The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-29
THE DAILY UNION.


keeper consisted more in the refusal appoint par
ticuar individuals TO office than in the removasrom
Offices that HIS offence was, that he had been unable
to accommodate every body. His Office devolved on
him the right to appoint certain subordinates; he
him the right to make the appointments irrespective
of influence of members Of this House. IL he had
not done ibis, if he had yielded TO improper infu,
ences Of MEMBERS let that fact be presented to the
House; and let summary action be had to remedy the
evil, and to reprmand him for IT, IL there were any
thing wrong in the character and conduct OF the door
keeper, let it be presented TO the House in tangible
Form, and let il not be by vague insinuatons. Such
a course was equally unmanly and ungenerous. He
knew that that gentleman was above the contamlna
ting influences which had been alluded 10; ard he
thought gentlemen, by making insnua'ions against
him, did themselves as much injustice as they did
the gentleman himself He had had no conversation
with him whatever on the subject of his Office; he
had not spoken to him half dozen times since
his election, but, from his knowledge Of the man,
he knew him to be the gentleman he had represent
ed him.
Mr. McC., in conclusion, demanded the previous
question, but withdrew being informed that its
effect would be to cut off the motion to REFER and
bring the House to direct action on the main ques-
ton.
Mr.. HENLEY was very much obliged to the
gentleman for Withdrawing the demand for the
grave question, and he was DESTROYS of making Il
few remarks This was question of retrench-
ment; and OF that account, also, he wished to take
a part in this debate. But he could not help con-
graduating this House and the country the rapid
progress they were making on the question of re-
renchment Ii had come to be considered, he
knew, rather demagoguical to talk of the people
this floor but he still remembered that the people,
that their constituents were looking to them;
that they had got the notion somehow or other
that there was extravaganza about the CAPITOL and
he could not help congratulating the people that
they were getting along SO rapidly They had
been here about month"; and what had they done
Why, they had spent one week discussing the very
grave question whether the House should elect two
Of the thirteen messengers of the door-keeper, or
whether he should continue to appoint them They
might well be proud of the progress they were
question, but they had come to no decsion; and
still the matter was before them. The election of
these officers was proposed for the sake of eectng
great retrenchment. How much of a retrench-
menti Why, according to the judgment OF the
clerk itwoud be retrenchment ofupwards OF about
$1,000. He was in favor of retrenchment; but
surely ii seemed the most ridiculous thing he had
ever known Of Congress, or of any legislative body
to be debating the question a whole week, whether
they should elect two out of the thirteen messengers
of the door-keeper.
IA message was here received from the President
secretary informing the House Of Representatives
that he had this day approved and signed the joint
resolutions for the annexation Of Texas to the
United States.
If there had been any abuses in this matter of
documents, Mr.. HEELEY contendea that the proper
way to correct them to refer the whole matter,
as proposed by the gentleman from North Carolina
80 that the committee thus rails d would investigate
thoroughly the matter, and point out the proper
remedy, which could not be done by 80 large
House, as evinced by the proceedings which
had already taken place. upon this question. If
abuses existed and if the of the door-keeper
had been improper, he argued that they should
bring up and investigate the matter in tangible
form; but let them not by implication declare--as
they would declare by proceeding to this election
that his course had been incorrect, and give him no
opportunity to reply TO these charges
MIR. PAYNE said it had not been his purpose to
make single remark OH the question: but it occur
red to him that this debate taking wrong direc-
ton. Gentlemen seemed to think this question
turned on the action Of the door-keeper, and some
dissatisfaction had been intiniaed with reference to
that action For himself, he had no feeling of that
kind towards him; he had no dissatisfaction with
any appointment that had been made by this Off
Ger. As far as he knew, his appointments had been
of the best kind. II not for the reason that he
had uniformly voted that this officer should be elect
ed by the House of Representatives. was not
for reasons connected with this House of Represen
tatives--but for reasons which existed prior to the
meeting of this Congress, and which, in his humble
opinion must have influence with gentlemen when II
was brought to their consideration. From the very
nature of things il impossible that the doorkeep-
er could give to the odingroom the necessary atten'
ton to secure the correct discharge Of the duties of
that ROOM He remembered that, during the last Con-
gress and the Congress Previous II was stated again
and again, that when particular documents were
purchased by members for Distribution other docu-
ments were folded and sent to them; that demo-
- a - IL H..
which disseminated the correct doctrines, as they
believed at least, got wing documents, which in this
way were franked and sent off by them, and rice
persa Now TO correct this evil, he desired to see
an individual placed over the folding-room, and
made responsible for the correct performance of the
business of that room; whose duty 1t should
be to overlook the pages, or whoever was sent
there, so TO ensure the returning of the
same documents which members sent there. He
made these illusions in no party view II operated
on both sides of the House--upon the wings as well
as the democrats and it was equally desirable to
see the foding-room in a state in which these mis-
takes would not occur He was actuated by no
feeling against the doorkeeper, for he repeated that
the modest and gentlemanly bearing of that officer,
on all occasions, rather commended him than
otherwise.
With regard to the pages employed here, it had
been said by the gentleman from New York Mr.
RATHBUN] that this was war upon the pages and
widows sons. There was no such feeling with
him. He understood that the boys were brought
from all the adjoining States to get these Offices Of
pages. This might or might not be so; but il these
offices were Offices of charity, he thought they
should be bestowed on those who really need them:
he thought that the appointment should be confined
to the poor boys and the widows sons of the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
With reference to the proposition Of the gentle
man from N. Carolina, Mr.. Mckay, j for his part,
he could see no connection with the election Of these
men for the foding-room and the amount ofpostage
charged on the documents sent from this Capitol.
There seemed no manner Of connexon in these two
subjects and he could not the object of refer
ring to the committee for anything of this kind.
What the gentleman had said was a very good
argument against the repeal of the post office
law; and if the gentleman would take the
matter in hand, and lend his great influence
towards enectng the repeal Of this law, he would
stand side by side with him, for he thoughtt was
most odious and unjust law, and ought TO be re-
pealed. But certainly he could sec no connection
between these two subjects; there was reason for
the reference to committee of this Kind; he there
r.. "a, IL IN ~ al