Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-01-11
Icorrsspondsnes oft Boston C0urisr.
rTbe presjdent,s Household Expenses.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-To large majority
of all the strangers to the Federal metropolis,
who visit Washington, there is no object which
exctes so much curiosity as the Executive man.
sion. How often do we hear the inquiry, show
much does it cost the President year to live 2"
More especially is the preston asked by US OF
New ENGLAND and the North, where harsh
climate and reluctant soil constrain US, early in
life, to watch every item ofexpenditure. There
is ALWAYS desire to inspect the apartments OF
the Presidents House, to see if domestic life in
it can be. in fact, different from domestic life
elsewhere. There is no doubt that publications
by the Democrats of statements in relation to
Mr.. Adams billiard table, in the east room ; and
BY the Wings of the gorgeous furniture, includ'
ing gold spoons, of the White house, during NJ.
Van Buren's occupancy, has inspired and sus-
tanned most of this unreasoning desire to visit
every portion Of the Executive mansion.
We have heard it said that the biliard-table
story lost Kentucky tc the Wings and there can
be no doubt that the gold spoon speech of Mr.
Ogle, in relation to Mr. Van Buren,, damaged
the Democrats very seriously.
The truth is, that up to the time OF MIR. Polk
the White House was not decrnty furnished
Congress then made an appropriation, which,
somewhat. After that no considerable appro,
priation was made till the year 1858, when some
fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for heat,
ing, ventilating, painting, enlarging and refur'
nishing the house. The responsibility of apply.
ing this appropriation to the purpose intended
by Congress was devolved on Captain Lee, then
of the Typographical Corps Of the army, and we
think the money was expended to the satistac-
L. = bolr tba Epcfti hnncp
was made comfortable to live in. The appli,
ances for warming the house by hot water, and
which were furnished By Walworth d Mason, OF
your city, cost, it is seid, more than ten thou
send dollars, including expense OF putting up
The furniture of the house is substantially the
same, carpets and all, IS was purchased by Cap
Lee in 1868.
The silver in the house, am told, is mostly
that bought in Paris during the administration
of Mr.. Monroe. There are but two or three
pictures in the house. One in the red room, a
portrait of Washington, which was cut from the
frame and secured by Mrs. Madison when Wash
ington was occupied by the British IN lolZ.-
Another, in the Presidents Office, portrait OF
Bolivar, the South American patriot There are
no household ornaments about the house, except
vases scattered here and there on mantels, and
articles brought from Japan by Commodore Per,
ry. The White House, i'll word, Is furnished
more like first class hotel than first class prl-
vate residence. There arc articles of use IN
abundance, rich and massive, but no ARTICLES OF
art or adornment.
But to return to our question What does 1t
cost the President each year to keep up the Tx
ecGtive Gansionf
First, ihe President receives twenty five thou
sand dollars salary. Next, he receives house,
garden and stables FREQ Of expense. Tho house
is furnished and the garden cultivated W the
Government. Every article of furniture peoes'
sary is furnished by the United States. The
Government also lights and heats the house.
1t pays for steward to take care OF the pubic
property, and 9 fireman, and for no other DO
me site servants. The Executive office s in the ex-
ecutive mansion, and for the former the Govern
lnent provides private secretary, olelhs 10 Ihe
secretary, two messengers and porter. For
all domestic servants, however, except steward
and fireman, the President must pay out of his
own pocket. he must pay for bis cooks, his
butler. his table servants, his female servants,
his coachlnan and grooms, &c., &c., as any 9th
or person does who employs such retinue of
servants. He supplies his table, with the ex-
ception of garden vegetables, as any other pri-
yste citizen does, by his own purse. So with
his stables. In short, the only things furnished
by Government are house and furniture, fuel end
lights, steward and fireman, garden vegetables
and flowers. All else is matter of private ex-
expense. With these items as basis of calcula-
ton, any gentleman who keeps eighteen or more
servants OF both sexes, who keeps stable filled
with horses, as does Mr.. Buchanan, who dimes
persons, besides his own family, every day, and
once week gives dinner to forty invited
guests, can form some notion how much, out of
twenty five thousand dollars, remains at the end
of the year.