The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-08-20
HOW CORRUPTI0NS ARE SMOTH-
Erred IN WASHINGTON.
WAsHIEGToN, July 81, 1858.


travagant expenditures and cOrruptions Of
, government and government officials, as in
almost all cases the items are carefully mixed
up with others and separated from theil
proper connection. The accounts are FIRE.
quently presented at different times and un.
der forms that. deceive an ordinary observer
In fact, it would be something like the task
of Penelope to unravel them. Sometimes
however, your correspondent can get an
mixing and push ar investigation to some
result.
In no department of the government is
there, perhaps, more of these covered up ex-
travagances and cotruptions than at the cap
itol. The constant friendly intercourse, if
not actual participation, with the members
Of Congress and the employees Of Congress,
fnvOr these extravagances to an extent not
so practicable in other departments; and one
reasonable ground of suspicion that there
may be something even worse than extrava-
gancc arises from the fact-of which | am
credibly informed-that n member specially
solicited n position on the Committee of Ac-
counts, and that many of the accounts have
been passed without the knowledge of other
members of the Committee. Several have
declared so, and have expressed their sur
prise when spoken 10 on the subject. To
say the least, this loose way in passing nc
counts in which large sums are involved, Is
highly reprehensible The words "extras,"
"extra allowances" which the employees of
Congress have such facilities in getting
through, under the mysterious wording of
an ambiguous resolution, which the employ
ees frequently draw up themselves, or attach
ed at the heel of the session to mass of
other resolutions which hardly any one
knows anything about, or has time to inves.
tigate, cover up great deal of which the
people and even greater part of the mem
bers of Congress know nothing.
Among those exiravagances may be men,
toned the fees of the Sergeant-at-Arms. II
appears the Sergennt-at-Arms of the House
of Representatives. receives an annual salary
of S2,16O.
In addition to this the House allows him
So for every writ or summons, 81 for every
discharge, and travelling expenses at the rate
of 10 cents per mile.
His bills under the above allowance, al
ready presented and allowed by the Commit
tee of Accounts, for the last session amount
to Sl4,9s5 81.
Now it will be recollected that the Ser
geant-at-Arms does not leave his post in the |
House. The sevce is performed by mes
senger of the House, who is on regular
salary.
In making up the account the Sergeant-at-
Arms charges Ten cents mile for ench wit
ness, although there were number residing
at the same place, summoned at the same
time and by tho same messengers.
As for instance, in the investigation of the
Fort Smelling matter there were ZEN or twelve |
witnesses summoned from that place and in
stead of charging for travelling expenses at
the rate Of ten cents mile, the Committee
on accounts allowed ten cents mile for each
witness.
1t has been decided that the accounting
officers have no control over the allowances
of the Committee of Accounts
The vigiant accounting officers of the
Treasury raised question on the legality of
these and other allowances, but in some in
stances they have been overruled Some are
still undecided.
AS to the Sergeant-at-Arm it is not yet
certain how muci more over the $i4, 1886 al
ready claimed for the last session, he will yet
claim, as the accounts come in from time to
time. 1t is quite possible il may yet amount
to twenty or twenty-five thousand dollars
As much ms the salary Of the President Of
the United Stats, for one session of Con-
gress, is a nice sum. This is 10 exaggeTa-
ton, as it is wel known that he has to pay
but little ont OF this amount for travelling
expenses.
When there is n call of the House the
Sergeantat-Arus gets two dollars for every
summons to members, and one dollnr for their
discharge. So should there be on n call of
the House, Que hundred member absent, he
gets three hundred dollars, ard Il this call
should be three or four times during pro-
trncted session, as has been the case some.
times, he would max nine or twelve hundred
dollars in day
1t is said thai the extra allowances TO
clerks and other employees at the Capitol
last session, gohl back for several Congress
es past, amounts to near 100000
~ The Virginia and Tennessee railroad
is two hundred nd rour miles in length, and
it cost about seven million dollars. In 1850,
the taxable valuebf the land in the counties
through which tpasses, MS taken from the
census, was tweny-cight million nine hun
dred and for,y.tyo thousand six hundred
and forty-seven ddlars; and in 1856 the State
assessment makesit 6tty.thrce million nine
hundred aud seventeen Thousand two hun
bred and twenty line dollars or m increase
in six years of twnty.five million three hun
bred and sixty.ffe thousand five hundrrd
and ffty-eight dollars. This sudden increase
is alone the result of an internal improve