Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-17

WAS8aN010u NkWS AND GOSSIP. ~
The SENArE's CONTINGENT FUND.
hear that some Of the Senators are indignant
ct the action Of the House in amending their
bill concerning the future man aeement If
their contingent fund. Az it went from the
Senate, this measure proposed to exempt ALI
their contingent expenses from undereoipe
the scrutiny Of the accounting officers Of the
treasury. Az amended in the House, under
the advice Of the Committee of Ways and
Means, the Secretary of the Senate was ere.
ated disburaing officer to pay their per
diem and mileage, while the rest of their con
ungent expenses we're left to be finally audited
e those Of the House are. by the proper ac-
counting officers of the Treasury. The COIL
mon sense Of the country will see at glance
the propriety of this change in the bill. I'm.
der . government like ours, no public servant
or body Of public servants should be ire
sponsible in any Of their acts. So, to leave
the Senate uaaccountable, in any particular,
would be against the principle of unaccounta.
bility on which the whole system Of American
public affairs hinges. The tendency of the
times is towards rapid Capitalization: and to
enact law e1empting the pecuniary trans
actions OF any part of the Government of the
United States from the official scrutiny t,
which the monetary transactions of all it.
other branches are subjected, would be to set
a most pernicious example. Due response
bility is the anchor Of honesty and cconom,
in public expenditures. 1t never yet was
disregarded or departed from in any govern.
ment under the sun, without in the end gen
Grating extravaganza and practical pecula-
ton. 1t is proper that the Senate of tn,
United States should set . good example H.
this matter; and to that end we trust that
its members will see the wisdom of agreeing
to suffer their contingent expenditures of tbt
money collected by taxing the people, to b.
even more strictly serutinized by tho rexuias
accounting officers Of the treasury, than ever
before. We hear it rumored that the Senat.
may step the supplies of the Government
unless they may be able to secure the enact
ment of the bill as it went from them orr
ginally to tho House. We repeat this story,
only that We may say that it is too absurd to
receive credit from any one possessed of an
ounce of brains.
The New CHARGE TO PoRrUGAL.-There il
no doubt that Mr.. Jno. S. o. Sullivan, of New
York city, will very soon be nominated to tn,
Senate for this position, if his name has no
already been sent in. Such are the signs
around us.
The MEXICAN TREArY.-Minister Gadsder
left New Orleans for Washington, we lear1
BY telegraph, on the 18th inst, and should
arrive hero in three or four days at most
allowing him day to remain with his famil.
in Charleston. Those interested in the Slo,
grant, who arc among US, do not seem to b,
as nervoust to-day under the news, as yester.
day. They have had private advicss by tel
egraph from their friends in New Orleans, VI
have reason TO believe, intimating that thu
Garay grant has not been guaranteed in tn.
treaty, as alleged in the telegraphic dispatch
es SO far received in Washington. They GER
tainly rest under the impression that wheI
the terms of the treaty come to be made pub
lie, it will be found that indemnify to the
Garay people merely, is provided for, in CON-
mon with others having claims on the Mexican
Government, leaving the amount thereof to be
settled hereafter.
TIE MISSISSIPPI SENATORIAL ELEcTIcn.-
So it seems that Mr.. X, of the Baltimore Sun,
has been egregiously deceived concerning the
Mississippi Senatorial election. We have in
tina tod fire To 1aS hat oil ~
making General Davis, Secretary of War, .
candidate for that post, likely to be elected
&C., were erroneous. We did go on our kncwl-
sasa af tbs fact that his most intimate frieads
here were satisfied that lie entertained nc
desire to change his present position, and tha
home, that he had not the slightest desire to
re-enter the Senate Of the United States at
this time.
The HOMESTEAD PRoJEcT.-The vote Of the
House, yesterday, setting apart from the
14th Of next month to the 2lst for the con.
sideration of the Homestead bill, in accord
| ance with the motion of Mr.. JONES' of Tenn
should by NO means be taken as Indicative OF
the disposition of that body to make 1t tn,
law of the land. 1t was, on the contrary, but
bow to Buncombe, or, rather, to the position
of every members buncombe, favoring thu
measure; for, in every district, there are
many voters who are for it, if not mniorit,
in any. We have no idea, from present ap-
pearances. that the system can be engrafted
on our Governments land system, in tho pres
ent condition of Congressional sentiment.
Though it has many ardent friends in Con-
gress, the various other schemes for getting
rid Of the public domain as fast as possible
have more, while there is a large wing in
either House, determined, if possible, to ad-
here strictly to the existing U. s. public lands
system, with as little alteration as may be;
at the head of whom, in the House, we ma,
not inappropriately place Speaker Boyd, we
fancy. 1t ie the interest of tie friends of all
other schemes above referred to, as we'll as Of
those outside who favor them, and of those
who own large bodies of what were latel,
public lands, to prevent the passage of the
"Homestead'' bill. They can carry theil
point, doubtless, and we shall be much sur
prised if they fail in SO doing, during the life
4 IF AZ loo ho