The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-13


SECRETARY COBB AND THE Book SwINDLEs-
1t is stated, much to the credit Ut the Secretary
of the Treasury, that he has datermioediy set
bis face against any federation OF the sw,ndling
process by which it has been usual under color
of book resolutions, to cheat thu country to the
tune of half million or ~ each Congress.
These appropriations for books voted to ae y mem
bers Of Congress every session hAd become
most disgraceful system 1t was we'll under
stood thing that out of say 81 900 worth of books
voted to some hundred new members, they would
not actually take books to the amount of 500
each, on an average. but would give to the Clerk
of the House, who had the Supplying of them,
u receipt for the whole and would make more
desirable arrangement with him as to the balance
Sometimes arrangements on the same principle
would be made with the bookseller who would
have contracted with the clerk, and many of the
book dealers in Washington have become very
wealthy from this profitable mode Of doing bust
ness. Thus, the book appropriations were worth
80 much in books and cash to the member entitled
to them, SO much in discount to the clerk, and
go much in the profits OF barter to the book.
seller.
The Southern democrats in the House have
always opposed every proposition for book ap-
preparations. Besides their being of q much
higher stamp Of character generally than the
Northern and Western representatives, they were
actuated by probably another influence in their
opposition to these book grants, which was that
their Congressional districts rarely changed their
representatives in Congress, while it was as rare
to have the same district in the North represent
ed by the same man twice in succession; and thus
these Northern districts would get, through their
representatives, half dozen book allowances,
while the Southern would get only one. hide.
pendently, therefore, of the well known fraudu-
lent nature of the transactions under such ap-
preparations the Southern men were opposed to
them because they operated unjustly.
In the bill which passed at the first session of the
last Congress giving increased compensation to
the members, there was provision inserted that
thereafter no member should be entitled to
books, except copies of those printed by order of
Congress. Previous to its passage the republi.
can and Know Nothing members of the House
had carried a resolution giving the usual books
TO new members This resolution, however, was
no further pressed after the passage Of the Com
pensation act. But ut last session q shameless
attempt TO revive 1t was made, on the plea that
the resolution had the precedence, In point of
time, of the act, and that the act could not be
retroactive, and also on the plea that the
clerk had made contracts for these books,
and would consequently he liable TO damages
As I'll alternative measure, 1t was proposed
by the chairman Of the Committee of Ways
and Means that an appropriation Of $4,000
should be made directly to the clerk to cover
these imaginary losses In other words this
would have been legislative recognition of the
clerks right, established by CUSTOM to make the
nice little sum of $4,000 per Congress out of
these book resolutions. The first proposition,
however, was stuck to-an appropriation Of
$ls2, 900 to pay for books for new members. 1t
will be recollected that the Senate absolutely re-
fused to sanction this piece of legislative CHI
canery, and that it was only within the last few
minutes of the expiring Congress that a compro-
mise was agreed on, in the shape Of proviso
that the books in question be deposited in the
public libraries and institutions of the respective
districts
The Clerk Of the House, after the adjournment
sent in his requistion 10 the treasury for this SUN
Of $4,000 in a single item, but Mr.. Comptrol-
Ter Whittlesey declined to honor the draft ex-
cept on proof being adduced that the books were
actually deposited as required by the law. Mr..
Cullen did not cboosc or IL was not his interest