Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-08-31


this abuseiu busness-buy merely because book,
and not because there any thing which apply IT,
Thus this abuse this case takes another great stride
In the beginning, have shown, matter OF law
to purchase these books required at least the sanction OF
the House before money could be taken out OF the treasury
for the purchase of books required appropriation There
happens TO be clause in the constitution OF the United states
that money shall be taken OF the treasury except by an
appropriation law That appropriation receive the
assent the free assent of both houses OF Congress- and must
be signed by President besides These were the guards
which the trainers of constitution placed around tue urea
suy. No money TO be taken out OF the treasury ex-
cent by law That law should receive the sanction OF
majority of each House Of Congress- and then be signed BY
the President.
In the early stages the abuse that provision of the con-
stution was followed form ateast The books always
bought by law This abuse has been going step by STEP
We are to pay for this book out Of the contingent fund
of the Senate" and take the money not BY law, but by
resolution, thereby depvng the House OF Representatives
to that extent of their control the money in the treasury
and applying contingent fund to purpose for which 1t
never was intended The contingent fund of every depart
ent of every branch Of the public business necessarily at
aches itself and belongs to those incidental which
result from the working of the department. and which are not
oeeen and which be enumerated beforehand There
is propreiy the contingent in such expenses, and
they always small When first here the con,in
gent expenses of the whole War Department were 81 Ooo
The houses Of Congress then acted upon the great prn
cple neucated IN the early days history, and neces
sary both to economy and accountability that appropriations
should be specific, general contingent Every OBJECT
gcs ds~n earnsencs the Wsr Department 50 low .
SlI,Oc Nox xh., vii cover The contingent expenses
of s11ch Of The legislative depatneni-of the Senate
sAacE WI her3rss al thousands cover IL connned
- rs rrrce- oSecs, thousand dollars would sufce But
sycc arey i !, he purchase Of hooks without limitation,
.esy en- estimate wha. viii require Tor the contingent
fund he Senate The Treasury may Dc plundsred By
sg tbs way the House deprived Of their control over
s nancy the Treasury. This purchase Of books does
r seocg the contingencies Of the Senate. Il IS no
cocngsrcy Of the Senate. 1t Is untrue, but the House
bond By l. Each house judges lis contingent expenses
and though the House Of Representatives. knows that this
book purchase contingent expense OF the Senate yet
has submit Thus the House deprived Of their right
fal power the money in the Treasury.
Now wish the whole abuse be considered a. beng on
trial for in this eIemphcaton o. the whole
abuse II epome of all the evils OF book buying How
did this thing come before US Who thought Of
mating the printing of this book No one bu. Mr. Pasr
He hasfrequened these halls for many years paS de has
congregated with for many years He has brought ms
thing before Congress and pressed hands Con-
gress would have thought Of searching for It The
Senate would never have thought searching oI it. But Mr.
Palmer has here He has remained here instead stay
ing at home attending to bis business He here ne
evant couchant and cormoran here And ne undertakes
TO make book for without leave, and we are to pur
chase it, when has earthly relation any thing we have
before and purchase his book purely and SIM
ply for his benefit for do not know what benefit it can be
any body else. Sir this proposed purchase comprised
the whole abuses Of the system This book pressed upon
when have need for it. for it, when has
applicability any thing before Congress. 1t the most
fragrant of abuse which has been attempted upon
us, and comprises within itself all the abuses of this book
buying system The resolution authozes the Secretary of
the Senate subscribe for 5000 copies Of this work Of Mr.
Palmer He is authorized to subscribe The words
to give him authority but the meaning is that he shall buy
Then, why not direct" him to do it. We "authorize"
him to do it. What is the meaning of that word au-
thorize Does that he may examine and consider
the NATTER and purchase refuse to purchase he
deem best No. sir 1t is intended to be order, to d.
O i
the phraseoogy Of this resolution, conrves mode by
which to avoid meeting the direct responsibility
When this matter first brought up, the Secretary was
to be authorized to subscribe for 5000 copies of this book
They thought then that each Senator should have about 80
volumes to digest But after while it concluded that
so volumes piece would be enough. So they dropped
5000 and made 5000, as it stands They should
have continued this dropping process If they had taken
jump Of 1000, they would have reduced The number to
1000. and in that way they would have got down at third
jump, below nothing That ought have been the process
Why did it not go on Why stop at $1,000 What argu-
ment can there be for giving each Senator so copies
want to hear the argument should like to know why they
dropped 5000, and made the number 10000 Perhaps the
argument this 1000 than would go; there
fore fall to g. 000 For whose benefit this Was it
for the benefit Of the Senate for the benefit of Mr. Palmer
Why, it undoubtedly for the benefit of Mr. Palmer The
whole scheme has been to get the resolution through for bis
benefit If 5000 copies necessary when this resolution
first introduced why not that number necessary
We not then buy the book for ourselves but for the
benefit of Mr. Palmer and he condescends to sell 900
because will not take 5000 But says the resolution
these books be purchased for the of the Senate
For what Of the Senate Here again is expression
which ought to be inserted Is it intended for distbu
ton If So why not write down the words Let Us face
the music. Let have in plain language that these
works for distribution among ourselves Let send il
out in that way, and let not have double process to
through first buy what do not want and then to dis
tribute what cannot use. .. H,
Sir, know how this distribution commenced. We hac
books and documents piled up here time until they
formed such blockade that had 10 make through
them the Secrearys office The question then was wha
shall we do with them We have got them now wha
is to be done with them Why, must distribute them
That was the argument. We to distribute them, in
order get rid Of them Instead Of going through the dou
bic process Of buying first and distributing afterwards to
rid Of Them there clause by which the whole may
covered up" for the use Of the Senate"
Now can the Senate use them If the book is really
valuable, it can be bought for the library $4,000 year
allowed for the purchase Of books for the library If the
work is valuable three sets Of could be bought fol-
the library. There the place for it. But under the term,
OF the resolution these books be or the Of the
Senate" Is there not design to the distribution
among Senator's That will be enforced the ground tina
having got the books must do something with them
Then the resolution says that these works shall be deiv
cred by Mr. Palmer at price not exceeding dollars pei
copy Of than 500 pages octave printed fine paper
and neatly bound in muslin" Five hundred pages Well
Mr. President have heard story which is, perhaps, appl
cable to this case country merchant besides keeping
farm, and blacksmiths shop, and mill, also kept dry
goods store Al the time to which refer the term dry
goods store meant store in which little of every thing
the world was sod This man, like many other good men,
attended all these things himself and had an excellent wife
who was wife OF all work. and attended all these thng
when he away. into the store one day tc
buy shot, She could find the pound weight !; re-
r~ovf,o hau,n hoarl &C