New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-12
FRcM WASHINGTON.
of The n. Y. Tribune.


WASHINGTON, August 10, 1857.
The Treasury to-day issued a warrant for $25 92O
in favor of the Clerk of the House, covering the
four members of the last Congress, and which
books are said to have been delivered prior to the
LIST of January last The history of the book fraud
for the last Congress is peculiar, and furnishes
another illustration of the unfailing luck of the
Democrats in their populations upon the Treasury,
and Of the fatality attending like operations when
undertaken by their opponents.
The game of printing books and distributing them
as donation among members, by way OF adding to
their pay, has been going on about fifteen years;
and the swDdle, from its very structure, has been
growing greater with age. have not now the list
before me, but it comprises several hsndred vol
umes-s some of which are valuable, while Others are
worthless and will never be looked at save by book
worms. The cost to the Government of a full set
for each member is now, it seems, $1,000. There
were ia the last Congress l42 new members OF the
House. An appropriation of SlS2, coo was at first
asked to pay for the books necessary to form po-
litical library for each Of these novces; and this
amount, think, was inserted as an item in the
General Appropriation bin of the first session.
Subsequently, the bill raising the pay OF members "
81, Geo year was passed. which contained clause
acknowledging that the pretext that they had at any
time been supplied for the information OF the mem
beIs and not as q surrepttiOus addition to their
poy, was cheat and fraud.
But Gen. Culom, the Clerk, claimed that he had
gone on to make contracts and arrangements for
supplying the books under the 1913, 900 appropria
ton, and could not be cut off by any subsequent
law. Congress allowed this plea to the exte-t Of
$l3o, 600, which amount was provided to meet his
| -. hon fhgf thA
books should be actually delivered to every member
who chose to take them and deposit them IN some
public library in his district In constituting the law
Secretary Cobb has required certificate from each
member that he had So Deposited the books.
The warrant issued to-day is designed to pay for
twenty -four sets Of books alleged to have been de-
lyered to members before the act containing this
restriction was passed.
The principal parties furnishing the books are
Gales 4 SeatCn, JOnn c. Rives, Dr. Msyo Col.
Hickey, and the publishers Of the works OF John
Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Gales q Seston
furnish the REGISTER of Debates, Annals OF Con-
gress. and the Land Laws, which together INA ke
II volumes in each set, and cost 1855. Hives sup
plies bis Confessional Globe 10 from 80 to oO vol
umes. There has been bitter dispute between
these parties and the Clerk as to who should MAKE
the money. The publishers contend that II was the
duty Of the Clerk to buy of them at the iu prce OF
So per volume. Gen. Cuuom insists upon ais riyn'
to purchase the books wherever he can get tnem
cheapest and alleges that he can bay them elsewhere
at half the price asked by the publishers.
1t does not appear that any Of the "a sets this day
allowed for were purchased Of the publishers out
learn that an order has been given for ~ sets OF
Gales & Seaton's books, and for 80 sets each OF
those.furnished by Rives, Mayo Hickey and other
patriotic speculation. e political t era Me- P This
who have filed the most impassioned representations
at the Treasury against the Clerk, naming a long
list Of witnesses BY whom they seek to prove that
some at least of the alleged deliveries Of books were
6c,;t;,n. The uitnes.es on being summoned tes-
tilted that they knew nothing at all Of the matter
Your readers will thus perceive that very AMI
mated contest is in progress over inis interesting
question Of dollars and cents, and that large part
Of the dlsbursement authorized by Congress remains
to be made. There are many rlmon and state
ments connected with these transactions not nsce.
csu.c an investigation to be made by the next Con
sress, In the nesu tiue, it is pretty evident that