The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-04-18

have been all my life for reforming these abuses;
have ever been against this system oil things. And
when ne says that he Is in favor OF system OF things
which shall hold out hope OF promotion 10 The in
diyduals employed IN the clerical corps OF our depart
ments here Let them be put upon the same footing OF
the army and navy. and Will 90 for il he will hnd me
standing by his side when he brings forward system ia
which something like security. permanency, and promo.
on Is held out 10 these individuals, 70 stimulate them to
perform their duty Sir, If there be an object upon the
lace OF the earth worthy and deserving OF sympathy, il
= the poor clerk with q starving vile and children who
has been turned Of his Office by administration
that has succeeded the under which he was employ
ed, know many instances OF that kind, know dem
ocatic instances oil that sort that have been made VIC
Tins OF wing administrations. do not speak IN regard
TO wings alone know OF individuals acting under the
democratic faith who have received this treatment Bat
know many more upon the other side who have re-
ceved IT, II is system every way warning against the
public interest aud which ought TO be broken up And
that man who can do IT. be he OF what party he may, de-
desirable an object
Blu, the honorable senator speaks Of the condition Of
the departments. Who is 10 blame for that Time and
again. session after session. year after year. have pcca
slonay got up and suggested the popreiy oil appointing
committees TO go and explore these departments and see
how the business OF the country is conducted and inform
the country how was carried and what was the con-
dition OF the various bureaus AMI have not even got
respectable listener to proposition OF that sort much
Never has the responsibility been upon the part of
this body, OF the other House, far know. 10 in
slilue these examining committees. which every State
legislature in this Uaion is In the habit OF appointing 10
inquire into their own affairs No wonder them that we
hear complaints TO total ignorance OF the manner
in which the public affairs carried on IN our depart
ments You will not examine--you will not lake the ne
cessary steps to get the Information either for yourselves
oror the country. And yet you speak OF our total gno
rance OF the manner in which things go on in our de-
paItmens.
Now in regard to Of these abuses, If any exist
year or two ago proposed plan by which we should
endeavor to get a. them i was TO have annual reports
nj lahn "a nytro nj klnHn
cultural producege this information from every par! OF
the country. offered series of resolutions to get that
information expressly with view to enable us to form
some idea, when department made s report. whether II
had exceeded that reasonable conduct in managing the
public affairs which individual would observe in man.
aging his own. And yet celebrated gentleman upon
the other side, the late senator from Missouri [Mr BEN
TONI when those resolutions were brought up for consid
Grafton years ago. cndeavored 10 convert the whole
proposition into rdlcue and so far succee led that no
body thought OF adopting Sir the ineciency OF this
body and the other House, in neglecing TO adopt the
cessaTy steps to watch government administration is
the great reason why the public business Is not better
| managed
And now, in reference to the abuses which are com
planned Of can the gentleman tell me how much cheaper
any given amount OF work could be performed in the
QuaTtermaser's department than il has been performed
Tor How can you tell whether there has been any
abuse iherewhetber the uariermasteIs department has
paid more than ought TO have been paid for any given
tcle-uness you can tell me the prices at which the
things furnished, and the cost OF their transporla
ton 10 the places where they were wanted Unless you
/
what the thing could have been furnished for and
what il was actually furnished for, there is teingno
possibility oteng-wheher there has been extravaganza
or not You require given amount of service you say
so many raons shall be placed al given point in Cali
fona, Tor instance you say this, that or the other thing
shall be done, and OF you include the of
doing it And you only tell whether the depart
ment has or has not properly carried out those things
when you have furnished the data upon which contracts
are made But here we have denunciations without that
data being furnished. Can such state OF things be
tolerated II ought not 10 be so. Give rs the data
show US the thing which the law requires 10 be
DONE which the public service requires be done show
us the prices at which il was done, and then show
by satisfactory evidence how much less II could have
been done for, and then whether II has been
properly, correctly ,and economically done, or whether
has been otherwise.
have been reminded that starving the Indians order
% prevent their Multiplying and thus save the expense to
the government has been suggested very good idea
| Mr.. HUNTER. | advanced no such idea | said il
would be better to employ them in work Than to pay
them Tor idleness said nothing about wing them
| Mr. UNDERWOOD | was about TO borrow tie idea
But, as he disclaims il, of course will not borrow it
wall not follow OF, the train OF remarks which per.
haPs might indulge in Bat IT might perhaps be well
enough great many things could be suggested upon
this occasion. When these amendments shall be pro-
posed which my friend contempaies Offering. and which
am glad he intends 10 offer, shall most assuredy vote
Tor them il they put The proper restrictions upon every ad
mnsiralion. bold to the doctrine OF specific appopri.
atoms, and il the departments in the habit OF abu
sing their power, either by the transfer OF appropriations
or IA any other way so as to cover up their acts shall
most assuredy vote for that remedy which will make
Them exhibit the acts and enable by OF look
ing into the amounts paid by the departments to ascertain
what The facts And think that all those appropria
tons which alter given time-you may shoHen the
time II II is not short enough now-go into the surplus
fund, ought TO constitute part OF the funds in the treas
ary which subject TO specific appropriations. and that
the discretion OF the departments ought TO be taken from
them after a given length OF time. Some little latitude
must be allowed IN regard TO all appropriations. You
cannot get along without some little discretion in refer
ence 10 them. The public service will require that
discretion should be lodged in the Departments But |
am for leaving little discretion as possible in refer
ence to money and its appropriation.
II our present system has been found not TO work
well, regret that those who charged with The hnan
cal concerns OF the country-those committees in the
two houses whose business il is 10 look that matter
have never yet done So II has yet been my bust
ness-and have sometimes regretted that it has not
be regretted that those whose duty has been for years
should not have corrected those laws which admit the
abuses which my friend from Virginia Mr., HuSTERl has
suggested
Mt. HALE Mr.. President desire to say
Dir. PRATT. Will the gentleman from New Hamp
shire Mr. HALsl permit me TO make explanation in
relation TO the senator from Virginia, tMr. HUNTER y
Mr.. HALE Certainly
Mr PRATT II was at my suggestion that the sena.
Tor from Kentucky tMr. UsDERwooD,l in his laughing
manner referred TO the Indians Now, understood the
honorable senator from Virginia Mr. HUSTERl distinctly
10 say that, the United States government continued
to furnish the Indians with bread they would multiply
faster than the whites and would increase
tur from that beyond all doubt correct that should
sarve them, the better plan would be TO shoot them
once and then get rid OF them entirely.
Mr. HUNTER. What said was, that il would GER