Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-16

/ He (Mr. J0 objected against the employment OF any
! third person by the Clerk 1t was Voialloh VI
| prncipe of our Government Tor an agent Illus ~ w.
gate his power to third person. J., tho
hear rac,,;,uIoton of what had been done oy the
Commiltec on Accounts this subject at Tue iast e
sion. Mr. J. proceeded to partieulafze so'ie AZ 49,
ticles on which the sub-agent OF the Ceik' WI vi, ~ -
tree, derived his profit ana w'ch P,"ns s narformed
hoen pan 10 the Government had the Clerk
~ dr,. b;mselr Mr. j. said that the letter pape' a.
h,ro,d NJ sc 30 per reani, when better aftcie
be purchased for cash for 81 30 per ream.
There was another most extraordinary ,a"l that
attending this matter lie (Mr. ~ undersloon a
,he n.ne1 manufacturers always ready 70 iurs ~
ryycd paper when required, at an additional i,.'s
6fty rents per ream. But under this sup'agcn'y ~
em we were not only charged sc 90 per reai 10, pro
per, which could he bought a. g! - rnl IN,
/ charged 81 % per ream Tor rui''.S reoms
i NJ then proceeded to state that thousa,u
had been brought to the House anu
away more than would be wanted At Tue s.ad rsoms
rress The whole amount was eighteeh " III Re had
sI, c;rbt hundred of which required rs ""a
h, ;nformed that the excuse of Mr. Lahg'lee VS.
that he mir L) had misunderstood the oiuIi
Clerk. mistakng eight hundred tor eighteen IN
reams Mr. j. here made some severe coi''ne"ss
this mode of doing business mrs. payls 80 osna The
orce r pape and then in addition TO that losing Inc
interest on the money by receiving paper WHO" "ou''
not be required for year TO come. .,:o.. Cor tho
| The Clerk had no right to order s'a'ioheis .o -
ncxf Conuress If he permitted 10 90 y, why "e
he had the same right TO order it for halt century
ahead. =. ~, ,ho o,,r,
After adyertinr to what appeared 70 MN le e",a
,;, L;nh hills Of the Clerk for his expenses while
n, New York in attending to the sale OF dah'aeea s'u
,;o,err Mr. proceeded to notice the several ipos-
-; !rr,c,;.od upon the Government in relation 10
,horraphinp and as an instance OF such abuses men
TONED a case where the House had been charged
L;gh amount for thogaphng, when not single sheet
of il had ever been receives! ine whole having peeh
consumed y; ii-c. ,h
| ~ PROFIT stated that, calculation made by
him he found that the stationery bill for tins session
alone was about S3 900, which was at The rale OF
far every member of the House. He was satisfied that
$50 would pay the stationary bill oil every Scn'isa
this wear, and he hoped that some member, better
skilled in these things would make an estimate anu
submit il to the action of the COMMITTEE
MIR. UNDERWOOD said that some years ago he
was on Committee appointed to investigate INTO lle
stationery accounts of the House; and after mhnte
er,m,oi;on The committee had come the conclusion
that there was but remedy and that was to pursue
the course suggested BY the gentleman from Indiana,
mir Profit He (Alr W had intendedto suggest 10
line committee proposition that In lieu OF stationery
and newspapers each member of Congress should be
allowed s annually" The committee could fill up
the blank with any that might be computed TO be
proper This was the only remedy. The same com
plants had been made year after year, and would con-
tnue 10 be made until The END vi time unless SONIC sue"
plan as this adopted.
/ Mr. JONES of Virginia gave 10 the Committee such
information as had been in possession of the Commit
lee Of Why's and Means in regard to these estimates,
and stated that the estimates Of the Clerk had been re-
duced in the Committee, S25, 900 below the amount
contained in those which had been read at the Clerk
table The Committee had supposed that the amount
now asked for about the proper sum, and IN that
they had looked with proper eye to cconomy-an OBJ
iect which he as dcsirous TO promote, when II
could be properly done, as any other gentleman. Mr..
