The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-03
The Depredators ON the Treasury.

rug Pui PoSe VI WeetlnS MRS. FIERCE.
Tho Depredators ON the Treasury.
We have before us calendar of the bust.
ness on the Speakers table, containing COM
Plete list of the 'sdepredators,'' whose organ
we are alleged to be by the Union newspaper
a journal whose proprietor petitions for PEN
slons, and monopolizes the public printing,
and is thereby enabled to roll about at ease in
his carriage and snap his fingers at the misera-
bic claimants who get shipwrecked among the
rocks OF the SPEAKERS table. At some future
day we shall republish this document in full:
with such extracts from the journals and de-
bates as will show distinctly where the respon
sibility rests. We would be much obliged to
some of our Democratic friends on the several
committees to furnish us with a statement of
the subjects to which their drawers full of
unreported reports are devoted. The first
question that the constituent, whose business
has been neglected, will address to his repre-
sentative will be-Whose fault is it that nv
petition has been disregarded? Is it the fault
OF Speaker BoYD, who claims the right to give
the floor to any one he pleases2 If SO, then is
the DEMOCRATIC party responsible for making
Speaker of man so incompetent to the du-
ties of the position. Is it the fault of the com
mittees? Then is the DEMOCRATIC party re-
sponsible, for there are two DEMOCRATS to
one WING on all the important committees.
Is it the fault of the majority of the House?
Then is the DEMOCRATIC party responsible,
which has majority of FIFTY TWO members.
Now we wish the country distinctly to un-
derstand, what cannot be truly denied, and
what if controverted can be established by the
journals and reports-the men who have been
engaged for the last two sessions in obstructing
the public business-in defrauding the widows
and orphans of the men who have fallen in
their country's service of the bare consider
alton of their cases lin defrauding the people
of the West of the opportunity of a vote
upon the bills designed to promote their internal
improvements; all these men are DEMOCRATS
Notwithstanding the large DEMOCRATIC ma
jority, the Wines have never interposed un
necessary obstacles in the way of the due trans
action of the public business. The Who's
have never sought to defeat by factious imped-
iments even the merest party measures They
have never moved adjournments, and calls Of
the House, and calls for the yeas and nays, for
the mere purpose of embarrassing the majority
and wearing out their patience by delays.
DEMOCRATS and only DEMOCRATS are response
BILE for the present lamentable condition of the
public business in the House.
On reference to the calendar before us we
find the first depreciation" on the Speakers
table is bill granting public lands to the seueral
States Of the Union for the purpose of estab-
fishing permanent and efficient system, Of COM
mon schools. This bill went on the SPEAKERS
table on the 9th of February, 1852, a little
more than year ago. A gentleman who has
two or three or four hundred thousand dollars
year for executing the public printing may be
Indifferent to the fate of such bill. He has
no use tor common schools. He can afford to
educate his children in uncommon schools.
But it is bill in which the men who are mis-
represented by the Union are deeply interest
ed; it is entitled at all events to be considered
without being repudiated as .sdepredation.' -
The next matter of interest on the SPEAK
ER's table is resolution to pay CHARLES J.
INGERsoLL. of Pennsylvania, the per diem and
mileage allowed to members from the COM
of the Twenty Congress to
the first day of July, 1910, for contesting the
seat between him and CHARLES NAYLoR.
This may be s'depredation." We do not
advocate it. Mr.. INGERsoLL is a Democrat.
The resolution is submitted by Mr.. AsHE, a
DEMOCRAT, on behalf of the Committee on
Elections, where the majority is Democratic,
and is to be disposed by Democratic House
with majority of fifty-tw members. We are
desirous that it should be submitted, and tina
MIR. lrGERsoLL. if entitled to it, should take
his money. If the majority of the House think
ne issssot entitled, we wish to see his claim
voted down. For entertaining and expressing
these views we are denounced by the Union az
the ''organ of the depredators!'
On reaching the class Of .depredations',
which are embraced among the bills from the
Senate on the first and second reading, we find
no less than twenty-six bills of this character
that have been lying on the Speakers table
eoer SINCE the month Of May last. Among
those twenty-sx bills we find one entitled Gan
act to amend an act for the relief of the wi
dows and orphans of the officers, seamen, and
marines Of the United States schooner Gram
Pus, and for other purposes" We have not
the slightest knowledge of the nature of the
$ depredations contemplated by this Dill.
The rest are bills for individual relief, and
to aid in the construction of railroads In GER
tain States. We do not know whether or
not all of these bills ought to pass. AS tney
have passed the ordeal of the DEMOCRATIC
committees in the Senate, and the democratic
majority in that body, we think it due to the
DEnooRArIc party for the Democratic House
to ascertain what these frauds on the Treasury
amount to, which have been connived at and
to BY their Democratic brethren in the
Senate. Let us at all events have committee
Of investigation appointed to ascertain who
among the Senators have been lending them