The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-05-11
CORRESPONDENCE of Tie Char7sson Merc%rT,

received bv the public officers ''id''T !c t'e1 "
IL, 1SIn nnJor tho Act establishing the In
s.ependent Treasury, revenues +" lic aao;;'it "l
SI7 can s13. and that lo w@s ri:t .rS'Ti%cd t:lat
,,,, daf,Icotin, had occurra;!. Tic value ni The
COINAGE at the mint since "a establishment was
stated to be Ss3,3l9,4t4.
Mr.. Merrick called The ",;2"!in3 OF the Sen
ate to subject upon which t''c Senator from
Missouri fMr. Bentorl had .::ado some remarks
vcstcrday-lc alluded TO thc publication o. coT-
tain letters, which had been TRANSMITTED IRON
one of the Departments in relation to no'c'aa-
lion now perdinn in E1ecuti:e session lie
ho,e,l that the Senate woad prescribe some ralc
of action in these matters that might govern
them hereafter; as lie aprrc'icnded ''iat the
Executive hereafter might deem himself laSsitia-
ble in refusing to furnish documents OF coniIden-
tial character unless lie had some assurance
that they would be regarded as such ny the I'en-
ale.
Mr.. Benton replied that tic documents i'll
question were not received from the President,
nor were they OF confidential character:-
They we're letters on file in the Post Oifce DC
partment, or in the language OF the iost Mas,
ter General, they were "archlves OF Ethc ONCE
AS such, he had perfect right to copy thcm'
and finding that they contained nntruths respect
inn one of his constituents, he had COPIED them,
and forwarded them for publication 10 st. LOUIS,
where the falseloods would be exposed and
nunisbed. He had reason 10 believe there were
other letters on file in the same office OF Ike
character with those sent TO the Senate, Which
he would ask the Post Master General TO per-
NIT him to examine; ard should that officer re-
fuse to do so, he would inform the President OF
the fact, and thus bring the question 10 an issue
how far this Government was 10 DC secret ara
!, irresponsible onc lie would push the maiter
further when the nomination of MIR. Churcllll
came TO be acted on in Executive session. lie
would then expose the Infamous falsehooos
which had been used to procure the removal Oh
the present incumbent, and he would write out
his speech in full and publish it. The morning
hour having expired, Mr.. Benton yielded the
floor, with promise that he would renew the
subject tomorrow. .,
The Appropriation Bill was taken up, the
question being the motion to strike out OF the
appropriation to make up deficiency in the con- /
tinuent expenditures of the House of Represen- !
tatiVes, the word "5ooks.' Mr.. b., in support
of this motion said, that most of the corruptlons
and abuses in the expenditures OF the pubic !
money!, are covered up under the head OF con- !
tngencies and incidentals. In the item now
under consideration, $4,000 was appropriated
for books which members had voted to them
selves, and which there was no more reason IN
charping to the Incidental or contingent e%pen-
ses of the House, than the bills for any other
portions of their private libraries. BY this abuse
a sum which would de(ray the expenses G. me
Senate during the short session, was voted TO
members in the last hour of an expiring Con,
gress. He thought the public attention shoula
be attracted to these facts, and with that opJect
had moved to strike out the item IN the oIl1' t9a'
nendent proposition.
This amendment was debated at rrnat Ian s,1lt.-
AroheT IL SeH moved to amend by adding as expla-
natory of the item, that S52,343 of the sum
was appropriated for books ordered by the House
of REPRESENTATIVES, to be distributed among the
members of Congress. This. amendment to
guard against the practices in future pue II was
negatiyed-Ayes II, Noes lS
The item making provision for the contingent
expenses of our foreign missions being read,
sMr. Woodbury. moved to insert provso that
after the list of July, no portion of it should be
applied;to the compensation of special agents
appointed without the consent of the Senate. or
to agents for reception and admission OF des-
patches, Mr.. Wright read list OF these
agents, among whom was Mr.. Tucker, resident
agent at Boston for the transmission OF despatch
es, with a salary of $500 per annum and Mr.
lie Roy, a connexon of the Secretary OF State,
Will d dI A'S" hSiH' -''N |
ry of $500. Tne Senate had recently passed a
Resolution at the instance of MIR. Clay, that the
expenditures for foreign intercourse were too
great and ought to be diminished, but instead of
reducing the appropriation as it came from the
House, they had increased it nearlyS3O, ,0O0-
The question was then taken on the amendment,
and the vote was Ayes ID, Noes 1l-no quorum
The Senste then adjourned.
: HOUSE oF REpREsENTATIvEs.-Aftc the pre-.
sentation of some unimportant memorials, the
Apportionments Bill was taken up in Committee
of the w hole, the question being Oil the amend
ment requiring the States to divide themselves
into single Congressional Districts. The amend
mont was opposed by Messrs. Ferris and Ather-
ton, and advocated by Mr.. Butler, OF South
Carolina, until the hour fixed by the House for
the close of debate: Mr.. Roosevelt offered an
amendment to the amendment, that it should ROT
be construed so as to require the subdivision OF
n city or county, or the junction of small and
a large county into double Congressional Dis
tricts, This was negatved, and the districting
amendment was agreed :o-Ayes 90, Noes W
The Bill was then reported 20 the liousc, and
Mr. Everett offered his amendment providing
for the representation of fractions, LIT the
Speaker declared it to be out of order. TIE
cision was annealed from, hut the apDeaE was