Mr. then replied 10 certain portions OF the argument
of Mr. Johnston, contending that blame, b anne there
was should rest in the proper quarter and that II dd
not belong where the gentleman had laid It,
il Mr. JOHNSON of Virginia also replied to the re-
marks of Mr. Johnston of New York. He said that
the Committee Of Accounts had taken pains to examine
into the subject and, after receiving letters from va
rious stationers had to the conclusion that the
price paid by Government was Just equivalent; ana
they also found that there Ind been an absolute reduc-
ton in the price So far from being deceived IN the
purchase of the paper, the committee came to the
conclusion that it had been purchased upon the best
terms.
After some remarks by Messrs. JOHNSON of Viz
+, gina, JOHNSTON of New York, LINCOLN, and
i GRINNELL, and other gentlemen,
Mr. LINCOLN said that his only object in submit
tnr his motion was to bring the matter to the conside-
ration of the House, and, that being done he would
now accept the amendment of Mr.. Graham as modh-
cation Of his own.
And the question being on the amendment modi-
fed
Mr. TILLINGHAST then gave notice of his inten-
tion ifthc amendment failed, to offer the following:
Sand nothing herein contained shall he construed lo
authorize sanction any contract for stationery OF
other articles Of merchandise for the ofthe ensuing
Congress, by any officer of the present Congress, to
/ an amount exceeding in the whole two thousand dol
lars"
Mr.. ADAMS sent to the Clerks table letter from
Mr. W. J. Stone of this city, relative to the prices paid
for TYPOGRAPHY.
Mr. BYNUM said he should vote TO strike out the
whole OF the appropriation for stationery, not because
he thought proper but because he thought 1t neccs
sary to bring gentlemen back to proper sense oil wha
e was due from them Representatives on that floor
and 10 The great interests of the people Of this coun
try lie thought nothing less than meeting this ques
ton in this way by stopping all appropriations and con
sequenty the wheels of Government, and throwing Inc
. responsibility upon those gentlemen at once who were
embarrassing almost every measure that was brough
. forward by either party by ostentatous parade OF
" boastfu economy, and most indscrmInate censurt
of every public officer. Why Sir, said Mr. b., do gen
temen not know, from the very nature oil thlngs ina
e as long AS you have Government, you must have
officers for is of such that Governments consist
and can gentlemen expect that Governments can b
sustained and carried in all their operations withou
expense money, and those officers are 10 serve win
out paw for their services: Such an idea appeared =
d him a preposterous absurdy-yet one might well lnc
this, from the tenor of the remarks OF gentlemen AM
their course on this floor. Gentlemen ought TO reco
r lect, that in short month"; they would have an oppor
J., tuny Of trying how far it practicable to carry
TINS Government without eilller olCeis VI
should recollect too that they should be tired by III
same rule which they laid down for the trial OF Others
ii He was prepared say how far the conduct OF tn
Clerk Of the House had been proper or improper; upo
that subject had contradictory evidence from IN
members of the same committee, who protested
know most about it, in favor of fact there were two
one in favor of the proper conduct of the Clerk of tn
House it appeared that the House was called upoI
by those too who appeared TO know the least abou
it, 10 cast unmerited censnrc upon the Clerk an
In. Al. l,o,n nj
IS say Now, this was the principal subject that
1t had risen TO notice. and against the course pursue
Of in relation 10 it, he entered his most solemn protest
that had been adopted during this and the la
lie Administration against the public officers OF every Of
IS partment of the Government; which, in his udgmen
was unjust (e would not say dishonorabe) as 1t WI
Of bera and unsatesmanlike. Sir, said he, what W;
d that that had become of late much IN practt
Is in this House, Ii that the most inexperienced
Is the members, who had not been in their seats Ion
onouuh To become acouainted with the most ordlna