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

Again: 1t IS made a bcnIptES offence m me that, II
ddlt,on Ia all which IS now within and about thc
louise, gave notice that The committee of which am
member would propose, al the present session, a small
preparation fer "ne of the rooms most frequently in
Use, and which is now entirely destitute ni furniture.
The bill which contains that appropriation has since
cen reported from the com,iitirt, and gives 4 lew
hundred dollars for The purchase of PLAN furniture, OF
Nmertcan manufacture, for the antr.ronm tn The PresI-
irnts parior. The member objects that this is altoge-
her unnecessary, and the reason he ass gns for tins OPT
non IS as singular rs the objection IS extraordinary IN
itself. "ln tc ante.rooms "f primers, : saysth" mem
~, .svis t.rs are kept standing unt they ar" admitted to
u ;sdirnce. When addressed ihs committee, on 4
,rmrr dnv, drScr bed this room rs The apartment into
viiIcil visitors, whether for ccrrmony ar business, were
hown previous I" their introduction to the President
lrrr they dispose uI their over garments, IN all weather
dscns"ns, and wat, II need tr, the pre- vInus engage
ncnis "i The Pres dent; and in thus room there IS not
~ accommodation of a mirror, a table, or 4 chair.-
Whatever may be the forms observed III the courts of
europe, or the hahtt Of Princes IN the Treatment Of
lrir suhIrcts-ot which | profess 10 b. but poorly adj
>rd 1t strikes me as hardly b com:ng that they
h uld b. quoted IN Republican America as ht rules 10
>" adopted Tor the regulation OF intercourse between
re, nd"p-nd.n', enlightened ctiLrns, and tn Ir rlec-
iYe officers. The courts Of Europe irs"oth And
uch is the authority relied upon by the Wing from
Pennsylvania for denying a char 1" his constituents
nd minr, IN the very house prov, d, d by the People ior
heir own honor, and m excuse Tor drn,uacing ur for
Seeking In make provision for their more sn table ac-
nmmodntinn. Because the Princes of Europe keep
heir yiSSlIS IN Strpiic waning upon tilclT pleasure, Is
HAT a reason why a Republican citizen Of The u. 5.
should lack the comfort Of a seat, while the President
nav be called from his table or his study to offer han
hose courtcs,es to which every freeman Is here emit
tied: It's not thus my Democracy teaches. The free
citizens Of 4 Republic are themselves s"yerrrgns, and
hr measure Of their right and the respect winch is
heir due are not to be- looked for in IN" conventional
.'iqnrlrc Of Courts, nor are they the boon al Princes.
If the constituents of the member SHALL visit wash
ngton, and desire an introduction 10 the Chef
hnx,t r,, ., n"l La. lara. trlst Itrrsllt 4 N pHfnn
ny them to the "Wliitc House" venture Ia say
he will he made sensible 10 the deficiency which the
Committee propose 10 supply and Whatever may
10 his own views Of subsrrvency TO the customs "t
Europe, the indignant expression Of rcpr"nf which
h. would hear from th"s" to whom h" sh"n!d offer such
m excuse, for any want they might witness, would
nrln. convection 10 his IN nd that tn : was MOI the c"um-
try Of princes. What. himself a Wing, and propose n
conformity to the manners and customs of Aristncrat'c
power-aping the fashions of a royal conrt' Himself,
protesting to be a Republican,, and condemn that which
respect for a Republican people demands SIR, re-
peat, thus is a poor concern t. b. made The occasion OF
50 much clanr"r. II hardly becomes the member, Tor
sGrli 4 cause, 10 read homlrs upon political consistency
10 others. The irdncrnrnl to his gratnitous labors may
be- found in the naTrnwnrss Of his 0"n views, rather
than in a drfIult Of fidelity elsewhere. He mistakes n
small matter of mere business eXpedency, for a great
question If principle. Mr.. Chairman, lest, from the We
hemrncro f his drnunc,ation, any should be- led 10 sup.
pose an abandonment Of party By me, wall even v"lun.
tcrr Il confession n! faith, and here profess, testify,
and declare, that am no less a Wing than il had
never seen the Exccuriv" mansion; ny, that am as
much to be- crnt:dcd IN for >t"adiast opposition Ia the
present Administration a though, Ike ;hc member, |
he'd the new born zeal Of a convert from Jacks"nisIn!
Sir, am rs thoroughly opposed To Mr.. Van Buren, as
the mcn.hcr was devoted, al one time, TO his 'illn.trl-
Gus predecessor" regard the policy and lending mca-
sures Of the Administration as hostile 10 the best inter-
rsts Of the people, and destructive of The prosperity of
the country; and, AZ such, from the first, have been
their unconprnmising opponent, and to the utmost oi my
-l1l -,,,,, - r.a,.t than Rnt IN the
have not, nor shall | drmcan myself, by indolging IN
hard names and coarse invcctives against the high
officers Of Government.
