The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-03
"honesty.o $, far as am CONCERNED, until my re.

7,
turn to Kentucky.
1t would seem to be AZ act of simple Justice tc
leave my acts unheard, as well as without iudg.
ment, during my absence from our country; but
slnce my mileage is already connected with
question of honesty. it may not be amiss at once,
and notc. to respond with the facts of the case -
1t lie, then, controlling fact that my mileage
count was not fixed by me, but by the committee
on mileage of the House of Representatives, and
accepted merely what tn committee ordered to be
passed to my credit in the Office of the sergeant
at arms of the House of Representatives. The
committee addressed to me circular letter, ask
ing by what route travelled to Washington from
my home, and what was the most direct or usual
route. ] responded by stating my embarkation at
Louisville, my travel by steamer and railway, uia
Pittsburgh, to Washington, and stated what is the
fact that at that the route Pittsburgh is
8. usual'' as any, and the most convenient and
comfortable Upon these facts, the commit
tee computed the distance upon principles es-
tablished by them under the existing law, and
made the decision in regard to my mileage, on
| exactly the same principles which governed them
as to all members who went up the Ohio river.
sought to fix no precedent; did not state any
amount OF money or distance, as recollect; and
SO, having referred the whole matter to the body
provided by the House for its adjudication, and es
pecially finding that mine was just the same as
| the case of my colleagues, presumed that it was
"honest'' to take what the committee said was due
to me under the law. These just the facts of
my case think that the whole mileage and pay
of our members is too small matter to be eter-
nally harping on, in government whose annual
appropriations exceed fifty millions, but am
ready to bear any sentence the most censorious
can cast on me, under knowledge of the facts in
my case.
Thanking you for the friendly spirit in which
you have repeatedly treated me, remain your
obedient servant, SC.
HUMPHREY MARSHALL.
To the Editor Of the Frankfort CornmontDealh
The paragraph to which Colonel Marshall refers,
must be the following, which appeared in the
Commonwealth early in October Last
"Mr. Meriwether is trying to shield himself from
| skirts of Colonel Humphrey Marshall, who, he
| says, charged according to the came computation
| of distance. Colonel Marshall is not now in this
country, and his affairs ought to be lot alone.
The question for MIR. Merriwether to answer is
this: is the distance from Louisville to Washing
ton one thousand and sirty fue miles? and if not,
was it right for Mr.. Meriwether to charge mileage
for that distance whether Colonel Marshall did or
not? 1t is question of honesty, not of prece-
dent"
Colonel Marshall being out of the country,
shall make his letter the subject of other
| mark than that he has mistaken the spirit and
intention of the paragraph to which he alludes
In writing it we intended only to strip Mr.. Mer-
| wether of defence which we thought improperly
up; for considered that if his mileage charge
was right in ITSELF it could be defended upon its
own merits; and if wrong, it was impossible that
any thing in Colonel Marshall's could make
it right We neither stated, insnuated, inn
piled, any opinion whatever in regard to Colonel
MarshalPs charge for mileage, and for the good
reason, among others, that We knew nothing con
corning it, or the circumstances under which it
was made. But whatever might be Colonel Mar
shall's merits or dement's upon the subject, did
not intend, 80 far were concerned, that pub
lie attention should be diverted from Mr.. Meri-
wether to him. a.t.....,.s ......s.
As to Congressional mileage being "too small
matter" for newspaper comment in this country,
there may be two opinions about that. We think
that circular mileage and constructive mileage
have grown into great abuse, and that when the
law has been stretched that single Senator has
been allowed to draw upwards of $4,000 from the
treasury for single imaginary journey, per-
formed in single night while he aseep in
his bed at Washiugto the "matter' has become
quite large enough for examination and for re-
form. .