The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-03-25

par,ment, upwards of 100000 in the State De-
and so throughout all the departments OF
Inc Government, Look at the State Department
newspapers, reviews and special messengers. lie
would call the attention of the committee now on
" to few items by way of specimen OF the man
ner of expanding contingent funds. lie would
state. for the information of the committee, lhat
there are agents in the cities of n. York and Boston,
whose duty it is 10 receive dispatches from the
State Department and transmit them to the dlller-
ent parts of world. These agents receive lar
salary, and have with great puncualily received
and despatched the papers olthe government. I'm
less there was to be an exchange of treaties,n spe-
cla messenger has been sent of late years. Since
last June, however, several have been sent oil and
so lar as he could learn, to Paris and London,with
which places communications have been kept up
between our ministers and the Departments hereto
fore without special ministers. Now we find the
following charges since June last fol messengers:
Mr. Coolidge received $40
Mr. Donald Mcleod $40
Mr. COOkendorier $40
Mr. Duff Green 500
In one of the cases il was stated at the time in
the newspapers the dispatches went IN one vessel
and the despatch bearer in another.
Look at the list again we tEd that upwards OF
| 500 paid to Thomas Allen for printing review
of the opinion ofthe Supremt Court Of the State Of
New York, in the Mcleod case, ard erquaiurs.-
How much for the latter branch ofthe change does
not appear But it strikes me as rather a strange
exercise Of the power Of department to pay out
public moneys TO show, as the language of the
preface of this review states. that the court of a
sovcr eign state egregiousy erred and that review
dedicated to the Hon. Daniel Webster, Secretary
of State, who differed with that court on the law.
| Then again we find an item of between three and
four hundred dollars paid TO our Republican MIN
lister in Brazil for expenses attending the coronation
of the Emperor Don Pedro the H.
There Mr. Mex. was interrupted on the ground
that he could not 20 into the details of the expen-
dtures of the departments on the item under dis
CUSTOM.
The committee, said Mr. Mex. would do him
Justice in this matter. He was not INDUCING in po-
ltca assaults. He was endeavoring to show how
natural it was when we gave such amounts, under
the head of contingencies, for those into whose
power the matter was thrown expended the hard
earned money of the people, TO use the midcsi
term and he would use the milder term, if sugges-
ted to HIM, and had spent that money without. a
proper degree Of prudent economy,
We should he under the necessity of curtailing
these expenditures, and he regretted that he had
, not had greater means than the documents presen-
ted of knowing how far we could go with our prun-
Ing hook. The chairman ofthe Committee of WAYS
and Means, he trusted, would do all he could TO
economize. lie was supposed to have access TO all
the Departmenls-to know their wanls-to learn
where rerenchment could operate. For himself,
= he (Mr K.) admitted that his means were not 50
perfect as those Of the committee of Ways and
Means of obtaining information, If he could have
his own wish on the subject, it would be TO refer
this bill back to conmitlee TO re-eyumne the sub
ject and report the results Of their ubors to If
| that mode was not adopted to obtain information,
he must 20 on and endeavor to reduce the several
ITEMS as they appeared Objectionable, founding
his objection on the documens in the possession Of
the House, The reports on the subject of contin-
2 gphcies ofthis House show how swollen the amount
has become from year 10 year, He referred gen.
Element TO the report TO the several amounts, ex-
lravagant as they must be admitted on all sides,
for knives, for paper, for waters. II unfair to
reduce other departments of the Government, while
the legislative branch was pursuing course of use
less expenditure. Already 100000 had been
appropriated for fuel, printing, and stationery, and
other contingent expenses Of this house. He Deem
ed that sufficient, and said he was disposed TO try
the experiment Of placing ourselved on that allow
ancc. II was by our agents knowing that they
could not 90 beyond that amount, that we were
likely to have our expenses within limit exceed
ing all the expenses of some of our States. Mr.
Mex. was not disposed to detail in defamation
alone ofretrenchmenl and reform. He was for
practical effect. He was for acts, not professions.
lie had heard too much of the latter, He,desired
now to apply the test oa who were disposed to
rctrench; and he trusted he should have the Coop
Grafton of those who believed in the praccabiiiy
and necessity of the reduction oiour expenses