Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-08

TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 8.
A Small Money Rsrenchmsnt-The Consequence Of
which will be to aoquit our Legislators Of Gross
amount Of Responsibility before the People.
The following extract from the reported pro.
ccedngs of the House of Representatives OF
Wednesday last, is by no means devoid Of sig
nifcant interest:
"The House then went into Committee Of
the Whole on the legislative, judicial and ex-
ecutivc appropriation bill.
"Mr. Curry Of Alabama moved to strike
out the appropriation for reporting the pro-
ceedings in the Congressional Globe which he
regarded as most useless and unnecessary
expense. Nobody read the debates in the
Globe.
AFTER some explanation from Mr.. Phelps.
the amendment was agreed to-"
When two heroes of Swif's Tale Of a Tub, "
"a book more talked about than read at the
present day; but which undoubtedly furnishes
an excellent moral and much good reading)
repented themselves Of their wicked and
extravagant courses. they began to give evil
dence of an earnest inclination for 'retrench-
ment and REFORM" each after fashion some
what different from that adopted by the other.
Martin carefully divested the good plain coat
his father had left him. Of all the more garing
and costly ornaments which he had sewed on
it during the period Of his dissipation-but
where small decoration was found to DO In
terwoven. as it were, in the body of the cloth,
insomuch that it gave additional strength to
the threads, he prudently abstained from injur-
ing the texture, by an attempt at retrench-
ment
Imprudent Jack, on the other hand, in an
excessive zeal Of contrition, impatently tore
from his garment every stitch Of ornamental
workmanship, without care and without dis
elimination. The consequence was that his
coat became fearfully tattered.
Now large proportion of our Federal le-
gislators are disposed to follow the example
neither of Martin nor Of Jack. When the
popular conscience demands that they shall
strip off the costly foppery with which they
have covered the plain Republican garb OF
their fathers, they respond by tugging out
few fibres of the original warp and web, and
stand ready meanwhile, needle in hand, to tack
on new and more gorgeous embroidery, fash
ioncd after the shape Of the dolatrous Images
of Internal Improvement by the Federal TO
vernment, Protective Tariff, Fillibustering, I'll
rantic Bank Monopoly, Standing Army, Sin
Gle thread Of which is to cost us all the round
sum Of $40, 100000.
| We will not be so unchartable as to place
Mr. Curry, without further proof, in this cate
rory of bogus retrenchers and reformers. 1t
is but fair to presume that his motion was made
without due reflection rs to its consequences
Nobody reads debates in the 'Globe?" In
deed Mr. Curry is mistaken. During the ses-
sion of Congress, it is true that the enterprise
of newspaper proprietors partially supercedes
the necessity of daily reports, prepared and
youched By Government employees. BIT THE
PEOPLE WANT A STANDING RECORD OF THE DELIBE-
RArIoxs OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES. They want
it as the "Globe" prepares it-and as private
| enterprise is now incompetent to furnish it
provided with governmental assurance OF &C.
curacy, bound and indeXed in book form, to be
laid away on book-shelves of constituents Tor
easy reference, whenever it is necessary to
study the motives and arguments which have
| induced bygone policy, or to measure the pre-
| sent deeds Of Congressman by the standard
| of his past promises and professions. Mere
journals of votes and motions are insufficient.
We want the debates. We want to hold our
representatives responsible on the authority Of
an authentic record.
To honest and faithful legislators, this record
of debate is even more invaluable than to the
people at large Whenever the voice Of Ca
lumny shall be raised against these men, they
or their children will find at hand monument
| of refutaton. 1t is only dishonest men, who
commit deeds and say words, Of which they
| are ashamed, or which they may find it conve
nient hereafter to deny, who desire to cover up
their tracks. Let us continue, then, to perpe
tuate colloquial history of public measures
and public men, BY the aid of which every
man among the people may be enabled to study
at all times the wisdom or the weakness of past
transactions, to award a just need to public
virtue, and expose as they deserve the corrupt
| intrigues and the disastrous expedicnts of inca
pable or faithless servants.
We appeal especially to our brethren OF th'
press to set this matter right If we, Of the
corps editorial, are to be furnished with nc
continuous and authentic record, we must make
up our minds to the ncffciency Of every at
tempt to hold before the public, faithful mir
ror of the public (0 acts Of an oligarchy' each
member Of which will bc permitted to escape
responsibility. by successfully invoking obi
Won for his past delinquencies
|