The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-15

gentleman, knows that made an ineffectual a.
tempt at the last session to put stop to that
OF expenditure gentleman rose in his seat and
onereo resolution to increase these clerks and
oirectng the Clerk to employ more and to con.
t,nue them on, and it passed through the House
almost by reclamation. Now, sir / have con.
demned the whole thing, and have been charged
oy my democratic friends this side of the House
with going to the other side to try to get support
there to a proposition to stop it, found, when i
went 70 that side of the House, that, as they
ololy told me, they were stuck, for they started
the thing, and they are recorded the Journal.
!. was a marvellously proper thing, and they put
In this Mr.. Young, single individual, to finish the
OBJ.
Subsequently, the Democrats got anxious to haze
the index finish d, AID they added fifteen or t,centy
more clerks Laughter and as told the House last
session, these clerks had desk bureau TO make out
Their monthly accounts at. Many Of these clerks
! haze been at icork.
For oil these things the House is responsible. The
people send members from the different districts and
if they choose to squander the public money in this
| tDay Icann0t stop 1t.
Here the hammer fell
Mr.. STUART. If the gentleman from Ken
lucky will allow me, want him to go on and
occupy my five minutes, and explain this matter
to the House. If this is contingency we ought to
pass it.
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee. With the permits
sion Of the gentleman from Michigan, wish to
ask the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. MAsoN)
question.
Mr.. STUART. l hope the gentleman from
Kentucky will not be interrupted. | should like
to hear him go on with his connected statement.
We may learn some facts, and if this is q def
cheney we ought to pass it.
MIR JONES. aoish to inquire Of the gentleman
from Kentucky If these ertra clerks-these map men,
and these index clerks-do not occupy place fred
up do,on belo,r to tohich TO appoint men ,pho ere
turned out at the other end Of the auenue and ,uhe-
her, tuhen they turned out there, hey ,oere moi
prorided for here?
Mr.. FLORENCE. If the gentleman from Ken.
lucky will permit me, want to say one word
just want to call the attention of this committee to
the fact that the proposition made has nothing at
all to do with the index clerks and do not stand
up here TO defend their employment or continu-
ance do not care about it at ALL and want
that perfectly and plainly understood / have Of
fered my amendment in good faith, because be-
lleve 1t to be necessary and desire that the dis
| cussion may be confined to the amendment, and
no one better understands it than the gentleman
from Kentucky.
Mr.. STUART. call the gentleman from Penn.
sylvania to order / want to hear from the gen-
tleman from Kentucky how much of this item has
been passed upon by the Committee on Ways and
Means, and how much the House ought to ammo.
pirate.
Mr.. MASON. Well, sir. as before remarked
gentleman known for his economy, and noted
for it everywhere, offers resolution to increase
the number OF these clerks. was myself perfect
ly astounded, for at the same time the committee
were ged in turning them out.
AS 10 the men engaged upon the land maps,
after the maps were finished, they, by some autho
rity or other were continued and additional duties
were created for them, and believe they are on
duty yet. The Committee on Accounts were unan-
imously of opinion that they should be discharged.
But they toere besieged and pressed upon in one
,ray or another and finally gaze ,cay, and / ,cas
found in the minority Of the committee npuself.
Now, in regard to the expenses of which the
gentleman from Michigan fMr. STuARr) in
CURES, understand that this is the estimate of
the Clerk OF this House for the deficiencies for the
various purposes enumerated therein-one for pay
ing members detained by sickness on the road or
at home, which they entitled to by law; and
one tor the funeral expenses of members. under
stand there is deficiency of $4,000 for the vari-
Gus items named in that bill, which the chairman
OF the Committee on Ways and Means has Jumped
at $1,000, instead of 1924, 900.
Mr. HOUSTON, intended, in connexion with
the amendment proposed, to offer upon my own
responsibility and not under direction of the Com
mittee on Ways and Means, am ndments covering
one or two heads OF the appropriation contained in
this estimate intended, for instance, to ask the
House to insert an amendment covering the item
of boxes. have already sent up an amendment
covering the expense of contesting the seats of
members.
Mr. MASON. The funeral expenses of mem
bers, which vary in amount from S 900 to &c.
600, and S 5000, are paid out of the contingent
fund of the House
The various items of the amendment offered by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. FLOR
ENCE) are mere estimates made out by the Clerk
from deficiencies before him, and which he
has not funds in his hands to meet.
The fact is, these index cer ks have been selling
their pay for months past, and discounting it, as
understand it, with Mr.. Corcoran. They also sell
them to other men at small discount. They have
been obliged to sell their accounts during the ses.
sion, there being total deficiency of funds with
which to pay any part of their salaries
sIhe gentleman asks how there came to be any
deficiency. understand it was in this way: The
Committee on Ways and Means last year contend
ed that the extra compensation to clerks and mes
sengers was not right, and that it not right to
expect that the House of Representatives would
pay twenty or thirty thousand dollars extra to the
clerks, pages, and messengers. They therefore
put in the Appropriation bill the miscellaneous
items, which the Clerk has consumed in paving
this extra compensation ordered by the House
That lett the deficiency in the item for paying the
index clerks. They preferred getting $3.50 extra
compensation in a lump, and agree to wait for
their re gular salaries.
Here the hammer fell
The question then recurring on the amendment
offered by Mr. MASON to the amendment proposed
by Mr. HOUSTON, it was put, and they were
agreed to.
The question then recurring upon the amend
ment OF MIR. HoUsToN amended, it was put
and the amendment was agreed to.
In Senate of the United States.
FEBRUARY s, 1853 - Ordered to be printed
Mr. WELLER made the following report: