Garland was only pro-
hibed from following by positive resolution of the
House; and that, in the execution of the order, ac
tuay reduced, by several thousand dollars, the guam
hty which, under what was conceived TO be misa-
ken estimate Of the probable consumption, | was en-
titled to furnish
OF the fact, that the Committee Of Accounts had
abundant power TO examine and rigdly purge the
count for stationery without any Intervention Of the
House, additional grant OF powers TO effect the very
purpose for which that committee is instituted, to
gain information already amply and voluntarily within
its reach, inasmuch as informed Mr.. Charles ohm
ston, in person, that was willing and anxious at any
time, to wait upon the committee, to furnish them
every species of information desirable, to enable il to
Judge of the faithful execution OF all my engagements
But this gentleman would not be deprived of his
object to dihuse privileged attack designed obvi
ousy TO crafty partisan motives, which leave il TO
others TO name and though the House did not sanction
the extra judicial offcionsness with which he has
sought TO obtrude upon il personal and business mat
tiers appropriately delegated TO a committee that OBJ
ect far regards the public has not been the less
efectually accomplished; and hence the necessity of
these statements TO reveal the true character of the
movement In further illustration of it. il is unneces
say for me TO advert to the circumstance that every
specific allegation made by the gentleman was already
undergoing the Judicial action of the Committee Of
Accounts, which, up TO the very hour this person
rushed with his resolutions before the House was
engaged with full consciousness of its responsible
ties and duties in investigating the very matters
which were thus indecorousy sought o. be snatched
from before it. Public economy could have formed
nopar OF his motives, as short period of the precious
national time, which he willing to engross with
these unbecoming personal details, in the worse
than useless party debates ordinarily sprnging out Of
movements OF this nature, would cost the public
actual money than all the account, much less the pro-
ut which he has undertaken TO estimate TO have
suited from all the transactions he has denounced.
As for the fact of Mr.. Garland having chosen 10
give the order for the supply Of stationary to the pre-