Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-02-21
VOC. XHI--NO. 661

and the allowance to these officers ola
fixed salary. He adycrtcd to the honest
exposure made by the late lamcntcd Mr..
MckIM, of Baltimore and to the fact
that certain agent in the State of New
York disburscd 100000 annually, and
had in his hands 100000 for months at
time, sometimes four or five months.
before it had TO be expended. SO noto-
rlous was the use of these funds by the
agents holding them, that Il letter had
been published from one of them, who
received less Of these advances than he
thought himself entitled to expect, ac-
tually complaining, openly, Of that fact,
and reminding the Department that the
money was the only compensation pen
sion agents received for the duties they
performed. Mr.. NJ. never contcndcd
that these public officers should not be
paid for their services; but so long as the
law stood as it now did, it ought to be en-
forced, and not cvadcd. There was an
express statute, passed in 1886, which
provided that they should serve without
compensation. The bill, as introduced,
made provision for paying them; but, as
it was urged that the United States Bank
had done the very same duty free Of char
&c, that clause was stricken out, and the
duty required still to be performed, as
before, i.,e Of cost to the Government.
The present practice was wrong, and
ought to be condemned by the Peoples
Representatives. When this House pas
scd laws, all Executive officers were
bound to execute them according to their
true intent and meaning, and not to seek
modes of evading them.
MIR. NJ. went on to show that the prac-
tice OF the agents as soon as the money in
their hands under one head of pension
was expended, though they might be full
handed under other heads, was imme-
diately to write to the Department for
more funds. BY this means an agent had
been known to keep 100000 in his
hands ncarl y the whole year round. The
money was worth six per cent; so that
such an agent was in the receipt of little
less than $4,000 year-nearly one
half the salary Of the President of the
United States Was this right =! A draft
could 90 from Washington to Albany,
where this man resided, in ten days at
filrthest why must the money be sent
him four, five, or six months before
hand
Mn. IloIiEMAN, of Virginia, said that,
if the ,Tenlcmen who opposed the bill
muncrating pension agents had offered
any amendments or proposed any RENEE
dy, what they said would be more to the
point. But, after all, what did it amount
to ? Did the Government lose any thing
by the present arrangement
Nix. GARLAND. Yes: the use of the
money.
Mr.. II. The money would be in the
Treasury.
Mn. MARVIN. Had not we to issue
Treasury notes and pay an interest on
them of s per cent! Was this losing no.
thing! Cries Of order,
Mn. Il. said that the Treasury notes
had been resortcd to because of tempo
rary pressure on the Trcasury--moncy
must be paid, and there was noting in the
Treasury to meet the demand. But as
to this advance to the disburSing agents,
where was the difference to the Govern
mcnt whether the money lay in the hands
of those who collected, or of those who
were to pay it out! The money was as
liable to be used in the hands of the one
as OF the other. Al the difference was,
that one set ofaCpnts would gain by it in
one case, and another set in the other.
The Government made nothing, and it
lost nothing, by the present arrangement.
Nay: there were some advantages attcn-
ding it. Itprcvcntcd a vast accumulation
of money which would otherwise take
place in the city of New York now it
was dispersed through the country. In
the cities gentlemen charged that it was
used for bribery: besides, il was posi-
tive gain TO the Government, to the whole
amount of the salaries which must other
wise be paid TO these officers. Mr.. H.
however did not approve Of the present
he would prefer some other mode. Blu
if gentlemen complained, why did not
they move an amendment instead of en-
barrrsSine the passage of this bill
.Hr Reed, of Massachusetts, agreed will
gentlemen who had preceded him in the
opinion that the present mode Of COM
pcnsating pension agents was bad one
and ought to be reformed. In practice
, however, be supposed it would, Just now
make little difference, for he presumed
the Administration would soon come tc
the House and complain that they had nc
money. But still this was a proper occa-