The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-07
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH or HON. #. $. BococK
of TIEGTxff,


of SIKGrsfk
On the bill M r No. sOs) 70 regulate the disbursement Of
the contingent expenses Of Congress delivered IN the
House Of Representatives February & 1857
Mr.. BoC0Ca. Iheere that shall not occupy any hing
like the time allotted 10 uc-r the rules in submitting
TO the House this morning the views svs suggested
themselves 70 my mipd in relation TO this question.
This bill had nct prsuariy arrested my attention un
III IL became the subject Of oiscrssssn few mornings
between The honorable gentleman from the 1ats ~ Ten
nessee and the honorable gentleman from the State Of
Georgia. allude TO Ar JosEs and Mr. CoBR listened
TO beth Of these gentlemen with attentions agreeing with
the first gentlemen IN smost everything he said and ad
miring in eminent degree tie sioouece and ingenuity
Of the latter gentleman. Ii becusc However that
gentleman eloquent and ingenious and enforcing
error very ardeny and with baf too much power that
wi-hed 20 reply TO him.
The simple question submitted by this bill is this under
the laws they 6End in the distribution Of the
ngent fund of this House the hccCur Of the Clerk must
be Submitted to and approved BY the Ffcpr scecunting
officers of the treasury The Clerk makes his accuut
Of items under the order of the House. and then makes his
requon upon the Secretary of the Treasury for the
amount 80 made out The account is examined, snd if
found eoformdb warrant Is drawn for the amount
of the tequson which after passing thrcngh the usual
formate into the hands Of the Tressure who
tse money The PrSPcsition spenittea BY this tn . y
Clerk and its COmmttee on Accounts snail haye The sole
and entire control Of the contingent fund of this forse
Sow sir gay am in favor Of the law and regulations
they now stand and shs submit to the House some
OF the why they ought to te changed Why
should the accounts Of this House be audited ard
",
the accounts Of Other expenditures audited and
amined?
Mr. Speaker win any ge,leman rr this foor eoa'en]
that the House of Representatives is inabe III .f ton
in relation this subject Will any gentleman who has
Eitnes-ed, az have for number of years past at a
stages and all hours OF It's session. the action Of this House
say that that action is always cbrrcct in regard 20 this
fund.- leave of view for the present ary Question
about the integrity and intelligence of the members f tie
House. and address self simply to the question OF the
thoroughness of their examination and sound discretion
ak members OF the House remember what here
during the last days of the session. when under the na
enee OF the kindly treatment receive al the hands OF
employees good elHg and ibersty excited and
when members stand upon this floor each having lit Il
pet bill in bis hnd which he very desons get passed
man. Tell if under such circl1stsnces. in The last
days of the session. perhaps the very as. rsht in
the small hours this House is always crcumspecs
and discreet in the distribution of IFS contingent and2
shall only refer to few facts to prove that il is rot
Ny fierd from Tennessee large into the question:
and gave numter Of facts and arguments this point
shall refer to only or two which speak trumpet
| tougued in behalf of the position which occupy.
Here is before the report Of the Clerk showing the
distribution of the contingent fund Dogentiemen knew,
when they vote FOR these esoans for extra pay what
they voting for How the money io - expended
Who gets il And whether the recipients meritGgiccs
or not presume they do not We pass resolution
giving to The eDpoyees Of the House the usual
pensatiop Wha. employees IL goes from your Clerk
your Doorkeeper and the superintendent of your folding
ROOM down 10 the who wrapping speeches by tie
piece and earn only few dollars per month. Here is
st in this document showing the persons to -hom extra
was paid under your last resolution fpa
in this list the case Of Mr. Fisher; who employed
folder By the piece il The foidagroom Of this House.
Nj. NICHOLS Win Tie gentleman give the page Of
the document TO which be Fcfers2
Mr. BOCOCK. TIE list Of folders to which refer, is on
page lc6 Let the House understand the way this
managed Sometimes in The press Of ctsiress in the
folding the superintendent of tie fodingom gers
out and employs temporary force of hands to in
ard fold speeches by the hundred And vixen they get
through the job they discharged until another job is
ready for them Well then, in folding by the piece this
durin yhe nf Nav .ha fret
time he emf loyed, for have searched through the
record 81 g. He earned n the month Of June the large
sum of 81 81 He earned In the menh of July 81 81 He
earned in the month of August Sls45 The whole
OF the regular pay which that received during the
session, Sal A. Then the resolution of extra pay
was passed aud gave him S2oe extra compensation Yes
sir his regular pay for all work he had done $ AZ.
For the admirable in which he discharged this
duty, compliment him with donation of $500 extra
of earning eighy-two cents less than dollar in
the month He of the employees of the House;
and all the employees whether employed by the month BY
the year by The day. by the piece in for the
pay, II in service at the passage OF the resolution.
The gentleman from Georgia me Mr.. SEwARp sug-
gsss that perhaps this man did not get this pay right
fully know nothing about that If that so, il
would sustain my position fully he got il through the
officers OF this House ubquesonably and the thing
tend for IL that in the distribution of the contingent fund
OF this House right and asice always observed
| Mr.. STEPHENS As may not have opportunity Of
speaking this bill and take interest in its passage
wish stateright this point of the gen,lssns srgu-
ment-that fully concur in all be Gays in opposition
this extra compensation But the question for this House
whether after the House Of Representatives has passed
bill il did at the last session, expressly
order in the appropriation biwhch passed the House
passed the Senate and received the executive sanction
that these should be paid il is right for the Comp
troller of the Treasury TO resist IL That is ALL
Mr. B0CoCK. IL even that So il would not--as
shall argue beresfter-touch this question. expect TO
show that in a subsequent part of my remarks Mr..
Speaker The contingent fund Of the House of Represent
syes is sort Of anomaly in ITSELF You know that the
constitution says that mo money shall be drawn from the
treasury except in consequence Of appropriations made
law Now what was the intention Of that csuse7 Why
the fair construction IT, that ths awnakng power should
appropriate specific for each specific service The
expenditures Of this something like
millions OF dollars year Suppose that this and the
honse-the law making power-should appropriate $Go-
President of the United States pay The expenditures
the government would it be right? Would il meet the
constitutional requirements fairly and properly2 say IL
would not Well sir, here is $500 900 appropriated as
contingent fund for the House of Representatives and
gentlemen contend that IL ought be given up 10 the
House OF Representatives to do with IL it may please
say this contingent fund is anomaly.
What is this contingent fund for and how did il oriRi-
na'eg Formerly there little of expenditure
which incidentally in the OF business the
House, amounting to but small sum and which ii was
almost impossible 10 enGmera'e in the approximation bill
IL was to pay these small that the contingent fund
originated but has since gone on to increase and
grow until ii now to something like s5ooo0o
with miscellaneous item in il amounting TO $4,000 1t
will IN few years things be going amount to
million or more for each house; and tie effort now s
TO have this money paid into the hands Of the officers
the House OF Representatives be used as it pcases
AT this point the argument Of the penremac from
Georgia, Mr.. Co.'s and most remarkabie argument it
L. He thinks that the honor and character Of the House
require that should this bL exclusive