The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-04-10


you are now engaged Mr. Secretary Livingston
was as much in the dark as to the effect Of his agree
ment when he made il, as the Senate and House Of
Representatives were when the act authorizing The
publication passed. Neither Of them then under
stood that the bargain without limit, and that
the expenditure under II might and probably would
amount TO several millions of dollars. After the
point contested through two three sessions OF
Congress, the parties came together by the agree
ment that the work should be limited 10 twenty
volumes and the expenditure TO somewhere about
half a million Of dollars Ibis, il was said, was
hard bargain to the contractors but they mag
unanimous enough to limit the sum, as your Mr.. Riyes
now says TO twenty thousand four hundred dollars per
volume, that the aggregate "could not exceed
four hundred and eight thousand dollars" Into this
federal whig pie you and your MIR. Riyes seem to
have dipped your fingers deep, 4" furnishing all the
money 10 carry the work" for the poor contrac-
tors who, without your aid, must stop it-casting
your bread upon the waters, that il will re.
turn after many days The wisdom and discretion
of this movement will appear at once when il is con
sdered that future appropriations shall be called
| for from purely wing CO. gress, Messrs. Clarke
Force the pure wings deserving the favor /;
and if il be Congress with majority Of the una-
loyed democracy, those FURNISHED unalloyed demo-
Gratis. Messrs. Blair & Rives, will have richly de-
served and earned the boon
The bargains with Department Of further adj
vantage you lately made agreement for s.ipu
lated price to publish and furnish, for the different
Bureaus copies Of the collected opinions of the At
torney General in relation to doubtful questions often
coming up for decision. You furnished them, as is
said bound according TO contract al stipulated price.
You printed an additional supply TO vend your
account, saving thereby all the expense of the
printers composition and you took care to print
and furnish for your own books an index. Your
agreement with the Department stipulated for in
dex, and the books without the index were Of little
or no value. The consequence was that the Depart
mens had 10 purchase your books and pay for them
twice over This was like printing the same work
on the Census over twice, only in different way.
Your reference to the Blue Book by no means fur
nlshes the amount Of money you have received from
the public. Since the last of those Blue Books Is
sued from the press, about hundred and fifty
seven thousand dollars have been paid for accounts
which you have rendered at two Offices alone, viz
The Department Of State and the General Land Of
fee. IL this vast amount, accumulated at two only
of the Executive Offices where you had all the bust
ness, what might not expect on full exhibition
OF al your claims and allowances at all the offices
viii it be said that my conjecture was extravagant
when set down your profits, working days at heo
hundred dollars day
asked you in my address of April 80, " For what
purpose have been your expensive entertainments to
members Of Congress, but TO bride ~ 1t is well
known that President of the United States or head
of Department, Foreign Ambassador, has
gone half your length, within the last four or five
years, in making these entertainments The money
taken from the people, and for which thou
sands of the People suffering, has been
expended by thousands to treat the diplomatic corps,
the amblers and dancers, the genteel whskered off
GERS of the army and navy who saunler about the
Capitol in idleness well as those members of either
House of Congress whose votes could give you the
eecti of public printers, and all the appro-
Priations you might ask. why friend has just in
formed me that your sugar-candy pyramids of win
ter alone have cost more than generous expendi-
ture for the support of one Of our farmer
chanic familes-your Madeira and Champagne
would cost more money than the surplus produce
would bring in as the gain Of a common town Of
New England farmers. If these entert ,inments had
come from wealth nobly and honestly tarned-if the
motive for inviting the guests hid been generous
hospitality-or a desire TO promote the interest
and the honor of plain Republican People-faI be
II from me to utter reproach You have carried this
matter little further, believe than any professed
Democrat at the seat OF Government. | have heard |
Of some Of the daughters Of the rich Bos on dons
paying i've dollars for single jar onca, or winter
blooming flower, 10 decorate their heads or bosoms
and | heard that the Of the most wealthy mer-
chant of Massachusetts, forty five years ago, after
the death Of his father, spread bank bills here was
then only single bank in that S,ate-and the act
was the banks gain upon his bread and butter to
show how great his contempt for few d liars
but never heard till that the table Of plain
Democrat-who a few years since came to Washing
ton from Kentucky begging that his intention might
not be known until he had compounded with his
grea, CREDITOR the United States Bank by the pay
ment Of one dollar in forty 10 obtain his discharge
was set out for dinner TO pamper the appetites and
rcgale the eyes of genieel society by display Of
bouquets Of and geraniums at the cost of dol.
lar each
agenerous-hcarted hospitality ha prompted even
TO such foolish display, charity would cover the act
as the effect of an excusabe vanity but this ostena-
ton had no generous redeeming quality-t was
purely mercenary-h was profuse expenditure,
throwing away Of money to bring back greater sum
it was done T. buy up members Of Congress to
vote into your pockets large sums Of the Peoples
money. The merccnary motive Of these di plays is
conclusyey proved by the fact that the expense Of
the fea'tings, the sugar pyramids com6s and sweet
meats, spple-toddy, wassail and winc and waxed Ia
pers, a'e borne equally between yourself and your
partner, Riyes For this, have not your own, but
his word, derived through second person, with an