Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-08-07

aaN hf~' '' - 1880
,rmea, of the member from Pennsylvania, rLtSDskED
TaI TEEIsUgr ASD E.BBED IHLiH t't.'i''h
/, there an Indlyidaa! within IN. sound % my 'oa
vh ~ check dea not barn wIti indignation :.
b,r. recital of tie ciiai-c: Where were ihe !"
sen,,nrl. of th- people : rights, tie G''s = r
OF Inc public chests, when these sPrh"!' =
s.,-cb ~. Journals Of es;her House Q! Congress, aho
r. v,;c. nor vote y found against one OF those a.
n.o,,a,igns. II they deserve the character no" a.
tempted 10 lie gwen them, how happens y tLat 10 'oftt
..ar. there has been no resistance u thef passaSer
H,vy happens IL, indeed, that, in the last Congress, q
nh.ob ID pennsylyan,an, Of more than Spartan TIftue,
w,s = member, no opposition was Offered 10 granls pre-.
cise!y similar 10 those contained IN the present ~
Thry passed without objection then. 7
II, OH. NJ. a rnrmber near IN" say ~ onlec"o !
Il. { oco,n Who Is the man: heard Of nodis-en-
,sn, If any had The virtue, al that i'ine, % lhih"
yronr, he mad not the conrage 10 make = 80"
Where Is the recorded vote al a CAL even 'o' :
upon The question. SIR, IN" trntl -, sach q
tl,ou,ht proper upon the oaginalc ohsior'atot 49,
,,d sub..cnentIy they have been o. course -"
If the people will no longer approve 'i'in'
mus, refer back, By legislation, To ther "co"''o" -
Nose Of the "White House; send the furniture
lion. and leave the President 10 provide Tor A'ihsr,. "'
Ice re residenc and means oF accommodation. "hen
This shall appear 10 be the Judgment "i lne Peope :
hall he found among the last 10 withstand thtf "HH.
There IL another topic upon winch the fnenn''i nae
harmed loud and long-tie style and fashion o. ne y
,;.tes which have been purchased under the app!oPfia-
lions. In my imper:ectly reported remarks. !" VINO"
the member 80 freely refers for a text TO ms f,l'oa ammo
,.,ions. With the reading Of which, ior hours NJ h7 "I'
cno,cd L,e time of this committee, not a s'n9'e aiticie
"a. particularly specified or justified b. me "here-
fore. then, does he attempt TO maze me resp"hs'oie 10
such IS h- has chosen 70 designate, aho iof We wa
yayance Of which, upon the hde!ity OF MS o,s1',P''o"
only. he asks a sentence Of condemnation ; GU sat'
however, generally, have already TO-DAY 'tgea~u'
and nov ret,rra,c, that 10 i casual observer Inc
furniture appears neither too rirh n"f 20 UNI"
for the size and magnIficence Of INC mahs'"h, ~.
r ,I. E,s rap-sE-ntat4Sc t-
Grer Of a free and sovereign people. Bat OF thEs
make no matter Of personal controversy WIN thc
member. understand hn noT 10 say mat n ma
never been at the house. How well, thea, i may com
mort with a becoming modcsty, or sens" o! yIsticr cen
a. denounce unseen that winch ~rruden. aud hon"rah'
men have sanctioned, | leave for "th"T.t"cons'deF ne
condpmng the articles as the exhibition 81 arisl'ciau'
nride and sp!andor. Wei, SIR, ! defend no: the pH''
chase of these articles, but take my position behind Tue
character of those b. whose authority they were pr"
cr,ed Iin.st that whnte ser faux had been com'nit'ro
i with those who furnr-bet the means .; soch e1'faEa
o,ncc-If extra vagancc there be-"iii IN" Represents
tives Of the p~opl", who, again ana again. unu'' =
Administration. wl,h a full know!rd-r Of me ihHnhr'
:, yb,ch The money would be tx pended, have voted IN,
approprIatons wtlhnnt restriction or qnil'hcatoh' !
have shown that whatrvrr rcp'Gaefi attaches :" ~" pr.
curcm.nt and use Of such furniture has been Iacht'e"
h. the. head Of each succcss,.e Administration. u n
deed, the fashion Of the House nr = display O r"2ii
splendor, stern and sound Republicans nave Zee" y"
trayed INTO this foolish error. (,
Thomas Jefferson wa, once accounted 4 pam ana
unprei-ndrnr Democrat, and passed, II MS HiE, % ~
nnp,tcnta,ions Chief Magistrate, and vet %e h"4e sec"
tina, thc sum OF $4,000 was expended io' furniture
dnr,ny the period Of MS Presidency: and ths, 100. ~
ADDITION 10 the Si4, 900 previously granted I" his m
med ate predecessor. The purity and Republican sun
plcity Of Nj. Nadis0n's life and manners have never,
10 this time, been questioned; yet 10 III" Si3,oDo before
aporopria;ed, S2- 800 more were ADDED 10 lHr f"Ea!
paqeantry IN the eight years OF MS Administration.
