Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-10

understand that be has paid all the others.
Il so app ears in this book.
Mr. RUFFIN Can the gentleman show
it?
Mr.. LETCIt.R Here are the racap pts,
sni the Secretary Of the Treasury ayers
that the receipts arc fled in the Treasury
Department.
Mr.. MASON They arc either paid, or
not paid ono or the other
Mr.. LETCIEER. Certainly that il 90.
Mr. MASON. The gentle nan makes
his argument upon fhe ground that the
Clerk will suffer loss unless an approprla-
fion is made to pay them. II tie Clerk will
not lose, will the gentleman back down from
his appropriation
Mr.. LETCHER. Yes, sr: say so
distinctly and unequiyocally ] have 10
secret here or elsewhere about such mat
ters If the receipts have been sent to the
Treasury Department, and no money has
been paid by the Clelk in discharge of
them, / say frankly that will not stand up
and ask single dollar to pay them And
now / ask the gentleman from Kentucky
whether If is the fact that they have not
been paid ?
Mr.. MASON The fact is, that the
Clerk will not lose single dollar, if you
DO not make an appropriations
Mr.. I4ETCHER. Where is the evidence
Of that ? / have none The gentleman
says he entertains opinions which would do
to bet upon; but still such opinions may be
very erroneous opinions, Notwithstanding
Now, would like to know where is the
evidence of the fact that these receipts have
been taken improperly, and that they have
been sent there without any payment hay
ing been made
Mr.. MASON. Do not understand me
to say that the Clerk has acted improperly
Mr.. LETCHER. If they have been sent
to the Treasury Department and filed as
vouchers for SO much money actually paid
is there nothing improper in it-nothing
improper in their remaining there twelve
months in that condition It strikes me
there is very decided improperly. and
that it is calculated to make a very unfair
impression upon the mind Of the Secretary
of the Treasury, in regard to the obligation
upon the part of the Government, to indem-
nifty that officer for money disbursed. Well,
! want the facts, and the evidence of the
facts.
Dir. MASON I say it is so.
Mr.. LETCHER. You say it is 50 bu,
the Secretary Of the Treasury saws other
wise in his report. Show to me in any sat
isfactory manner that none of this money
has been paid by the Clerk ofthc House q
Representatives, and [ will not vote to give
him single dollar. 1t is upon the pre-
sumption Of the action Of this House in d.
rccting the Clerk to make the payment, and
upon the presumption raised by these re-
ccipts presented to the Secretary of the
Treasury, that am for allowing to the
Clerk the amount which will enable him to
square up his accounts. That is my only
reason. | am as much opposed, as every
body knows, to extra expenditures and to
extra compensation as is the gentleman from
Kentucky, or as any member of this House.
i have voted against all Of them; and |
imagine that the gentleman cannot, in the
six years | have been member of this
House, refer to a solitary vote which have
given in this Congress, or any prccediu e
Congress, in which have undertaken to
apply any portion Of the public money, in
the way of extra compensation, to the en-
ployees about the House. | do not want
to do it now. disapprovcd Of these reao-
lutions then, as do now / voted then as
| shall vote hereafter, in the event CT suc!
a proposition being presented. And | say
now, if the gentleman will furnish the evil
dence to show that this money has not been
paid, and that the Clerk is not liable for Il
dollar of it, an ready to 60 with him.
and strike this section from tie bill. am
not going to sickle upon words. / want
the cyl G zee to show that the money las
not been paid. ftllc gentleman from Ten
nessce, or any other gentleman, will furnish
he with evidence to show that what appears
upon the face Of this paper, declaring that
the Clerk has paid the money, is not true,
will vote to strike out this provision Of the
bill
Mr.. JONES, Of Tennessee, ! say to the
gentleman from Virginia that his side has
the affirmative and he has the men in the
Capitol who gave those receipts. There arc
two of them in the Clerks desk now. Put
them under oath to say whether they have
been paid the money or not
NJ. LETCHER. One Of them saws he
has
Here the hammer fill