Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-24

ment cOllated from official docUmenis, o
appropriations for the purchase of funi
tufe for each Presidential term, after III,
removal Ofthe seat OF Government 10 tn,
Federal city.
BY law Of the I'd of March, 1877
just previous TO the commencement O
the administration Of the elder Adams
Congress made the following appropria
ton:
| Proceeds Of sale of old furniture, anc
so much in addition thereto as the Presi
dent may judge necessary, not exceeding
$4,000.
During the administration of Mr.. JEFF
terson, the appropriations amounted tc
$4,000.
In that of Mr.. Madison 10 $4,000.
It was in this period that the house
was sacked by the British, upon their in.
cursion into Washington during the war,
and the furniture, which, from the begin
ming, had cost the nation upwards of sep
enty thousand dollars, was wholly destroy
ed.
After the repair Of the House, in the
years 1877 and 1918, during the admin
istraton Of Mr.. Monroe, the records
show appropriations for returnishing il to
the aggregate amount Of $4,000.
In the administration of Mr.. John @.
Adams the grants amounted 10 $4,000.
In that Of General Jackson $4,000.
In that Of Mr. Van Buren, they have
been, 10 this time, $50 900.
The statement from which | read,
gives the date of each law, and the pre-
else appropriation under it.
Such, Mr.. Chairman are the sums
whether lavish or not, shall not stop to
consder-which from time to time, have
been voted by Congress; and these are
the ''receiVers" to whom The member
TeteFs-men who, for accepting the &C
commodailOns provided by law for the
Office which they sustained, are charged
with ''robbing the Treasury and fleeing
the People" These are they of whom
it IS said "The receiver is as bad as the
thief, " The elder Adams, the daunt-
less asserer Of American freedom; JEFF
feEson the Co-patriot of Adams, the
draughtsman of the Declaration of Inde-
Pendence, the great apostle Of liberty,
the very chief of democrats; Madison,
the champion Of the Constitution, The pa
trlot statesman and sage; Monroe, the
soldier of the Revolution, the brave de-
fender Of the Republic in the irst war,
the inhexible and uncompronlising ad-
vocate Of national honor, rights, and in
terests in the last; these are they who
received the appropriations, and to whom
the adage is applied Names deathless
in fame, immortal in the history of their
country's renown! My venerated col
league TOO. the learned civilian, the ac-
comPlished diplomarist, the incorruptble |
magistrate, he who on this floor is the |
most fearless and faithful ofthe servants
oFthe people, together with the Hero of
New Orleans, "Ihe greatest aud the
BEST" and the more humble "follower
in the foosteps." they also are within
the obloquy Of tho same reproach.
And who is the MiefH The Congress
of the United States, the Representatives
of the People in succession, through
series gilmore than forty years. These
are the men who, by making the appro-
priations, in the sentiment of the men,
ber from Pennsylvania, rLUNDERED THE
TREASURY AND ROBBED THEIR CoNsTIT
EENTs! Is there an individual within the
sound ofmy voice whose cheek does not
buFn with indignation at the bare recital
Of The charged Where were tho sleep
less senines Of the Peoples rights, the
dragon guardians Of the public chests,
when these spoilers, robbed it Of its treas
lrei Was no arm raised for the protec-
toni Search the journals Of either
House of Congress and neither voice nor
vote is found against one of those appro-
pristions. If they deserve the character
now attempted to be given them, how
happens ii that in forty years there has
been no resistance TO their passage?-
How happens it, indeed, that in the last
Congress, Of which this Pennsylvania,
Of more than Spartan virtue, was men,
her, no opposition was offered TO grants
precisely similar to those contained in the
present biz They passed without Ob-
lection then.
[Mr. OcLE. No; a member near me
says he obected.l
Mr.. LINCOLN. Who is the mani
heard Of no dissentient. If any had The
virtue, at that time to think it wrong, he
had not the courage to make it known.
Where is the recorded vote at a call even
for division upon the questionf-SiF,
the truth is, such grants were thought
proper upon the original consideration OF
them, and subsequently they have been
Of course usual.
If the People will no longer approve
them, Congress must refer back, by leg
islation, 10 their occasion; dispose Of the |
" White House;' send the furniture to
auction; and leave the President to pro-
vide for himself his place Of residence |