Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-05-30
n1aorLLAnEoUs SELECTIONS.


Government E1pe1s1S ssss>
HOveTo0e0G JO00ers.
We sre not only great people. in thi
eountrv. but we are manilesting it. in
cav. il which most great people m antics
4. ~ iinyling the purse, treating the com
ssny. and giving '.frce dinners" Uncl
Sam Is a very great gentleman. at j
nv treat, saws he, ''never mind the ex
pense." All this is very generous in th'
old centleman; but il is not very consist
ent With the far famed simplicity Of re
pubIican people! The truth is, all thi.
ialk about ECONOMY" and ''simplicity,'
and accountability" in Republics, j,
either flimsy ,noonshine, or our Congress.
arc little better, than downright hypo
critics.
We have no such thing as real ccono
ny. and accountability in the appropria
fions made by Congress. They are made
without inquiry. They are made miser
" for some objects, and enormously ex
extravagant for others. They are made
profusely liberal for the Atlantic Coast
and miserably parsirnonious for the West
Liberal appropriations are made fol
matters Of Science; but made like every
thing else, 10 Jobbers, to the hangers or
At the Government elbows, or, to the Self
lauded and sef-sceking.
We have before US the National Intel
ligencer, with fifteen columns Of appropri
atoms made. by Congress. 1t is our in
tention. at some fine, to take the matter
up seriatim. At present we shall copy
the following specimens Of appropriations
made to Modern Inventions:
For the transportation Of the
United States mail between
New York and Liverpool;
between New York and
New Orleans. Havana, and
Chagrcs; and between Pa
mama and some point in the
Territory Of Oregon. $4,000 OC
For the purchase Of the right
'o to use a. u. Bishops patent
portable boom-derrick for
all government purposes 10000 90
For testing the capacity and
usefulness Of the electro
magnetic power, as a me-
chanical agent for the pur-
poses Of navigation and To-
comotion. and the probable
cost Of using the same, ac-
cording to the invention Of
Professor Page. 10000 90
For the construction at the
National Observatory Of
magnetic clock, under the
superintendence Of Doctor
Lock, and to pay him for the
free use by the United States
OF his invention of said
clock, and Of all improve
ments that he may make
thereto 10000 90
For nautical books, maps,
charts, instruments, and all
other expenses of the hy-
biographical Office $1,000 90
To enable the Clerk OF the
House Of Representatives to
pay for five hundred and
thirty six copies of the sew
cnth volume of the Docu.
mentary History of the A.
merican Revolution. being
the first volume of the fifth
series Of that work 8,747 SO
The first appropriation made above is
for the conveyance of the Mail, in Steam
Vessels, &C.. under the new arrangement.
The appropriation above is only for one
year! The contracts, under which this
SUM is paid. were those made year or
two since for the conveyance Of the Mail,
by steam 10 the above ports. These con-
tracts are among the most aggravated
cases Of Government Jobbing, to be found
on record, in any country. In one in
stance the Government contracted, with
out inquiry, or examination into the real
cost. to pay. we think. S15O.OOO per an
npn ffSrt ton To, tH, oil ~
and from Panama The business OF the
route. We presume. pays its expenses.
and the contractors have made enormous
fortunes.
The next three items are worthy Of
note. One man gets SIC, 700 for making
"boom derrick" another gets $4,000
for making a Magnetic Clock and a
the third has better luck yet He gets
$4,000 for trying an experiment on cleo
trO Magnetic Locomoton! All this is
very nice; and we say. once for all. that
if there are any little Money Bags. Of ten,
or twenty thousand dollars each, wander.
ing round this world in search Of right
owners, we hope the Men Of Science may
md them but. we say also. il is not.
and cannot be consistent with the consti-
tutional principles Of this government to
job ont the public funds
The next item above. is sum Of about
sirty thousand dollars for the books.
maps, &c. Of the photographic Offices.
Now. great deal has been said about the
expense Of West Point But here is an
application amounting to half the annual
cost Of West Point, to the mere inciden-
tails OF a new Office at Washington!
- I 4 r Il
lovers OF Literature. Congress has very
deliberately voted something under ten
thousand dollars (sirteen dollars for a
single volume.) for the screnth volume
and the nm series Of History. they are
publishing! They pay twelve acres of
land for single volume! What have we
to say to cheap Literature after that!
but. who has one Of these five hundred
and thirty-six volumes! Where are they!
we never saw one of them; and as to the
masses OF the People, they are as useful