The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-10
cHARGEs-TnE DooRKEEPEa.

motion suspend the rulrs is not in order pend
ing the business before the House The report mad,
by the gentleman from Ohio, (hIr Olds from the
| select committee appointed To investigate tht
charges preferred by the gentleman from Missis
| sppi, (Alr. Brown) against the Doorkrrper Of tn,
| House, having been postponed to this day, IL the
| first business IN ord r.
| That report being before the House
! Mr.. BRowN. OF mississippi obtained the floor
| and offered the following resolution;
| Resoired, That RoSEar T.. HoRsoa, actnY Door
keeper Of this llou=e, be, and he Is hereby, dis
| missed.
MIR. BRowN said he had been requested w seve,
raj gentlemen 10 ask The previous gqaesl ion; hi
would not, however, but would leave ior the House
| to dispose OF the subject at their own pleasure.
Mr.. CHANDLER. Do understand that that reso.
| luton is now before the House3
| The SPEAKER said the resolution of the gentle.
man from Mississippi was in order.
| Mr.. CHANDLER. / will move to lay the whole
subject the table, if can have the privilege o
saying something first He said;
| Mr.. Speaker, cannot think that this House has
any desire, as am it has interest in any
| debate upon the question now reproduced While
| the world is occupied with considering the inhu-
ence and prevalence Of liberal principles while
| the nation is gazing at the movements against
Cuba-the people distracted with attempts to settle
boundaries and TO give governments to vast Terri
| tories which we have acquired by conquest or
treaty-the House of Representatives of this great
nation is gravely debating the question Of its Door
keepers rights-sPending its time, and wasting its
eloquence, to the position of its anior, or he
| is denominated, the acting Doorkeeper. II is true
that he is not even elected 10 his Office but holds il
| '.nostra gTatia." Undoubtedly question of such
importance demands our attention, and will secure
our devotion.
| The charges against Mr.. Hornor are, first, that
he dismissed page without sufficient cause. Look
at the Senate and see what that grave body thinks
Of dismissal from office. do not know wnat con-
stitutes cause, but l suppose that general dsap-
proval may be allowed 10 be a cause. But the hon
orable gentleman from Mississippi speaks in a spirit
of Chiyalry the exhibited DV the
Doorkeeper using the influence Of his office 10 crush
humble page. II would be manifest wrong,
if the Doorkeeper had done that; but docs not the
honorable gentleman zee that he is incurring the
same charge? May it not be said that he is using
the influence OF his high position-the Executive OF
great State-the leader of one branch of the Ma
tional Legislature, and respected by ALTO crush
the poor Doorkeeper Of this House! cannot i'm
pute spirit of persecution to the honorable gen
ileman, but certainly do not see how the position
of the member is more tenable than that OF the
Doorkeepcr.
Another charge is, that the acting Doorkeeper
appointed and Kept in place his brother. Mr.
Speaker, nepotism is the common fault of elevated
officers. The charge was first instituted, believe,
against elevated officer who keeps 'thc keys"
and has children; and il seems to be natural
that our Doorkeeper, who is also chidless, should
suffer by similar imputation
Mr.. BROWN, of Mississippi, (Mr. CHASDLER
yielding the floor for explanation said the charge
against the Doorkeeper Vas not for employing an
assistant because he his brother, but for giving
false certificate, TO the effect that he was perform
ing his duties here assistant doorkeeper, while
in fact he absent from the city, filling office
in Wisconsin, and actually performing the duties
pertaining TO that office.
MIR. CHANDLER resumed. He recollected that
this charge of nepotism had been made on former
occasion In this House; and he knew, ALSO that IL
was alleged TO be system prevailing 10 a greater
extent in another country. There were other
small charges, but he believed they were princi-
pally abandoned. cannot answer the other charge,
hat Mr. Harnnr made to membtra
touching the appointment OF pages, which he did
not fulhl. Sir where is the dispenser of official
favors that does not suffer by such charge' Mr..