Colonel Monroe, too, was he a vainsion"us ar's'ocfa,,
He has the credit, in history, al lca'i, OF ha"ing resis'ed
10 blood. IN the Revolutionary conflict, u Governmental
rov,I ,r,dc and a,r"gancc, and bv a life devoted I"
his country, contributed a iarg"!? az any "tnef .,
the establishment and support o., institutions "' clui'
rights and political equality; yet, ~ his anninist'a'
,ion. q preater expenditure was made IN rciurnisa.
mo the house. after the late war, than under all
his predecessors. What say you, Mr.. Chairman
ofmy venerable colleague l. he not q good WING
in principle, and a plain Republican IN manners ANA
ret he received Whatever benefit resulted from the
appropriation Of 10000, during tie tour years "i ms
pro sidency. added to the large expenditure n'ade "
Colonel Monroe. But Think you ny honorable COZ
l.a,ue would have c-a."uted = tins, win a CONSCIOUS
ness that ii wax intended for mere 'rm?:y d'-PI"E. or
that. by dong il, ~ the language OF NE Ile"ioet' n
~ r,Sbinr the Treasury and ,lrcclng the i""pi"'
Sir, my colleague IN, 10 occasion t. mae pf''e,S'"nS
Of honesty or respect g"r the rights Of The p"o;'"' %
entitle his course of Official acton to The confidence
due to eminent public services ana distlngi!i'hch r'i'a'F
virtue. Diail men, he "on!d o." the last 70 indulge u"
matters of ostcn.l'tnn and VAN sho".
mir O.Lr. deny that either Adams or Monroe
ever bad sur~h,rnmpcry a Van B"'enI
Mr. Lr<cOLS. And / undertake 10 say tha', out'h9
the Presidency of Nj. Monroe, more "trumpery, as the
member is pleased to term II, was carried INTO the 'reS'-
dental mansion, than underc"efy other Administration,
10 this time, put together. :,
Mr.. Cilirn,n, IL was not my wish to cn'cr an
into this subject But upon t" denial Of the In"moef
now, feel bound 10 refer The committee 10 me ia"', ap-
parent upon the bills, that many "i the very articles
which have been pointed "ui az mos; o. !,cu"''n'e "ri'
nn-clias.d from The appropriation If S30,HGo IN tn" TINE
Of Nj. Monroe. In point Of truth, they were pr"cHrcu
I'm him. God for h.. OCn Hcc0HHf, while Minister III
France, and wcr. afterwards taken for the Government,
by appraisal, on his accs ssIua 10 the Char OF State
Az. SIR, this famous golden plateau, and most Of tieS"
gold spoons, and knives, and forks, and vases. which
hare so b~cwildcrrd the imagination of tue member, ana
siockr,l the simple virtue Of hs heart, were thr pnf-
chase Of the Republican Monroe And, IN application
10 these even, taerc IS a lesson OF in'anry, when may
%proftably be remembered, that sail - not goid WHICH
rlltters;' for, ifI am MOI greatly misinformcd, the pa
lean, and spoons, and knives, and forks, are bGt Sart'
gildcd, and the golden vases but CHM painted.
Blu, the monstrous extravaganza OF such things cS
claims the member. What is done with Ii" vast amour
Of these appropriations he inquiries. SIR, ! nay" no
prcrcd INTO the windows Of the palace, or m"tlsct
through the kiichca or the garrett, 10 see whether ''
people have got their moneys worth IN the purchase
,ha, have broH made. THIS Is not the province OF t'
committee Of which am a member; nor u y we're
you'd perform the service. Docs It require, ne asks
such large amounts FOR mere PLAIN and necessary iufn'
turcs No, sir, no; nor IS IS II 10 De supposed that, ny lt
large appropriations which have been mad" IRON 'imc u
time Congress could intend the purchases sh"'id be Sc
restricted. Simple, indeed, must he be u had almost sa'!
a tool) who could unaginc that, III the authority OF an out
Law of fifty thousand dollars, as IN the case al Mr.. Monroe
or of twenty thousand dollars, as ~ the administration
of Mr.. Adams, or OF thirty thousand, "a in that OF Cen
Jackson. or twenty thousand for Mr.. an Buren,, the
ornamental was 10 be excluded. Tn" schedules which
Tho member exhibits may wrll excite his wonder.
know nothing of their fidelity. Bot the carpets aud
tlte curtains, The candlestcks and the cand"lnbras, The
ottomans and the dIvans, the tables, mahogany an" mar
Die, the tabourcts (iahby cats, III the member 5 nom"nc!a
turc) were all doubtless III the estimates. They may
be names of startling sound 10 an nnPrncsised ear, but
they are things of use and no Uncommon appearance ~
many n privnte parl"r.
One thing, above all, seems to have created amaze
Incnt with Tie member. He has found, IN his manly
and digniicd research, an invoice Of 'cnps aud sancrrs,
winch wet" m the closets o! Mr.. Adams; and b" crts
gu, with astonishmcnt al thor number. "hnt 'h'