Mr.. Chairman, | might now rest. II is not my in
trn,ion Ia cu;rr into any defence Of the propriciy OF the
particular appropriations which, from time 10 tine, have
been made for the accommodation "f the Chief MagIS-
trair OF the nation. Much less would ] attempt a VIM
drcat,nn Of the prndigal expenditures of The present Adj
mlnistration. They have hrcn rxtravagant and waste
ful enough, in all conscience, aud furnish an exhaust
less theme for the scvcrcst animadvrr<iOn When |
had llm honor of addressing the cummit,rr,o on a former
day, distinctly presented, IN connection with the sub
irct now under d scussinn, some Of the most crying
abuses, in the construction of The public cd fees III ills
CITY, the drcrplivr estimates, and irresponsible profit
naic management of those who had direction at The
work, and, ns dcrmrd, the want"n and lawlrss DIVER
SION "f funds hy the Executive, from other and more
important objects, 10 Their COMPLETION. AT the proper
time, aud on a suitable occasion. shall BE- as prompt
as another to take L" task the Administration TOR any
and all other Of their mislongS.
There was one remark OF the member from Prnnsyl-
vanIa made and dwelt upon with apparent cnmplaccnry,
50 extraordinary in Itscit, q wns ah"rt 10 say, $" afro
ci"ns, t. my NM, in the only appl cari'n VII Oh can
poss bis he gwen 10 ~ ihnt ! cannot permit II 10 pass
rnnnticrd. In referring to The furniture aud "nNnva-
lion If tn" grounds IN III" nr al the President, me
member said. ntlIr rrcr. yer was rs bad as the -oiher
man : S r. wc all know the words If the adagr-"the
receiver IS ns had AZ III, thief" And who IS The Re.
c,ivrr, and who the ihri: From the days OF Wash
nrrou, through a Ing snrc' ss"n at h!nstrt"us n'"n,
ID. =, -E h., TTn,iuI tails rIIIt nYf h. all
der Adams, j. irrs"u, Madis,n, M"nror, J. G. Adams,
Jacks n, aud IL" present pruinb"ni, have received The
benefit "ta SIMILAR provision n their official station
The house, the furniture, th" garirn, and the cult VA
Ted grounds have been al kr Tie enjoyment III zach, and
Al the public charge. Il NAV be instructive 10 this
committee In re- nf'rnr d Of III" grants of Congress for
snrnr of these rIircis, during the several periods If The
respective administrations. have now before me- n
siatcmrmt, c"ilaird from official documents, If nppro-
pr'ntl"ns Tor the purchase Of furniture for rnch Prrsi-
drnrial term. aft. r III" removal of the Seat OF Govern
mrnt Ia the Federal city.
By n law If the I'd Of March, 1877, Just previous 10
the commencement Of III" administration # the elder
Adams, Congress made The following appropriations:
Proceeds OF sale of Old furniture, and 40 much in adj
diti"n thereto ns The Prrs.drnt may Judge necessary,
not exceeding &li,DCO.
During he administration Of MIR. Jefferson, the mp
propriatinnS amounted In S2n,GDO.
In ihat Of Mr.. Madison 10 S2S,nA0.
II was in this period that the hnuse was Sucked by
the British upon their rncursion INTO Washington dur
iug the war, and the furniture, VIII ch, from tn" hrg'n-
mig, had cost the nation upwards of seventy thousand
dollars, was wholly DESTROYED.
After the repair of the House, in The yccrs 1917 and
1918, during the administration Of Mr., alonrnr, Tie re-
cords show appropriations for reiarnishing It to the NJ.
.rrgate amount OF S1b,OOO,
In the administration Of Mr.. John O.. Adams, the
grants amounted Ia $1,000.
In that of Gen Jnrkson IL $50, 900; and
In TINT Of Mr. Van Burcn, they have been, TO this
time, S20,000.
The statement from which ! read gives the date of
each law, and the precise appropriation under il.
Such, MIR. Chairman, are the ~sums-whethcr lavish
or not, shall moi stop 10 consider-which from time TO
time, have hecn voted by Congress; and these ar" the
''receivers' to whom the member rrfrrs-mcn who, for
accepting the accommodations provided By law for the
,iticp which they sustained, are charged with"'r"hb'ns
the Treasury and fleeing the People These are
they Of whom It il said, sihe receiver Is as bad as ihe
thief The elder Albums, The danntless asserirr OF
American freedom; Jefferson, The co-pafr'"t OF Adams,
'hr drauahtsInan Of The Declaration Of independence,
the great apostle Of liberty, The very eh'-i OF D-ni'-
,,ots. M,l..cn Tho rhauuion of the Constitution, the