Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-22
Correspondence ofthc United states Gazette
SAYINGS AND DOlNGS IN WASHINGTON

Correspondence ofthc United states Gazette
SAYINGS AND DOlNGS IN TON.
wAsHIscros, March ~.
The transactions and debates were Of an interest.
ing character TO- Gay in both wings Of the Capitol.
In the Senate MIR Evans occupied the day, without
concluding his speech. in the discussion of MIR Clays
General Policy and Tariff Resolutions. His TO
marks were chiefly in reply TO MIR Woodbury. who
had defended the old Administration against the
charge Of eStrsvasant expenditure and reicrted the
charge upon the Whs. MIR Evons is at home in the
field of statistics, and he showed himself complete
ly master OF the subject to day. His speech will
be jus: what tho people want, will show the
present condition OF the Government, and how that
condition ofihings brought about, chapter and
verse. text and comment, facts and 6.urcs The
| speech will be somewhat long, going into minute
detail. but It should I've copied by all the leading
! papers OF tho country,
| In the House the Loan Bill was under consiiera.
/ ton, and as II covered broad field every man OF
all disposed 10 tilt, entered the list. and cut and
| thrust wherever and at whomever lie chose. There
IVES consequently some fine passages at arms, and
| a good many combattants. Among them were NJ z
| TIllinghast. Mr. Fillmore. Mr. Pickens AIR w Cost
johnson, Mr. Marshall, MIR Charles Brown, and MIR
Stanley.
The Locos took the opportunity to attack tie
| Wings, deuouuce their policy, charge then with
eStrsvagance, and creating n national deL;i Mr.
Brown said, IN reply 10 some'remork from some one
that 1t the Wings were responsible 70. the debt
now existing he wished 10 know when their respou-
shty 20 commence
| This and other remarks from other quarters
brought out Mr. Stany, who is decidedly the hest
sh,rp shoodr in the House. He never misses fire
and II he does not kill always hits his mark. His
rifle cracked merrily to day, and not shot missed.
he tod the ocos OF the policy pursued by NJ r
Van Buren, during the last year Of his admnistra
ton, which was, TO cut down the calls for appropr-
atoms by the several Departments, but not to re
duce the expenditures and then say 20 Congress
that If they would conhne their appropriations to
the calls OF the Departments there would lie ample
funds in the Treasury. AS an ins;aace; $50 600
were called for by the Department, for the Treasury
Building. but before the Appropriation Bill had
passed, moro than that amount had been expended:
| or rather the Government had gone on with tho
| work. and the Superintendent, or Commissioners
OF Public Billdings had issued an immense amount
| OF Government d6ebl's 10 tho workmen so ,hlt
as soon as the Appropriation Bill passed, the whole
| amount was Immediately absorbed 10y these duo
| bills, and the Government 10 go on tick again
20 the workmen, stavng of payment and throwing
the expenses OF their time over upon the Wings
who were obliged TO provide means to pay the
| debts thus contracted by their predecessors.
| MIR s. spoke Of the ex,ravnG ance and waste the
criminal prodgaity, of the late adm nisirltion and
brought forward some cases TO which alluded in
my letter OF yesterday, and which have been under
going investigation by the Committee on Public
Expenditures. One was that OF the purchase
Of stationary by MIR Garland the late Clerk of the
House, who employed Lanstree and O'Suvan, to
furnish stationary az the prices so far above the iar
value that in bill Of s25 600 in proof before
the COMMITTEE that the articles were offered to be
furnished at above 81 600 less than ne gave theml
Ii was also in proof-and the iacl was stated by
respectable witness uHder cath, that when remon-
straed with for employing Langtree and OSullivan,
TO furnish the stationery, who not dealers in
the article but printers, and publishers of the De
HocRATIc REVIEW, "Mr Garland replied, tina, the
Democratic Review an excellent work and
must be sustainedl" Here then was a specimen of
the criminal vastefulneSs OF our predecessors-here
in bill amounting to S25, OO0 it was proved tina,
$1,000 was given and above fair, living prics
for the articles purchased-than they were offered
10 MIR Garland fort! From his declaration that
the Democratic Review must be sustained, we are
10 Inier that this extra price was paid for that ob
Iect. This is the key to the enormous expenses of
MIR Van Duren's administration. With one OF his
dsbursins officers tho Democratic Review must be
sustained with another, the Democratic Party must
be sustained. with 4 third, some Governor or mem.
