New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-17
xxxIID CONGRESS. -. SECOND SESSION..
SENATE. WASHINGTON, Feb. 16


be given TO other business. He supposed the senator
made the motion a. matter Of duty and would take its
being voted down kindly.
Mr. HUNTER said the Senator should speak
for himself He wanted his motion 10 be- arried.
Mr. HUNTERs motion was agreed to. AYES
81 Noes, u.
The question pending was on the motion Of
Mr. WALKER. 10 strike out the provision increasing the
salary Of the superintendent OF the Census from S2JO0
10 5000 from the time Of the establishment Of that Of
fee in 1850.
Mr.. Downs said the matter was very small
one and be could not understsnd why there
much noise made on every occasion when this census
superintendent came before the Senate Ten times the
Of increase had been expended in debating the
matter.
Mr. JAMES concurred entirely with the Sena-
tor from Louisiana.
Mr.. WALLER said this man Kennedy stood
before the Senate pertinac.ously determined not 10
abide by the otrcpeGted decision Of the Senate and OF
the House to his ssary The Senate bad three times
decided THAI hs salary q 800 and yet he had per
j. petually been Dsting that IT was 5000. Would the
Senate new back The amount already sDpropri-
ated for tho Census over $4,000, and additional
asked for this year besides allowing him the 5000
be had been so pertinecously pursuing since he had
been in Office IN the items OF the rendered By
the head of the Census Office Of the expenses OF his
trip 10 Europe, were two, amounting 10 nearly
$500, for his passage in the steamer 20 AMI from
Liverpool, which items were returned and certified
10 by Kennedy actually paid by him, when, in
fact he had paid cent for passage money either
wayne being allowed afTee passage No voucher mad
ever been rendered for these items tor the voucher bad
Leen refused by the Company because they could give
/ none The Whole trip TO Europe was useless, and was
wholly unautbOr zed sanctioned by any law. The
large expense OF the Census far, attributable,
dOubtless, 10 the employment OF large number OF
Clerks TO enable the Superintendent to complete his
! history which to be published for his pecunary
| benefit by Lilvncott, Grambo a. Co. The Census oil
1910 on which Is clerks were employed was made one
OF the serious charges under which the administration
of Mr. Van Buren, broke down. Yet, what wac the ex-
! pense Of that compared with the present under the
charge Of this Clerk. who seemed 30 disposed 10 get
money for himseC Yet this Immaculate Kennedy, with
his 100 clerks and the enormous Of over s2O0OOO
was unable 10 complete ii without further apprcpria-
tons Were this man's accounts in court Of Ius1ce,
and one item had been thus proven TO have been fraud
uent the whole would have been looked upon with
pcion Hsfrieuds had better not pres the Immaculate
character of Kennedy or perhaps ether charges might
be produced todestroy II.
Mr. RUsK opposed the increase of salary in Il
deficiency bill
Mr.. DAVIS said he knew this wasa small mat
ter and had been frequently before the Senate but 1t
ALWAYS came there BY means OF the impOrt1nles OF
this Individual 10 have by some manner or other
salary which had been refused him. 1t was Il the man
ner In which was sought to attain the end that he OBJ
ifc'ed In the first place this person was Secretary 10
/ The Census Board at a salary OF $1,000. Wnen the
Census bill was passed the salary OF TIE Sdperntcnd
ing Clerk WINS fixed at a., 900 He was appointed 70
tLsi post Upon the Supplemental Census bill Kennedy
obtained q provision which passed unnotced, under
which, as Secretary of the Board and Clerk OF the Cen
/
minded the 5000 The Department sustained him.
