The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-17
"MOUSING.n

Mr.. GARRETT DAVIS, of Kentucky, made
the following assertion during The debate on the
Appropriation bill, in the House, on Thursday {:
Mr. D. had also been informed that the Secretary
Of War had been called on by his chief clerk, who
presented TO him plan for remodelling the arrange
ments of the clerkships in that Department in such
manner that about one-half of those now employed
might be dispensed with-that many Of them were
inefficient and others almost idle. He had received
the same information from clerks in the other De-
partments.
Here there was loud call for their names, but
Mr.. ID. declined giving them, on the ground that,
should he do So the individuals he doubted not would
be Immediately removed. Suffice it to saw that
those who gave him the information were themselves
diligent and efficient
To which Mr.. WISE replied as follows:
He said that he had no information of that kind,
nor should he inquire who were the gentleman's in
formers. The gentleman had said that they were
| clerks Very possibly there might be others also,
who would like TO be clerks but not but il the
gentleman would satisfy Mr.. w. that there was one
idlc inefficient, incompetent clerk, he pledged him.
self that such an officer should be removed. He
would himself become an informer. Yes, he would
co. the gentleman had advised him. to the President
Of his CHOICE and would rgidly exact from him, and
from his Secretaries too, and from all who I'M
der them, strict performance of their public duty
He believed that their duties we'll performed,
and he stood ready to compare in that respect, the
last year of the present Administration with like
period during any administration from the foundation
of this Government, not excepting that of Mr. JEFF
ferson, so celebrated for its economy and general
ability
He would go with the gentleman into the Post Of
fee Department, and there compare the labors per-
formed by Wickliie and Whttlesey with any labors
performed in the same Department during the last
Fifty years He would 60 into the War DEPARTING at,
and there he would compare the work performed by
John c. Spencer with the work done there in any
year the gentleman would select. He would 20 into
| the Navy Department and, although twelve new
clerks had been placed there during the last session.
he was prepared to show that 100000 would be
saved 10 the nation during the first year Of the expert
ment The President might have his personal and
his political enemies, and there might be partisan OBJ
jections against his Administration but Mr.. w lde-
fed any man successfully to arraign it the ground
of neglect of business.
Mr.. ". had no doubt that there was still much
| room for retrenchment especially in the Treasury
| Department, the General Land Office and the In.
dian bureau but the defect lay in the system es-
tablished by law, and not in the Administration of
the system and the remedy to be sought not in
the Executive but in the Legislature. He was ready
to 60 with his colleague mr. Gilmer) in such fur
Their retrenchments and reforms might be for the
| public good. Gentlemen had talked of the number
Of clerks in the General Land Office, and complained
that it great now it was in 1896 Yes, but
did they forget that the clerks TO this day.
occupied in bringing up the arrears Of 1882 There
were patents sti to be made out for the lands sold
in that year. That labor was going on, and
when the body Of clerks should have been able to get
through with it, it would be time enough to talk of
dismissing them. Before gentlemen talked so conf
IDENTIFY about dlers in the Departments, they ought to
go there themselves and with their own eyes tee
amount Of work that was done. The testi-
mony of the Ex-Postmaster General (Mr. Gran
ger) that subject just and true, and
such as did honor TO his head and heart
There were men there who labored necessarily
from year to year, and after all were but poorly paid
Members Of Congress talked of their labor but it
of diversity and Of excitement, and not like the
nevcr-ending still-beginnng task performed in the
solitary cells of the Departments species of toll
which had not un6ty, been denominated penitentary
| labor as mono,onOus as il was nceSsant