Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-17
Col. BENTON LAST WORK.-The Washing
ton correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer

ton correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer
says:
~ learn that, although Colonel Benton went
thIough the usual fO.mdlties Of making a will
ne nevertheless died very poor. The creditors of
his estate are not likely, however. to press their
reference TO 4 certain disposition OF his latest
literary labors is successfully carried ont, his
debts Will probably be paid In full. Every one
who had business dealings with him speaks 10
the strongest terms of his Spartan sense Of honor
ard falthfulness to his engagements, and one
secret OF his late indefaigable abors lies in the
fact OF his extreme anxiety TO cancel every pecu-
mary obligation before his decease"
Ibis writer evidently has reference to the
propOsit On that Congress shall order, for the
use Of its members and the Government Offices,
an edition Of Col. BentOn's Abridg ment of the
Debates from the first session Of the First Con-
gress up to 1850. We cannot explain the pur-
pose Of this proposition 80 we'll otherwise, as by
publishing the following memorandum, written
in clear and bold hand, by Col. Benton him.
now lies open before US:
The abridgement is Legislative work and
comes within the original design Of Congress i'm
subscribing for books. which design was to az
sist members in qualifying themselves for tue
business of legislation. On this principle toe
suonSbP tiou organ, applying only TO the publi-
cation Of debates, and IL is still continued, nd
most properly, to that class Of publications
Afterwards books Of a d iferent character began
10 lie purchased, and was carried to an extreme
ana was properly stopped. But the subscrip-
tions for the full debate continues and ought TO
continue but to give effect to the design of Com
gress in getting the fHH debate published, the
Infringement is ind ispensable as the fuI de-
bates are too voluminous for current use even n
they could be obtained, which they cannot be
The aoridgement only can make the debate ac-
cesSlbie and usable but both should be kept
up-both the JuU and the aLTidsemsnt
We subscribe heartily to all the Colonel
said in this paper concerning the probable
great legislative utility of his work No other
man OF the times could have accomplished his
task with equal ability. The book, as a com.
pilation for the use Of the American statesman
and legislator, is likely greatly to facilitate
both legislative and executive action for upon
every subject Of which it treats, it present..
entirely within readable compass, an sccu-
rate, and, on all essential points, minute view
Of everything said or done in Congress with
reference to 1T.
We regret to learn that, pecuniarily, the re.
suit Of Col. Benton's thirty years public SER
vice, has been as unfortunate as the Philadel-
phia Enq"irers correspondent explains. With
that, however, Congress has nothing whatever
to do; its duty in the premises being to judge
of the propriety Of ordering the work, solely
upon its (the proposition s. own merits.
WARDS FIRE ARNs.-It was mentioned in
N our Congressional report yesterday that the
senate had received report of a board of ,fi-
GERS appointed by tho Secretary of w ar to ex-
anime and test the improved fire arms SUBJ
n'ttsd by Capt. j. n. Ward, of the third
infantry. The board consisted of Lieut. Col.
J. L. Johnston, Major Bell, Lieut.. Col. Nav.
Major Macrae, and Capt. Whitehall. In their
eport they state that they first examined tho |
for attaching tape primers to |
mall arms, called Wards magazine hammer.
% test its working forty shots were fired. The
oard are of opinion that it is great improve
,ent, and recommend that it be applied to all
mall arms except revolvsrs. They also rec