Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-04

when IL owes, and 1t will be proper resnact Tor ehe memory of the deceased, to publish these obituaries. l consider the expense to be com. paratlveiy nothing If the committee recom- mend the adoption of measure of reform. hereafter to be brought into practice by the Sen ate, 1t is we'll; but let it not go back to affect the memory of our lately deceased colleagues should consider it direct reflection on their memory ani the feelings of their friends if we were now to depart from the custom that has prevailed in this body heretofore.
 am not disposed to take up the time of the Senate l will simply say in conclusion that think it is due to the memory of these genfle- men that these obituaries should be properlv prepared for distribution, as thousands and tbon. sands are writing here requesting that tbev may be furnished with them | MT. FESSENDEN. Mir. President. I feel if incumbent on me to say word or two in refer. ence to tns matter for the simple reason that, as perhaps you may recollect sir, originated the opposition to the publication of obituaries | dnrlng the last congress when 1 was member or the committee on printing. did so be. cause thought It entirely unnecessary, and not ol the slightest consequence to the memory of the deceased Senators. 1 made the objection 1 m very eminent case, that of the late MT. Clayton. It has not been a common thing. as | supposed by the Senator from Texas. to publish these obituary notices. It has only been done heretofore In a very few cases, and those of very distinguished gentlemen. The obituaries delivered on the deaths of Mr. Webster, MT. Clay, MT. Calhoun, and Mir. King, the Vice President, l think, were the only ones that have been published. Many Senators have died du ring their period of service. and obituary ad dresses have been delivered here in this cham Der, and ID further notice was taken by way of | publication. When the case of MT. Clayton. came mp, although he was a very distinguished man, thought it as well to interpose then, and to object to the further publication of books of this description. The committee reported ac cordlngy. We reported against it; but at later period ot the session, the pressure being very strong, the Senate reversed the action of the committee, and agreed to publish those obitua. res, but not to have them bound in the original form. The reason assigned was. that Mr. Claw ton had occupied such distinguished stations in the government, that 1t was not proper place exactly to interpose an objection to the publi ! cation which was so much desired
 | Now, sir, here are three Senators who died in the recess of the last Congress in different sections of the country, one from the north one from the south, and one from the extreme southwest, all of whom were very respectable i gentlemen, and men of emnence: but I think | the reputation of men is not aided at all by pub
 fishing obituary notices of them. I think the great object which is attained by that, is rather extending the reputation of the living members who have made the speeches, by sending forth thelr Ideas as expressed here, and probably with care, and Tn style and form that they consider | to be very fine, and distributing them all over the country. It adds nothing to the reputation of the men themselves, and think it is a waste l ot money. The sum is not large to be sure. 1 but still 1t Is waste of money to publish these obituary notices so extensively in the shape of books, and distribute them at the expense of the public treasury, when no object in the world | Is attained except to send these little speeches abroad in the land for people to read and oct the names of those who are left, and who make the speeches, for that is just about all it 1 comes to-
 The sum, to be sure, is small, but I have had occasion to say in this place before, that if we hesitate abont making d saving because it is small saving we shall hesitate quite as much and as often upon great ones. I should be very glad to strike at many of the abuses in the way of expenditure 1 should like very much to strike at post office contracts, and army con tracts, and other great things which, if we could
 
 carry out real reform, would afford us an op- portunity to effect much; but the fact that we cannot do that, or will not do that, Is no excuse for expending what is called small sum, onv two or three thousand dollars, every time any particular individuals may want to receive at our hands book of this description
 took part in one Of these cases, and made a speech myself on the occasion. I thought it was due to the memory of gentleman whom l respected very highly and loved very much | but 1 have no particular desire that 1t shall go | abroad into all the States of the Union to be read, and do not think the reputation of my 1 friend will be particle increased, or his memory benefited by it. Sir, we have a great many debts to pay. There are a good many people 1 to whom this government owes small sums. and it is obliged to borrow money to pay them.- There are a good many people who have little pension bills, and little claim bills here, who are waiting for their money, and need it. If we | devote our spare cash to that purpose in the | first place, we should be doing quite as well as 1 in publishing these books: and if we refuse to 1 grant this request in this particular instance; if we stop here, as suggested by the chairman of | the committee on printing, l see in it no dsre- spect to the memory of these gentlemen, whom | we all respected so much. Therefore I hope the Senate will follow out the suggestion of the committee on printing, and begin inst here. and say that we will leave the reputation of those gentlemen who are unfortunate as to die in | their countrys service in this chamber, to be taken care of by what that reputation may hap pen to deserve, anu by the memory of men in the country, in reference to their public service At all events, 1 beg leave to repeat again, that 1 think we accomplish mo- hing by publishing these books except extending the Knowledge of those who are left in the Senate to speak of those who are gone.
 MT. BROWN. If this is to be a genuine at tempt to reform abuses in the matter of public printing, 1 shall vote with the committee, dis tasteful as 1t IS to me to vote 5aiust such pro- position this. l think, myself, it looks good deal like straining at gnat and swallow. ing camel, to commence a reform upon ittle proposition of this sort. Still. if we are going to adhere to 1t, and stop this monstrous abuse of publishing every thing at the public expense. and making pictures of everything, will stand by the committee. and incur my portion of the odium of refusing to do graceful and, as I think, proper thing towards deceased mem bers of this body. Under ordinary circumstan- ces, if the matter of public printing had not run into a most wonderful abuse, 1 should not hesi- tate to overrule decision of the committee; but perhaps, II we are gong to reform, we might as well commence here as anywhere, and com mence with deceased members of this body All of us know that the great expense of pub fishing these obituaries will be in preparing plates of the deceased members. That costs great deal more than putting il sp in type, buy ing the paper, and every thing else. But, sir, we make pictures of everything, and sent just now to get the last report that has come in.- Here is a specimen of it.
 Mir. HALE What is it?
 Mir. BROWN. Emory's report upon the boundary between the United States and Mexi- co. l happened on itthis morning, and the first thing that struck me was a painted Indian, mounted on horseback. What that has to do with the boundary, or with surveying the bound ary, or giving you any intelligence of it, would puzzle the wisest man in the world to tell; and yet nobody can say what it costs. Here is a magnificent picture of an Indian, and the book