Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-04-16


600 in 1896, and in 1910 it amounted. I'M
der an administration which charged that
in 1924 with extravaganza, to the enor-
nous sum of $3s4,333! am really sorry,
for the credit of Congress, to be obliged to
read a statement exhibiting such shameful,
such prohigate waste. And allow me here
to say, without any intention of being IN
kind to those able and competent officers,
the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerks
of the House of Representatives, (not the
present Clerk,) that they ought to bear
share of the responsibility for the great
and sudden growth of this expenditure
How did it arise! The Clerk presents his
estimate of The sum that will be necessary,
and the Committee of Ways and Means,
being busily occupied in matter Of greater
moment, take it without sufficient exam-
nation, and insert it at once in the approba-
ton bill. But insist that it should be cut
down to a sum of which members of Con-
gress may with some decency speak to
their constituents A salutary reform has
been commenced in the House of Repre-
sentatives, which ought to be followed up
here. They have already stricken $780,
1000 from the contingent fund for both
Houses; but they should 90 much lower
| hope there will be another item of re-
trenchment, in fixing a reasonable maxi
mum amount to be allowed for stationery
furnished to the members of Congress. If
this shall be adopted, much will have been
done, for this is one of the most fruitful
sources of Congressional extravaganza. |
am told that the stationery furnished during
the 25th Congress averages more than 500
per head to each member. Can any man
believe that any such amount as this can be
necessary? Is it not an instance of profit
gate waste and profuson!
NV next resolution is directed to the ex-
penses of the Judicial department of the
Government:
RESOLVED, That the expenses OF the judicial
department Of Government have, Of late years,
been greatly increased and ought to be diminish.
ed
In this department, also, there has been
vast augmentation of the expenses, and
such an one as calls for thorough investi-
cation. The amount of the appropriation
for the Judicial department has sprung up
from 100000, which it was in 1924, to
SAT- 900, at which it stood for the year
1910. Can any man believe that this has
all been fairly donel that that department
actually requires the expenditure every
year of nearly half million of dollars?-
| have no doubt that the District Judges
and the Marshas, who have great control
of the expenditure of the fund, and the
Clerks, ought to be held responsible for this
enormous increase. Without any intention
to indulge in any invidious distinctions, l
think | could name district in which
n, tho
are four or five times greater than they are
in any other district throughout the coun-
try. | hope this whole matter will be
thoroughly investigated, and that some ne
cessary restraints will be imposed upon this
branch of the public service. | am truly
sorry that in branch of the Government
which, for its purity and uprightness, has
ever been distinguished, and which so wei
merits the admiration of the whole country
the re should have occurred so discreditable
an increase in the expenses of its practica
administration.
The next resolution asserts
That the diplomatic relations of the Uni
ted States with foreign Powers have beer
unnecessarily extended during the last
twelve years, and ought to be reduced.
will not dwell long on this subject.
must remark, however, that since the days
of Mr.. Adams administration the number
of foreign ministers of the first grade ha!
nearly doubled, and that of ministers of the
, second grade has nearly trpled. Why, we
, have ministers abroad who are seeking fo
, the Governments to which they are accred
, tied, and the Governments are not to be
found! We have ministers at Constantine
: pie and Vienna-and for what! We havt
! an unreciprocated mission to Naples-an'
: for what There was at the last session a
f attempt to abolish this appointment, but
$ unfortunately failed. One would thin
g that in such one-sided, unreciprocated di
plomacy, if regard to economy did nc
, prompt us to discontinue the relation, ne
9 tional pride would In like manner, W
might look round the coasts of Europe an
of this continent, and find mission afte
l. mission which there seems to be no eartl
? ly utility in retaining But forbear.
:. On the subject of mileage, ] hope Their
=. may be an effort to equalize it Justly, an
render it uniform, and that the same allow
ance will be made for the same distanC
travelled, whether by land, by water or b
10 steam route, or whether the distance be a
d; certained by horizontal or surface mca
10 urement. l think the former the be
mode, because it limits us to single an
IS simple inquiry, and leaves no open doc
ID for abuses. hope, therefore, that we sha
IN adopt it.
s. The next resolution of the series reac