Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1844-05-25
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

was uahsacteu and sundy bills, mostly OF private
lure, were disposed Of.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The House resolved itself into Committee Of the Who'll
on the state OF the Union, (Mr DRoMGooL Of Virginia
N the chair and took up the bill making appropriations 70
the service Of The Post Office Department for the fiscal YEA
ending the 30th June lS45.
/ The bill having heen read through was again read b,
sections
And no amendment to any Of them having been made
Mr. w. DAVIS moved to amend the bill by adding at tn
emu heieoi Proyso that special travelling Post Oc
agent should receive higher compensation than thou
sand dollars per annum, and dollars per day for travel
ling expenses the object Of which amendment Mr.. D. ex
planned and advocated length contendng that these
agents devoted of their time to eleconeernp purpose
Than to erreng out frauds the Post Office Department
instance of which, during the last canvass in his owr
he especially adverted to- detailing the
connected herewith.
Mr. RATHBUN indicated several amendments which he
desired to offer, but which not in order.
The result of conversation was that Mr. DAVIS with
drew MS amendment TO enable Mr.. RATHBUN 10 offer one
providing that the Office of special agent be abolished
Mr. r. stated what he knew OF this in his own State
In the western part Of New York, he said two of these Off
GERS were employed He believed that the only thing they
mad done Tor the country to attend politics.
maui the post office concerns, to turn and put in
another As for the detection of frauds on the Department
ey all came from the local postmaster the neghbohood
and from the mail carriers and in any instance from
these specially appointed officers who receiving large
salaries, but were of benefit. They tax on The
Government but far he knew they were of no sort of
He beeved the Post Office could be project
ed better by deachng postmaster in the neghbobood
where wrong had been committed to ascertain the facts He
believed that these agents. beyond the expense they imposed
were an injury to the whole country.
Mr. HUDSON concurred in the remarks of his friend who
mad Just taken his seat, (Mr RATHBUN) He (Mr. H.
could speak of the influence and operations these agents.
far as he knew and he satisfied that they were govern
ed more by political and personal considerations than by the
The af fha r.,
fac IN his district almost every instance removal or
appointment that at all Objectionable had been brought
not by the people Of either party but by the epesen
tatons Of these special agents and several cases had
been asceraned that those representations were Of such
That respectable person of either party would
endorse them and yet they deemed conclusive by the
department These agents spent more time in adopting
systems Of political operation hann detecting frauds on the
revenue
He believed the Office be in great measure useless and
mat the little good that was done might no accomplished
better aud at cheaper rate by local officer and that
he duties OF the office would in that be discharged more
the satisfaction of the people and the interest Of the De-
partment He was in favor Of the amendment
Mr. SCHENCK said he thought there could be only one
opinion as TO the proprety of abolishng this office But
seemed to him that gentlemen would the necessity Of
making some appropriation to deay the expenses Of detect
ing mail depreda,ions The appropriated by this bill for
mail dePredaions and special agents very large
amount OF which was expended pay these pmp and
OF the Department Let the committee off much Of
this sum IL pleased but still sum should be left FIR
gest 10 he gentlenal INV those who
modify his amendment retain appropriation OF
for this object
Mr. RATHBUN (acceplng the suggestion of Mr..
ScHENcK) modified his amendment to read as follows
For mail epredaions 5000: provided that the cice Of
special og emf be and the is hereby abolished"
Mr. MCKAY hoped this office would not be abolished.
The Department had always had authority to employ these
agents. from the Of the Government They
authorized by law, and this bill did but make aPpropra
tons in conformity with the provisions Of existing laws
NJ nhrNta that The Ilpnar inc hpIIy
more benefit this description of agents the section OF
country in which he resided than from any other description
public officers, Ivy of their in ferretng out
frauds He insisted that would be impossible to procure
the conviction mail robber unless there such
officers collect facts evidence, aud bring the par
ties TO justice.
Mr. DARRAGH gave the results Of his experience in re-
aon this class Of public officers, and argued that with
out Them officers like them convictions under the Post
Office laws would be mpracicabe If they violated their
duty by acting political agents, that, Mr. d. commended,
was a good for removing the incumbent, but not
good for aboshng the office II that test was to be
applied il must be applied all other officers OF the Govern
ment; for there officer that not chargeable at
least with perversion Of the power Of his office for pol
cal ends Public officers, like other men, were entitled to
express their opinions they abused their trusts Tor poI
cal purposes il might be a good cause for removal from
their Offices was he repeated good reason why the
offices themselves should be abolished He was opposed to
the amendment.
of this class of officers be manifest to all and he be-
eved that the assigned for abolshng the office were
not sufficient SO far his section Of country was con-
cerned he could bear his testimony that there had been
no cause of complaint on this subject
Mr. WENTWORTH was Of opinion that these agents
aversed the country much TO ferret out offences as to
pedde Offices and whilst he admitted the services OF some
them thought they capable OF good deal OF mis-
chief II they necessary for the detection OF depeda-
tons he hoped that their duties might be regulated and
circumscrbed destroy their Tor evil he was IN
favor Of abolishng the office.
The question then taken, and by ayes IT, 81,
the modified amendment agreed TO-
And further amendment having been offered, the bill
was laid aside TO he reported to the House.
NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
On motion Of Mr. MCKAY, the committee took up the bill
making appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year
ending the 30th day At June, ls45.
The hill having been read
Mr. PARMENTER moved to amend the first clause,
which is in the following words "For pay Of commission
warrant and petty officers and seameD, including the
gineer corps OF the Navy, two million five hundred and
nine thousand one hundred and eighty dollars, by
inserting after the word dollars proviso limiting the whole
number of petty officers seamen, ordinary seamen lands
men, and boys be employed at any time during the
year, TO seven thousand five hundred
Mr. PARMENTER said the amendment proposed to fix
the number Of officers &C. according to the force
contemplated be employed during the coming fiscal year
Heretofore there had been restriction Of this kind hae
followed that the matter left entirely OF the
discretion and will the President Of the United States and
the Navy Department to employ any force which their means
would allow the Of all foreign nations To re-
guate and fix the number Of seamen employed In the same
manner as we did in army. Unless the number OF ou
seamen employed restricted impossible to FIX any
limits TO the Executive in employing them Mr. T. reas
from the estimate the Secretary OF the Navy Of tho orc
necessary TO employed during the coming fiscal year
amounting 1924. The amendment proposed TO ALLOW
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