Litchfield enquirer., 1843-01-19
"pENKNIvEs" AND "sATIN PAPER"

 Having exposed the infamous character of two leading measures of the Loco Foco' legislature, viz: the disfranchising act, and the repeal Of the registry law, we wish now to call the attention of the people to anoth- CT subject. It will be recollected that the Times, after the session of the legislature in 1641, was filled, week after week, with attacks upon the Whig majority in that bo- dy, for extravagance in the purchase of PeTs- kpives! It was thought worthy ot being made a grave charge against the Whig party, that the members of the Senate had been provided with stationery. We quote some of the remarks of the Times on this subject, as follows:-
 "Each of the Senators, at the late session was furnished with a Penknife, making 2l in number. How many of these did the "Loco Focos" carry off, &Ic."
 were also furnished with Penknives. Who carried these away! Better issue another edition of Dwight's pamphlet"
 Now after ak this talk about penknives, who would suppose that the pure and irn- maculate Loco Foces, would suffer them- selves to receive such an article at the ex- pense of the state treasury. What must be the surprise of the honest portion of that party throughout the state, who supposed this evil was to be reformed, by Loco Fo- co legislature, when they find among the ex- penses of the last General Assembly, such items as the following, the bills for which may now be seen at the treasurer's office:
 "24 fine four blade Penknives. 9l,75
 each for the Senate, May session, W2 OO
 fine Penknife, for It. Governor. 2 % Do. for the House of Rep, 23 90
 3 Silver pencil cases for It. Cover
 nor, and for Secretary of Senate, %
 Total, penknves, &sc. May session. S7l %
 But the Loco Focos of the last legislature were not satisfied with this. Notwithstand- ing the holy horror with which the Times had beheld the 21 penkniyes of the Wings in ls41, the last Loco Foco Senate made another biU at the Ertr0 session in October, as follows:
 24 Penknives for the Senate, Ocs. ls4s, s45 %
 Do. for Ut. Governor. and Secre-
 tary Of Senate, 70 7 Total for Penknives and Silver Pencil
 cases for one year of Loco Focoism, $ll9 25
 Yet we see nothing of all this in the Times. Why is that paper so silent on the subject? When the Whig Senate in 164l appropria- ted small sum for necessary articles of stationery, language could hardly be found strong enough, to express the virtuous indig- nation of the Loco Focos. But no sooner
  than double the expense for which they de- nounced the Wings. Nor are they satisfied with the spells of the regular session, but they again seize their supply of penknives at the extra session. Stil the Times $ silent. It is all right so long as it enures to the be- netit of the party.
 But this is not all. We all remember the changes rung last spring, upon the gilt edg- cd paper furnished to members of Congress and used by the Representatives from this state. How great then must be the surprise of the people to find among the contingent expenses of the last legislature, such items as "satin paper," at $s9 co per ream: and letter paper at $6 per ream in great quanti- ties. There arc charges too, at the extra session oe v 50 rsT team for paper for Gov, Cleveland, and $l 25 per bunch for 1 S,can's guills, for the same gentleman. Ills famous Rhode Island correspondence was probably written with one of these quitls- Ous-ISr us nrs1cfs t1tvssz SUI .nvr.-- W. | among other charges, $546 43 for stesioner, for the last legislature. Now we have no doubt that if the Whig legislature had ex. pended that amount for stationery, the Times would have made the welkin ring with charges of extFavagance. As it is the work of their Loco Foco brethren, they will now call it all right and proper. Gov. Cleveland'S "satin paper" and swan's quills"-- Lieut.. Gov. Holabird's penknives and silver pencils, and t,oo penknives for each of the Senators and Clerks, are very proper charges upon the people. now that Loco Focoism bears rule. In Whg times the case would be very different!
 We close with general view of the ex. penses of the last Legislature as compared with the Whig legislature of 1s4l:
 Lfgislaturs ot ls41.
 Debensurs of 'he House, sl3,Iss 90
 co,,;ns.n, .,n.Issn Senate '9l7 ss-H.,esss
 Loco Feco LegislasSrs ef ls42
 Debenture of the House, Sl39Oo s4
 con,;..... r '" Senate, 2o2s se-l4e9s5e
 contingent Expenses, 2,4l957
 To.aL Sl7,S36 57 Let us look now at the extra session.
 Debsnsure of House. sss7Oss
 Senate, 4734
 Contingent Expenses 576 H
 ..,.. Total, e4,sao IS
 1hls expense was certainly unnecessary. At the regular session in May, Mr. Minor of Stamford, proposed that the state should be districted for four, five or six members, to take effect after the passage of the Appor- Honment bill in Congress should decide the number of Representatives to which we should be entitled. This course which would have precluded the necessity of an extra session, and saved the state over S4OOO, was voted down by the Loco Tocos. We think they will have difficulty in explaining this to the satisfaction of the people. The whole matter is illustrative of the beauties of Loco FOcoiSm.-HGrt, COuTonG