Hornor, In this as in the other matters, has done
nothing that the example Of his betters will not jus
tfy, aud he must suffer with The great whom he
has initiated. But bold in my hand paper,
which ask the clerk 10 read; il will answer the
charges against MIR. Hornor, and justify his
duct.
DEFENCE OF r. L. HoRNoR
The House having refused TO print the evidence
and report of the Committee of Investigation upon
the charges preferred against its Doorkeeper, the
following statement, abbreviated from the same IL
respectfully submitted Tor the information OF those
who have had no opportunity OF knowing the de-
tails Of the
In reply to the charge Of retaining his brother in
office during the last recess, &c, the evidence
shows.
FIRST That X. +. Horner retained but ftco per-
sons, the same number as in the previous Congress,
~ take charge Of the hall, and air the committee
rooms, books, and furniture, although in conse-
quence Of the painting Of all the and hall for
the hrst time IN twenty years, the whiew washing
and cleaning, removing the furniture, &c, much
tcork was required 20 be done during the iasf
recess than during former
j. Il. Clements, who was brought 10 sustain the
charges against the DOorkceper, swears, 'the num-
Der retained 10y r. +. Hornor) NOT greater than
was kept during tiIe recess Of the preceding Con
gress." He and several other witnesses prove,
that there was more work done during the last, than
previous recesses
"The practice under former DOorkoepers was,
that the officers agreed amongst themselves 20 do
each others work during absence"
lTbc evidence further shows that, " During the
recess between the 2ath and 30th Congress, (the
recess previous 10 X. r.. Hornor's appOintment,)
he same number " officers retained IN charge oi
the hall by Mr.. W Nbtney, the then DOorkeeper,
that were retained during the last recess (altbOugh
there was less work 10 be done Charles W.
Stewart was one Of them, and (Haskins) the broth
er-in-law Of Whitney, the Doorkeeper, the
other" " This brotber- in-law absent
three months Of that recess, in New York and in
Illinois, and received his pay, during the time,
pttsotf any su ut,sttpteH
-. &. sheldon, the Superintendent OF the fold.
ing room, In the 2sth Congress, obssnf dur
ing the wHoLE ef that reeers ena rtceired has pas."
without paying any substitute.
"Mr. Whitncy,a nephew Of the then oorkceper,
who was employed in the docuwcnt- room, tcas
also absent soihc three four monlbs, and drecered
his pay, without any other SUBSTITUTE than OF
the other hands" Thus making rIMEE absent,
large portion of the recess, and Of them hiring
substitute But committee of investigation
was raised to inquret into these and numerous other
cases of a similar kind
Second That although il has been customary,
for many years, as proved by several witnesses,
for portion Of the fOrce about the Capitol and the
offices and departments at Washington, % b. Gh
scpt some weeksor rnopths during the hot weather,
,ciitout hiring substitute, yet that r. +. HornOr
required has brother and erery else who abscned
himself, first to provide for having all his cork per-
formed during his absence, and that icithovt any
erpense 10 ns Government In proof Of this, Mr..
Clements sweargi
"Mr. Hornor Is the only Doorkceper, within the
last ten years, ,oho has required epery officer who alb
sents himself from the service first 10 employ sub
st,tufs 10 do his work in his absence, aud 20 pay
him out OF has o,cn funds"
Charles W. Stewart agreed 10 have Thomas {.
Hornors work done for him during his absence.
u. &. III. authorized Mr.. Clements TO pay Stewart
for the same. e. w. Stewart swears:
"The Government did not pay any thing 10 ang
one else in consequence OF the absence Of Thomas
: =. Hornor, and all the tcork ,cas done that would
haye been done II he had remaincd' also, that no
parfio,fy was shown 10 Thomas G. Hornor.
,. w. Morcbead, the paying clerk Of the House,
being sworn, states, In substance, that the
gers of the Clerk, Sergeant-at.Ar Doorkeeper,
and Postmaster. receive All their nav throuo the