10 sustain them oil were to be drawn frem the pub
lie Treasury in the shape OF payment for some job
or contract, for which fifty per cent. moro than
fair price wss given.
MIR Stanley referred also to the Public Buildings
In this eity-the Treasury Building, the Patent office
&c; all Of which had cost FIVE or six times the
amount OF money FIRST asked for them ard thier es-
tlmated cost.
70,
ed to cost 100000; but by some means or o.her
1000; had already been spen, upon it. For the
Treasury Building The first appropriation in IN {
year 1886, was $4,000 AMI oncouras Yemen. was
held out by the architect that we might anticipate
the completion Of the interior, IN the year 1888
But IN June 1888 the plnn ofthe main Building was
for the first time exhibited 70 Congress and the
entire cost estimated Of 100000. Blu, there has
already been expended s6Os. s67 50 and the fur
Their sum OF $4,000 It stated will be necessary 10
hnsh IL.
MIR Stanley also referred to and stated some i'm
portanI facts as connected with the Florida war,
showing where immense sums Of money had gone
lie wished to know If the Wings were 10 be held
responsible for all these ih.ags2 The committees
now NJ work, would, in due time, show who were
responsible for the present condition OF the country;
they would put the saddle on the right horse.
Mr. Gordon. Of New York, one Of the regular
bores OF the House, OF which there are about TWEEN
ty-somo Wing and some Locofoco--got the floor,
and will weary the patience OF every body to- NOR.
row. IL IS hard TO say which s, p1r excellence,
he bore Of the House, Mr. Gordon or Extra Billy.
You know Extra Billy p certainly every body
knows Ezra Billy.
There is no knowing when the debate on this
bill will end, and in the meantime the Treasury is
out Of funds and the Government protested for tho
want Of means 70 pay its honest debts. But what
~ ihs-whai is IL that the Government should be
dishonored, and that the public creditors NJ home
and abroad should suffer, when compared to the
I'm portance Of some Of the pettiioggers who can
talk nli day upon tho smallest possible stock Of
IDEAS nay upon half an idea,- making spcsch 10
send home 10 their constituents to prove what a
great man they have cent TO Washington Some
Of the most useful men in Congress, will 70. Occu
~ twenty minutes OF the time o. the House, per
hnp7, in O whole session while others ore formed
~i'h such extraordinary springs IN their knees that
they are forever popping up, and seem, like chill
drcn, TO be most wretched Il compelled 10 sit still
and be silent for FIVE minutes. The people eOm-
plain Of Congress delaying business and doing
nothing el them send men here, then, whose
sabbie IS not like a peek Of pebbles pattering on
/ the pavement Let them send thinking and acting
men i-iei them send those who have been accus
/ toned 10 business, practical men-men of IDEAS
| md not Of words men Of experience, not mere
| heoTtdt Generally speaking, this is the kind Of
/ men who come from TIE North, East, and West
/ the middle States, Virginia and South Carolina.
seem 10 look more 10 a mans ability TO talk than
bis capacity IN think
Mr. John y. Stuart, from the Committee on
Public EHpendt1 made two reports 10 day one
on The case Of Simeon BuclSnor, who rot a clam Of
! s3lI1' allowed by the accounting officers Of the
Treasury by tho Assistance Of Col. Il. NJ. Johnson,
~ July 1870 for Transporting certain Chickasaw
| Indians from Memphis 70 Fort Coffee, Ark, IN
| steamboats,, who were never on board his boats,
and went by land, he not having been az one cont
/ expense IN regard 10 them. What is a little re-
mmkab.e about this claim is this, that Il was long
time before the Treasury Department, the account
ing otlcers refusing 10 allow III; that Il was taken
hold OF by Col. X. VI. Johnson, who attended with
/ M T.sf,s 81