Daily American telegraph., 1852-08-09
COMMUNICATION.

MEssRs. EDITORS | was an accidental listener
to debate of extraordinary character in the SEN
ate day or two since, being no less surprised at
'he'Vehemenee manifested considering the mag
nltude OF the question involved by potent, grave,
anu reverend seigniors, than at the doctrines adj
Vocatea. Inc question was, whether special law
should, without any reference of the matter to n
committee, be passed to explain away the force Of
former law, (Which had gone through all the or
binary stages Of consideration of committees. &C.
so as to preclude the right to more than one sal
airy by an individual who had performed two du-
tiesand this to be effected in the absence of every
member who had acted in committee on the uues-
ton. TO me this looked like dangerous sort
of legislation, and seemed to be fixing prece-
dents in small matters, which were fraught with
more serious results than the participants ina
gined. Now, as of certain individuals who have
manifested such hot haste in this matter, whether
as sappers and miners covertly or as open dispu-
tants in the Senate, and the individual they could
so disinterestedy head off, for the life of me
cannot see much difference between their posi-
tons, admitting as true all the former represent
One would suppose, from the nature of the
Senate's discussion, that it was something new
for one person to hold q position where he could
legally be entitled to two salaries; for notwith-
standing the loud blast given at the beginning of
the chase, it appears in the sequel that no claim
or demand has ever been made for more than
| one, in this case-from which | would infer that
the Senate may have been duped, for reasons
which may more fully be known hereafter. From
freshness which
rushed to this encounter-from the Indignation
manifestation the time occupied in debate
one would not suppose that this very principle of
double pay for double duty has heen admitted by
the present Comptroller every quarter since he
has been in office He allows one clerk in the
Department of the Navy, one in the Treasury, and
one in the State, each two salaries for two duties
Does not the chief clerk of the Register of the
Treasury receive two salaries, of which one is for
duties in connexon with the Joint Committee on
the Library? Does not clerk in the Treasury
Department receive additional pay for duties
connected with the Coast Survey?
Richard Rush drew two salaries for the Offices
of Attorney General and Secretary of State, filled
at one time Mr.. Mason did the same; so did
Mr. Monroe Where was Senatorial thunder
then where the "honesf' indignation toward
official rapacity which we now see bursting forth
so involuntary and uncontrolled as to force
through special law as if the whole ships force
is to be called together to close port-hole, when
n missing plank is overlooked. With some, un-
locked treasure is safer than under bolts and bars
with others and l think the present will prove
one of these.
But Mr.. Editor are there not more ways
than one of holding and beneftng by two Offices,
and are they not equally repacious who profit
by them, if so? Let us apply the rule for ex-
ample, to imaginary cases, and take Comptroller
Does not one hold more than n single office prac-
tically when he has in the same room with him
self one of his own name at salary of 81 400, he
himself holding the largest salaried bureau I'M
der the goyernment-they jointly receiving near
five thousand dollars per annum e? Has he other
relatives in office, or does he perform the duties
of two or three offices, holding the salaries of the
lesser ones in suspense while he. performs the
duties of all, whether 'munimental," annihilator,
or other? Would it be modest for such one to
draught resolution so cautiously worded as not
only to cover an official blunder of his own, but
specially
another from $4,000 to 81, 500 per annum, and
that retrospech0eLy?
do not think these people do wrong, either in
holding Offices themselves in duplicate, or in the
person of their children. | only wonder that
they do not run with the hare, in place of join
ing with the dog and giving tongue with the
pack.
I oll1rh ind ,bar II
affectaton of industry in the public service, and
in labored efforts to headof the current of fortune
to others: | am apt to suspect more than appears
on the surface And | sometimes think that the
bearer of multiplied burdens carries them as
timid passengers in calm carry their life-pre-
servers and that the cry of Stop thief! is not al
ways genuine, but betokens something amiss in
the shouter. Thus it seems. Then take the case
of Senator who has legisated score of years,
almost carelessly sleeping over those laws which,
when they become applicable to one individual,
rise like ghosts before his frighted imagination:
is he any kin to the Secretary of Legation at st.
James? Take another who thought this little
matter Uery pressing, and look for his son in tho
Coast Survey office Now, this is all proper, all
lawful; but ] should like to see this zeal mani
tested by different persons to stop up the spggot
by others than by those who are drawing from
the bung hole. In this whole matter there is
something as yet hidden from the record. There
are some, as they think, behind the scenes, who
little imagine how plainly their promptings are
heard, and how distinctly their shadows appear.
OF them we NAV consider more ANoN.f
NOTICE