, 1840-08-15
BoWLNGLGREEN, MO- SATURDAY, AUGUST Is, 184o

whose duty it is to do this? Was the President
at liberty to do it, What tenant, having a
lease OF a house, could by law make altera-
tIonsf And could the President make alter
atoms in a house, Of which he was the occu-
pant tor four years only? Had he a right to
do this, even were he disposed to do it at his
own expense? No: it was the duty of the
Government, who first built the house, to
from the rain and winds Of heaven. Did not
Government build the house for the accom-
mediation Of its presiding officer! and would
that Government be justified in permitting it
to fall to pieces, and go to ruin, for want of
a small appropriation to keep it in repair!-
This sum of $500, he would tell the gentle.
man, was exclusively for repairs to the house,
the word ''Iurniture" having been inserted
merely as a matter of form, observed in all
former appropriations. The money was not
intended to purchase a single article Of fur
%niture, but was exclusively tor the house;
and he would appeal to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, or any other gentleman,
whether an appropriation Of $500 for re-
pairs to a house that cost q million, was not
a very moderate sunni
Besides, if General Harrison was to occu-
py the house, and he trusted that would soon
be the case, it ought TO be kept in good con.
dition. For his part, he was not willing that
Gen. Harrison should enter a house in a d.
lapidated condition. He wished to have it,
at least provided with the necessary articles
of furniture, such, for instance. as a few
chairs TO sit upon, for the accommodation Of
~visiters and private individuals.
Another item composing the aggregate a
mount, was for the service Of a gardener,
$3.50; here this man was employed to attend
TO the public gardens and grounds adjoining
the Presidents House, and was in fact at
tending to the business of Government; for
who would undertake to say that those gar
dens were of any benefit to the President!
They were open to the public, and belonged
to the people, and were kept in order more
for the qualification Of members of Congress
than for the occupant of the White House.
Mr.. L. then alluded to another item for
and asked if it was likely the President would
hire these laborers for his own convenience.
Certainly not. Besides, what would be the
consequence If they should refuse to make
This small appropriation! Why, the result
would be that those beautiful mounds and
other contrivances, made not for the graft
~fication of the President, but to please the
public eye, would be neglected. This money
was to keep in repair the walks frequented
by the public, and he, with others, had often
visited them; and would any gentleman con.
tend that the President himself was bound to
keep them in repair, when they were for
the accommodation Of the people at large?
No, the gardens and grounds were the prop
erty of the people, and the people expected
that the labor expended on them should be
paid for. He would ask the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, what difference there was be-
tween the public grounds around the
Presidents House, and the public grounds
and gardens Of the Capitol. No objection
was made to the paying Of laborers on the
latter, and why should there be any with re.
spect to the formerl They were alike ac-
ccessibIe to, and for the qualification Of, the
public.
Another item was for horse and cart hire
for the public squares attached to the Presi.
dents House. How would any one under
take to say that the President had any thing
to do with the enclosing Of these two squares!
The grounds had not been enclosed for his
accommodation. But he (Mr. L. did not
attach so much importance to these small
items; it was the principle involved for which
he was contending. The very sam objec-
tons to these items would, on this principle,
apply 10 appropriations Of greater amount,
and to nearly every other item in the bill
1t would also apply to any other apProPria-
tons which might be recommended by the
Committee on the Public Buildings.
1t had always been customary for the Com
mittee on the Public Buildings to investigate
the requisite appropriations, and then trans.
fer them to the Committee Of Ways and
Means. Thepresent appropriation had come
to the Committee Of Ways and Means In that
manner.
He would ask whether the gentleman
from Pennsylvania could assign any reason
why this appropriation should not be- made
Was il inconsistent with the genius OF a Re
publican Government that the house Of it.
President should Re kept in repair, and pro-
vided with the conveniences OF a private
dwellingi
He would submit whether the original Re
representatives. of the people, when they, con,