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


and grows like the Congress bookads and gets up
time. Another abuse is, that all the members must
have all that the old members gotthat the new members
must have what the old have hence constant resou-
tons purchase books for MEMBERS and the constant
passing Of such resolutions The old members cannot vote
against them, because they could not deny the new ones
what they themselves had and the new ones would not
vote against il either because they could not deny voting
themselves equality with the old ones and thus mas
gone every session. What has been voted to must
be voted to the other, and without limitation The
result has been, have been informed, and by
ed persons this city, that in the vast orders which have
been given for books and In the immense sums which nave
been for the purchase Of books to be delivered TO
members the whole transaction has become fictitious
There book in the and for the very good
that they not in existence There was limited
number first and these have all been exhausted but out
of this limited supply, Congress, seems may vote as many
as peases to new members the receipt is signed for the
book the money goes but the book is seen. This
am told s the CASE and know is obliged to be the case
because the number of books which have thus seen dlst
bued and again were limited, and were necessarily
exhausted on the first second distribution So that, in
the end degeneraed into mere distribution Of money
This we all know. can name some OF the appropriations
for this Congress bookade, to give some idea Of the capital
invested in il.
Beginning with the Documentary History, which was
about the Of the great abuse and putting
down $780, for that item, payable at intervals as vol
delivered each delivery being about S25 0OO and me
most part yet come and find in the year 1882, So5OO0
for one set Of books and $l2 900 for another In 1888,
find the several sums of $50 OOO S3 1885, and ,O00 In
1884, the of $780, 600, $40 000 $50, S5 100 In
1885, the Of Sc, 600, $40 900, $l0s60 In 1885,
$685. Sls,6e6. In 1887, S44, ,4so, S4Sss, SlS,ooo.
In 1889, SIS, 6O2.
This was the progress of the abuse in the first four years
It's enormy such enable the opposing members TO
bring to halt They broke up the trade for whe-fo
years but afterwards broke out aresh and ragged
with renovated fury
Thus we fnd in 1885, the sums of 900 and S24, 449
In ls47 the sums Of $722 205 and Of $45000 In ls4s
the Of SsOOO of SIC 250 Of 327 and Of
In ls49 considerable unascertaned amount and now IN
this year. 1850 both Houses of Congress employed in the
work.
All this which produce is only branch Of the busi-
nesthe appropriations made by the two Houses Of Con-
gess but there is another branch of it still to be explored
the purchases out Of the contingent fund.- OF wnlcn ns 10
Mr.. Palmer is q sample.
Many of these appropriations were to put the new men,
bers equality with the old that is to say it was
giving them the amount for coming In at the last
ment, if they had and worked those who came
before them There is of the laboer who comes in
the eleventh hour being entitled to foil wages, but do not
think it applies to members of Congress- Laughter the
members to be put footing with the old ones
and he who comes here this session to receive ne
which been put in the hands Of him who has been here
twenty thirty years. why should they not also get back
pay-eight dollars day and mileage so as to make them
equal in all points The list goes
Mr. President that while the House has felt itsef embar
rasscd with this Of Clarke Force, Mr. Clarke has
not himself embarrassed all by his part Of the contract
While denying ourselves the power to give up this
contract he selling 1t to gentleman who perhaps Is
here now, Mr. John G. Rves. He purchased Mr.. Carkes
interest," and be has authorized to say that if the Senate
chooses terminate the he asks for damages
He speaks for himself having purchased Mr. Carke Interest,"
he does not speak for Mr. Force who may or may not be
willing to do as he does Now, this work OF Clarke
Force was to be done by officer at that time Of the
House, whom all know, Mr. Clarke. Being an officer of
the House, he therefore somewhat under the control and
in the power of the House. The contract with him was per-
sonal he was to do the "head-work" It trust not
to be delegated it was contract with him, officer of the
House, and an educated man, to do work which required
head and education He was to collect the matter proposed
to be published 1t personal trust and not negotiable
and asgnabe He has assigned, and gone out OF IT. and
Mr. Rves who has succeeded him. pretends nothing but
the workman, whose business is to make money out OF
his contract That is all he preend and ne prints the ma
nuscrp furnished to him. The whole idea on which the
was made is lost and gone The leading partner
in the contract has left it. He quits it, and yet we must
stick to it. Such the argument and such the Practice and
such the abuse of this book buying business The greater
part Of this Documentary History is yet to come. AT first
there was limitation upon time or quantity. both was
unlimited. We got q limit upon the quantity, so as not to
exceed many volumes but there is no limit upon time,
and periodically Congress called upon for about to
for bound volume and some one or TWO thousand
dollars buy volumes not in existence to give 70 dead men
repeat these items produced by are only those
belonging to that class of appropriations which acted
by both Houses of Congress- and which are to be found upon
the general statute book There another large abuse which
has grown up and which much dangerous than those
going through both Houses because the books are bought al
without FORM by resolve and paid for out OF the
contingent fund.- have not had time to look into II but
think may venture to say that since the time this abuse be-
gancommencing with the Documentary History, which was
to cost million and half and which we have got limited
half million of dollars and which we are called upon for
money pay every three years. and which may con-
tnue until we are all dead and still go without limitation
Of me-and including all Of the paid either out OF the
treasury the contingent fund, and will be found that
there has been much money voted for the purpose OF
plying members Of Congress with books which few read and
many SELL there has been voted for the improvement of the
great rivers Of the West And, sir, was got much easier
than have been any Of the appropriations for these rivers
The book appropriations pass easy the liver Improvement
appropriations have hard birth, and many dein the process
1t in which the tug of is reversed. It is hard
work to procure river Improvement appropriation; hard
work to prevent Congress book appropriation. In the
time the books which buy are Of them, either useless
dangerous benefit the seller and nobody else As
example, undertake to say that this work Of documentary
history, for which have paid these has
not been worth straw any member Of Congress- any
public business which he has had and that he has
not got fact idea from that work which applicable
to single measure depending before Congress Yot the
gument upon which this abuse originated that to
enable members Of Congress the better discharge their eg
latve duties.
desire to give another exemplfcaon Of the abuses ars
ing from this system. applies to Greenhows history Of
Oregon and California and the negotiations which took place
with foreign Powers and the United States in relation to
the title to that country This book purchased for the
Of the Senatenot half dozen volumes merely, put
in the library where every Senator could them
cason he peasedbu purchased by the thousand for the
have his proportion Of them objected to this purchase at
the time although knew nothing about the hook