The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-10-03

rent simply because the government chooses 10
wink at them, and they are sanctioned by the
concert and skulkpg consent Of their brethren in
both parties. fraud on government il is--be-
cause those who first favored the comforting Of
the ranking privilege on members Of Congress,
never contemplated its use for the furtherance Of
party purposes. II was conferred SIMPLY to afford
facilities for free communication with their con-
stituents and to enable them to lay before the lat
ter such information, relating to the business OF
legislation and the affairs of the country, il would
be in their power to give, and it would be useful
to the people to receive.
II is time ublIc attention. were directed to this
growing abuse. The only practicable mode of
reaching it is by abolishing the ranking privilege,
and at the same time by making newspapers free
OF postage. AS long as members are allowed the
ranking privilege, they will abuse it to dose their
constituents with trashy speeches made by them
selves and others. This fraud will continue so
long it is legahzed. When it is prohibited and
punished, like any other fraud, then II will cease.
The Senate of the United States, by a resolution
of that body passed at its last session, egallzed
another fraud of similar character. We refer to
the publication of the speeches OF Senators made
during the session, IN the two party journals OF
Washington, the U,,on and the htcAi gcncer, at
the rate of seven and half dollars the column, to
each For the reporting, printing and publishing
these same speeches. now in course OF publication
from day 10 day IN those papers, the Senate has
already paid Doctor Houston, their late reporter
The speeches were complexion the hands of all
the Senators and their frends-and yet, in order
to give the party papers above named bonus for
their partizanship -nothing else-the Senate actu-
ally broke its contract with Doctor Houston, and
voted seven and half dollars column for their
Republication in the Union and Intcliigencg BY
this contract, each of these papers clears, at the
lowest calculation, five dollars a column, and
their profits may be estimated by the fact that they
now publish from SIX to ten columns daily, and
that of the most drowsy and soporifc trash, gene
rally, that ever fell from Senatorial lips. The
House of Representatives very creditably refused
to sanction this fraudulent use of the public money!
and it to be hoped that the Senate will see the
grossness of the deception practsed on them by
few of their own body In the interest of those
wretched papers.
If the movers of this scheme for the publication
Of the reports were actuated by motives of human
iy, 1t was certainly very mistaken humanity
To prolong the lingering existence of those wretch
ed papers, at the expense of the people, was an act
of rgregrious folly. They are neither useful to
their own party nor dangerous to their oppo nents
indeed, it would be impossible to guess at the OBJ
ject of the Unions existence, except to eulogise
Mr. Polk; or of the hteNigemcers, except to be the
apologist of England. 1t Is quite possible that the
wings wished the continuance of the former, with
the view of injuring the democratic party, and
hat the democrats, actuated by similar motives,
desired to lend helping-hand to the Inteuagence.
This may, after ALL be the secret of the success of
measure which outwardly wears most repul
sve aspect. Indeed, we doubt if the Senate Of the
United States has ever offered grosser or more
barefaced indignity to the common sense of the
people. than by robblng the Treasury to enrich
those papers.
We hope that after the election IN November
the politicians will return to their senses, and en-
deavor, with as good grace as possible, to undo
the mischief they have done, and stop the expen-
diture of public money for the vile and dirty pur-
rvSes OF party.