The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-18

books purchased has been reported. Such il
the case this year with some of the Departments
As, Tor instance, the Postmaster General in
forms us, in his report, that he paid thirty dol
lars OF the public funds for a copy Of " Indian
niogrdphy" How far the history Of Philip,
Tecumseh, Black Hawk, and Oceola win aid
our worthy Postmaster in conducting the affairs
OF ms Department, leave for his friends to ex-
pain. ! mention this fact as showing that the
honorable Secretary Of the Treasury has been
more cautious than some of the other heads OF
Department.
MIR. JONES, of Virginia, said that he was not
particularly informed on the subject but he pre-
sumed that the "books" mentioned in the report
alluded TO were blank books for the use Of the
Department.
Mr.. GIDDINGs said he would be the last man
10 desire That any wrong impressions should be
gwen as 10 the items alluded 10. |. however,
leel confident that the chairman of the connie
Tee OF Ways and Means has inexperienced
me report, In the report we are informed of the
amount paid for sbiank books, y for blanks, and
for sfdfionery--all which are properly characle.
rized, and plainly distinguished from "books"-
Moreover, as have before remarked last year
we had the character of the books specified in
the report. We were shown the amount paid
for "Sparks's Life Of Washington for sFrank-
Inns Works." for "JeiIerson's Works. &c. &c.
Ic.--all given in the report Of last year Not so
this year. We are told that the sum of more
than three thousand dollars has been paid to
different individuals for books )" and that is
all The intelligence on that subject communicated
by the report.
will not, Mr. Chairman, deny TO the Secre-
tary oil the Treasury the right Of purchasing for
the use OF his Office such books as are particu-
larry calculated TO aid him in the discharge Of
his official duties, such rs works on finance and
I ha
propriety in such practice. Perhaps one or two
hundred dollars per year might very properly be
expended in this way. But while we are spend
ing large sums every year TO increase the gene
raj library OF the nation, 20 which the officers of
the Government may at all times have access,
deem il unnecessary and improper to purchase
works OF mere literary character for the scve-
raj Executive Departments. The expenditure
OF three thousand dollars in the purchase Of
books for this Department, think elfratdgdnf
and entirely unnecessary
The next item to which invite the attention
OF the committee is the amount of more than
one thousand dollars, paid by the Secretary of
the Treasury for newspapers during the past
year. would think il well for that officer TO
take three, five, or ten papers, to be kept on file
in his office TO be referred to if necessary.
Twenty, thirty, or perhaps fifty dollars may very
properly be expended ior that purpose But
when the number of papers amounts to several
hundreds, and the amount of the public moneys
thus expended exceeds thousand dollars per
year, think il becomes an abuse which demands
correction. The practice OF bringing so many
papers into the different Offices must have the
effect Of occupying much time of the clerks
which should be spent in other business. The
People who pay for these papers, the aboring
part of the community, do not afford such variety
of reading matter for themselves, and am of
opinion they ought not to be compelled to fur
nlsh II TO their servants.
Mr.. JONES, of Virginia, said il was the prac-
tice Of this House to furnish each of It's members
with newspapers during the sessions of Con-
gress.
Mr.. GIDDiNGs resumed. Sir, understand the
argument of the Chairman of the Committee OF
Ways and Means. point to this expenditure
as mdsfejui and ertrdraganf. pronounce it
such an expenditure as we would not suffer TO be
made of our own money. hold il up to the
nation as an abuse. | demand in the name Of
the people that il be corrected. protest against
appropriating further sums to be expended in
this way. And what is the answer of the Chair
man Of the Committee Of Ways and Means,
and Of the party with which he acts? They do
not deny the charges | make. They will not
attempt TO Justify this expenditure. They will
not say to the People, You ought to be taxed
to supply these hundreds of papers to the several
Executive Departments Nor, sir, riH they
correct The erH, or reform the abuse. The only
reply is, There are other abuses erisfing."
And when we attempt 10 correct the abuses thus
alluded to, we shall be referred back to those
have just commented on, for the purpose of JUS
tifying them; and the utmost satisfaction which
the People receive when these extravagant and
wasteiul expenditures are pointed out is, that
"Mere are other departments in 1rhich the
treasure Of The nation is also sq,tdndered.n
declare, sir, my object in looking into this sub
iect is to rcfrench or expenditure; to correct
the abuses when we come to them, not to leave
them for the next session, or the next Congress,
or the next generation; but | propose 10 "oh
coat and 90 at it now" The times call for re-
form and retrenchment.
OF the papers taken by the Secretary of the
Treasury there are nine copies Of "Me daily
Globe" Ninety dollars is paid for the sup, orr
of that paper; but whether the honorable Sc
cretary reads the whole number of copies daily
am not informed. small portion of this
thousand dollars seems to have been paid for
"anti-abolition" papers. Now, sir, | have many
constituents who are aboiitionists. They have
sent their petitions here, but those petitions are
not permitted to be received, yet they are taxed
to furnish the honorable Secretary and his clerks
with standardization papers" am Of opinion
that each man should furnish himself with books
and papers on the subject Of .human rights
The committee will excuse me for being parti-
cular and specific; do 50 by the particular re-
quest Of my colleague.
In passing over the report upon the contingent
expenses Of the Treasury Department, notice
several charges for amount paid for soap, &c"
the several items of this description amounting
in all to perhaps little more than a hundred dol
lars. What is included in the Get cetera"
know not, unless it be for "pertumery." Very
naturally, after the charge for soap, follows the
amount paid 'for washing" being something
more than five hundred dollars. Thus having
found soap and paid for washing, what could
be more natural for these "hdrd iaboring
u. lie. 4 mi