Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-10

shp
rac,er Whatever on file ~ puoic ONCE "us
nnh,;c ,,ner and the Departments were not to become
R.s,,la ar Douonkeep to hide either men or PapeIS
H., mo fsaid Mr.. b. have the papers can lof
ibem Mr. Secretary, that may show their puoi'c cha
racter. AZ, . ci. ,bey ore
!, 49,. 'aa,.ss,,p taking them from his desk
MI PRESTON. Are these conilden',at papers.
NJ uERRICk. II has been suggested that 'hese
Mr. BENToN. Public papers, SIR; IN Inc archives
Mr. PRESTON desleu " A"0'
thing before the Senate .,o,. ,,,,,or ;,renplar
The CHAIR thought the whoie inat"i ~.
Al. EVANS sa,d he must insist that the Appropr'a-
ton bill be taken up al one 0 c'ock. - l"e y
ao,Ia c,oee his remarks By that time, he (Nr. ~
hn,d have no objection to his proceeding, otherwise
a ms, ,ss, thai the bill be taken up, the immediate
nassare Of which was press'nsly called 'or.
Ms RENTON would not transcend The limits.
MIR PHELPS said there was great oeai o. ous'
o an ,ba nriyate calendar which ought to be dsposeu
hesS ", ''' 70 himself and the Senate he would
" ~ a., ,,na ri the Senate wasted in useless DIS
cussion o. c.,
Mr. BUCHANAN. Go on, SO on hope The BE-
major will be permitted to proceed
Mr. PRESTON. Oh, hope 50.
Nj BENTON went on 10 maintain that whatever
vns in tho Depurtment, belonged TO the Puoc' ana
ALWAYS nj the disposal OF Congress. IL was .'s"'
that he had never yet known to be cohles'eu' i"'.
letters solicited prescription for base party
and the fault was not in publishing them, ou' III
them the President had cause LOT
should have been the writer's or at hmsei' lot
them among The archives, and not WIN 1 NM w.
b. for publishing public document i"e ~
ners did not come from the President they were
Inv from a uublic Department, and have Tue MARKS
mh;cb nrove them public documents and not private
letters No doubt they were intended TO oe Pi'Va'I
very private No doubt the writers never eNpecteu
them to be placed on file in public Department. sun
less did they expect them to see the ngh', uu. VI.
did find their way before the broad igh' oi 10y
wore found to contain matter which concerned Dol"
Government and individuals; yes matter lhat was iais
and injurious to individuals, and had caused ',oa"o
of the Presidents inaugural and Mr.. "eos'eI - -.
about interference in elections. Writ'hS sue"
was criminal; the crime has been found Out, anu '
h,mc should fall on The actor and not on the deec.oF
The publc Offices should never be maze 'ie oep"s'
RES of secrets calculated TO blacken the cnalac.ei
the citizen which might in after times iurn'sh u'e' io
scondalous chronicles. With regard to having acctss
to public papers, he (Mr had never iouno Any 'l
Guilty even with the present Administrator. ne uuu
reason to believe there letters on lille IN the war
Department from the clique, and applied 10 Jon"
Bell then Secretary OF War, 10 see them NAT geh.
tleman Immediately called his chief clerk TO alioro tue
facilities: and though he said it not the habit 10 give
COMES Of vet he permitted me to see lhem ana
(sa,d Mr. BIZ found letters similar IN their import 10
those alluded TO- and sent them to ST. LOUIS, ana haa
them published and shall demand, rs na''ef Vi
right, view of any thing in the public oihces ne
had case on his mind, about which he should Apply 70
IN. Postmaster General, and, if that officer efuseo,
h.. sbould ap,y to the President TO command him 10
furnish it. which would bring this new pretension OF
secrecy of the public Offices TO public test WIN
REGARD to these letters the President sent then 10 tue
Post Office Department to govern that De paf'neh' ;
from there they came to that room, anu hnanS .ne'
he had used them, as was his right; but if the fres''
dent had sent them to the Senate, and they had peeh
marked sconfdental, as communications intended 10
he so always are who would have thought ot using
Them: found, (said Dir. b. these letters to contain
charges against myself against my constituents ano
sent them where they were published. was lha'
crime He had seen enough to Justify the vote ne
had ryen in secret session the appointment OF The
Postmaster General
MIR. EVANS here reminded the Senator that it was
one o'clock, and that, he had got to part OF NJ:
speech where he could very conveniently break OH
he hoped he would 60 A laugh
Mr. BENTON instantly acquiesced.
THE GENERAL. APPROPRIATION BILL .
The amendment pending being that offered by MIR
Benton to strike out the word "books
Mr. BENTON rose and supported the amendmen
in speech Of considerable length, in which he mann
tanned that the books named had nothing to do with the
contingent incidental expenses OF either touse' M
said whenever young man came here ana oesrea u
distinguish himself in aspeech on reform or retrench
ment let him look under the head of contingent or IN
cidental expenses and lie would there be sure 10 hnt
abuse An experience Of twenty two years had laugh
him that.
Mr. EVANS replied to The arguments OF Mr. Ben
ton though he not disposed to 60 INTO any ptoIact
cd discussion. it was of vital Importance ooln 10 .n
Goyernme and to Government officers that TINS OIL
should be passed, and that without delay ny refer
ence to the proceedings in the other House, IT woul
be seen that that body would adjourn from lhursda
TO Monday allow The carpets TO be taken up ana tn
hall fitted for the season, that it must be manlies
I t,oh tupa DotD mas
would be further delay of week. The senate
from Missouri had assigned but one reason against I'M
item and that was, that the books had been piaceu u
der ihe wrong head. To that he would SIMPLY re ply
that it had been uniformly the practice of both branches
from the earliest time place these things under Tia
head of contingent and incidental expenses, and there
was an item in that very hill for books, maps, &C., or
dered by resolution Of the Senate Each House regu
ates its contingent expenses under the direction
its committees
MIR. ALLEN followed in n speech of great length
regreting that the chairman should seek to press In
bill through with so much eagerness. They mad bee
in session now five months, and here was q bill maxim
an expenditure of ten millions, which they were to
must be passed without discussion. MIR. A then wen
on TO denounce the purchase of books for members
unjust, unconstitutional, and improper. And all e
to the stand made in the Senate in The last session
:, 1889 TO resist that innovation.
\ Mr. HUNTINGTON replied seriatim 10 all the argu
mepts Of Mr. Allen If the books which had been sup
time and the proper bill What good could result fror
placing this subject in separate bill, TO consume Il,
further time of both Houses' All admit that the book
ought to be paid for; then why not suffer this item
pass in this b, as well as any other?
The debate further continued by Messr
! ARCHER, YOUNG, EVANS, WOODBURY., an
KING; when the question was taken on The amend
ment, and decided in the negative as follows:
Yeas-Nlessrs. Benton, buchanan, Calhoun Cu,l
BERT Fulton, King, McRoberts, Sewer, Smith OF Conn
Tappan, Wilcox, Williams, Woodbury., Wright, Youn
-l5.
Naus-Alcssrs. Archer, Barrow. Bates, Bayard, Cor
rad, Choae, Crafts, Cr,,enden Evans Graham, Hen
dcrson, Huntington, Mangum, Miller, Preston, Rive,
Simmons, Smith Of Indiana, Sprague, White, Wood
brdge-2l.
llr. ARCHER then moved to insert in the clause a
amendment showing that the item Of $4,000 was 10
books ordered by the House of Representatives of In
Goth Congress; which amendment was adopted.
Mr.. WOODBURY. then submitted the following
Prorided, That no part of this or any other appro
praiion be paid for the purchase hereafter for books