hut the Controller Of the Treasury would no; pass the
accounts, because there was no law under whch ne
vaseptled 10 it. These facts coming 10 the knowledge
nj The Senate Joint resolution introduced at the
last session declaring that under no law could any per
ron be allowed any compensation as Secretary oil tue
C,sus Bonrd thus cOnfning the individual 10 his salary
ps Clerk OF the Census. This resO utiOn passed the
Senate but remained Enacted on IN the House. The
Secretary of the Interior, under the singular impression
That the neglect OF the House 70 act on the resolution was
OF the construction Of the Senate, ordered the
shurng clerk pay Kennedy az the rate d s3OOJ The
dsbursug clerk, who hsd been ihltIinl oliceI TOT
twenty wears said there no law for such an allow
srce aud refused 20 pay t. lie was dismissed for us
refusal and another appointed, VINO yielded ODE Hence
T1is Individual had, therefore been paid this S3OOO
ycar and This proyon IN the bill was 20 cover up and
sanction the unauthorized payment made by the order
oil the Secretary OGc Of the very nrst acts OF the House
at this session TO pes the luton Of The senate
explnniuq th very subject He objected to the
I'm Which this was attempted 10 be accomplished Had
this oficer come forward and IN candid and open
mtnner stated ths his salary was inadequate to the du
ties he he'd to perform, there would nave been dispos
,ion 10 treat the application with respect; but that has
not been his coursehe has pursued every other means
but this obtain his increased salary He did not con
slider this man ner,ing increase OF salary. Il had
be nt.matcd that be had bias on this subject Take
the facts he had stated them and was there not sum
Gent them in which any one might honestly rest bis
opposiuont Select Committee bad made report on
he census returns which report this clerk had crit
cised in almost hbeous terms and laid his criticisms on
the tables OF Senators Moreover be had gone into The
mon several Senators who had made opposition on
former occasion TO his movements
Mr.. HUNTER expressed an earnest hope thai
, q vote would be taken.
Mr.. Downs said he prepared the supple
mental act spoken Of and under which i was STATE,
thar this person might have drawn two salaries He us
uaed the removal OF the Dsbursng Clerk Tor reiusin
70 pay the 6 900 then allowed by law, for al ihat tint
the explanatory resolution had not passed Ooth Houses
Mr. RusK moved the pOstpOnement OF thu
hill with view 70 take up the Pacific Railroad bill III
would regard the vote on his motion as test vote oil
thStbill
Mr. HUNTER said he did not see why the Ap
propriaton bills should be postponed because the none
ietas were debated, and 10 take up another bill whic
6 | would also be debated Unless the Appropriation bill
E were now considered they would be deferred to IN
lssh hour, whenthey would be arranged BY Concrenc
, | Committees. .
Mr. BuTIrR said he knew no bills whicl
should be debated more than those spproprating money
, Mr.. Doper Qova) said he would regard thi
a. test vote or the Railroad bin and be would stand
tie Senator from Texas in getting tiat bill through
even 20 the death total exclusion a the AppEopria.o
llr. RoRIixp thought the Railroad bill
should pass and ough; &c be ken up now.
Question taken, and motion rejected-Iea
% NAYS 2S-as follows
n Yr,s-Ne.rs Atchipson. Bell, Borland, Bradbury
Chase Clarke Davis, Dodge, Of Wis Dodge Of Iowa
= Douslas Gtyer Gwin James, Jones of Iowa; jones
Il TnT Pratt Rnsk Sebastian Smith, sumner Underwood
!, | Wade, Walkeg, Weler-S4 .
NAYS-hessrs. Bayaru, brlxht blos<incoo bieo.' pu
ler CoopeT Dawson Dc SanssEre, Downs Feleh titzPA
rck Hale Harnlin Hunter Mallory; Mason Miller, Mo-
X ms Pettt Phelps Seward, Soule sprusnee Coucey--
y y Mr.. HousroS said it was bad policy to III
crease salaries of clerks disproporonate to their SCI
vices particularly when the individual dd no' aeserV
Il lie did not think this officers mission 70 Europe IA
commended him to the favorable Consideration OF u
- Senate. Some time since there was Worlds Fair
~ London, and although there was no Ia" ior IL Ns
- considered highly desirable ,tst the Department OF "a
- Interior should be represented there. Mr. Aenneiy va
~ selected the representative and he applied 70 n
- controller Tor warrant for $3.50 TO bear tne e
= penses Of his mission which refused unless an O
der wss produced. lie promised 70 produce the orde
- hut was no' seen by the of5cer Of the Treasury
amer he had return ed from Europe. Then be render
his sccoGnt Tor u, 80 expenses he hsd previously
- aimed the money on the order OF the Secretary
" TIE Inferior He presented no vouchers other ths
. the memoranda VI his expenses. The Controls
10 refused 20 pass the 20 his credit No voechs
70 have YET been presented The Controller thong
IA Tor A. Tnllfr