Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-03-11

From the Boston AT
From the Boston Atlas and Bee.
CORRUPTION AT THE CAPITOL AND
THE DEGENERACY OF NATIONAL
MORATS


CORRUPTION AT THE CAPITOL AND
THE DEGENERACY OF NATIONAL
MORALS
We assert that no Administration ever
equalled that Of James Buchanan in extrava-
gance. wastcfuluess and corruption. From
the President down through all the depart
mcnts to the merost place-boy. the idea up
permost has been to get all they could from
the treasury. The President. the members
Of the Cabinet and Of Congress. clerks, place
men, porters, contractors. lobbicrs, hangers
on and spectators have swarmcd around the
treasury, like gnats at night around a passen-
ger on Mississippi steamboat That our
readers may understand how the members of
Congress have sucked mp the revenue. we givoa
few witcms taken from IA phamphlet printed by the
House OF Representatives. containing the re-
port Of the Clerk, j. c. Allen 1t is mod
est pamphlet of 2l2 pages, and has a multi
tude of items
At the outset it will be seen that the mem
hers of the House are remarkably scrupulous
in regard to their toilet There are set
down for "the use of the House four dozen
fine English hair brushes" Why English
This is adding insult to injury. Are English
brushes superior TO American, Are there
]
who can and do make better brushes than any
which England can manufacture; But to
use English goods and Scotch pipe in prefer
ence to American is Democratic. There are
set down four dozen buffalo combs. four doz-
en- clothes brushes and brooms and twelve
dozen toilet soap. This, let it be kent in
mind. is for the use of the House, but this
liberal supply Of brushes aud combs is, as it
appears, soon exhausted, for further along
there is charge for six dozen combs. and
in another place thirty dozen more combs.
soap, brooms and brushes, and on near
ly every other page. soap "brooms,
"brushos,' as if the House did nothing but
rub, and scrub. and brush and sweep. Pity
that all this rubbing aud scrubbing and brush
ing and sweeping could not make them NOR
ally, as sworn legislators, clean from a viola
tion of their oaths.
1t appears that with all these toilet con-
\ venences the members could not keep their
fine English broadcloth coats free from dust,
OF their hair in trim, as became dignifed leg
islators, for when assembled in committee
sub-scrubbing of hands and brushing of coats
and smoothing of locks had to be gone
through with. The committee on engrossed
bills, 1t appears, had IS l-3 dozen ertra hair
brushes, 6 dozen combs, dozen wisp brooms,
and 2 waste baskets" Just the number of
baskets of fragments which were taken up
after the multitude had been filled with bread
as all Scripture readers will remember. There
l is, however, this difference between that oc-
casion and the Administration in that, there
was but little or nothing to commence with,
everybody had as much as they wanted and
there was enough left but at this feeding Of
the "more than five thousand" there was
plenty at the beginning, nothing at the end,
and everybody scrambling for more. The ad-
ministraton of James Buchanan and Scrip
ture do not compare well together. Those
waste baskets were singularly appropriate, for
the administration has done nothing but waste
from the beginning.
Among other charges are items for snuff
al lbs. American gentlemens, l-2 dozen
Martinique. 2 bottles Maccaboy." In funer-
ais, the House mourned Sll275S worth over
Mr. Harris Of Georgia-minus Sf35 cents
for shaving the deceased, and Sc for a watch
man to sit by the corpse through the night.
The House mourned for Senator Evans, in
black gloves. to the amount of S327.50: but.
for Senator Henderson, only TO the amount of
Sl95. But these are insignificant matters
] Tho upholstery of the committee rooms. and
the furniture for the same. are things worth
mentioning.
About 100 mirrors were purchased. That
in the Speaker room cost a very respectable
sum of $3.50, whae That in the ,oqter closet
ong $50 One wash stand cost 500. while
the poorer ones cost but Sl5-the average
cost of the whole ranged about Sos Each
committee room has French clock. which
ticks to the tune Of $40. As time is very
important matter at Washington, the clerks
office has three clocks. The stuffed chairs
cost sos each Those in the committee rooms
are less costly--only Si5 each. The window
hangings were put upat cost Of $500 set;
the sofas were furnished at Sl75 each the
lounges at $50
Among the little personal items we notice
Charges loralhums, work boxes, dressing cases,
cigar cases, scrap books, portmonnaies, purses,
knives, copper plates for visiting cards, en-
/ craving Of names on knife handles Colton's
Atlas, various works of light literature, etc.
etc.
One item more deserves mention-l500
buckets Of paste at 81 per bucket.
The sum total for furniture amounts TO over
$40, 900, not an item of which was ever laid
before the committee on accounts, but was
purchased by the Clerk on his own response
bihty, with the connivaace of one member, It
is said, who has put round sum in his own
pocket by the means.
\ We should like to have this document 90
broadcast oves our land, for it would do more
\ than anything else to open the eyes of the
people and stir them up to rebuke the party
which has plundered the public treasury so
shamelcssly.
| L., l.