Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-03-23
I2I7.

There is little old book before US, printed by
order of Congress in the good year of our Lord
eighteen hundred and seventeen, being "Register"
of United States functionaries high and low, at
taehed to which is report of our Naval strength.
One of the resolutions by which it was directed to
be printed, savors of such different economy from
that which now prevails at Washington, that it
may not be amiss to reproduce it as sort Of curl
osity-relic:
"3. Resolved, That five hundred cs pi Is of the
said Register bo printed; and that on the first
Monday in January, in each year when new
Congress shall be assembled, there be delivered to
the President, the Vice President each head of Il
department. euch momber of the Senate aud House
Of REPRESENTATIVES of the United Suites ONE ()
copy of such Register; and to the secretary of the
Senate, and Clerk of the House of Representatives
each, ten copies, for the use of the respective
Houses that twenty-five copies shall be deposited
in the library of the United States at the seat Of
government, to be used like other books in that
library and that the residue of the said copies be
disposed of in such manner Us Congress SHALL
from time to time direct"
Is there not n tone of refeshing simplicity about
this old-fnshioned resolution Tho whole EXPENSE
not have exceeded three or four hundred dollars :
And yet speeinl place is fixed by law for each
copy. Finding that some copies would be left
over it is ordered that they be put AWAY and kept
until Congress shall, from time TO time, dispose Of
them. Mark that, ye Congressman who now vote
AWAY so lavishly the public monies!
But let us see if we cannot CLEAN some items
from this Reyister that may serve to carry our
thoughts back to other matters connected with the
year ISL.
President, and JOHN C. CALHOUN Secretary Of
war.
2. Alabama was then o territory, and VIZ. NJ.
B1BB was its governor.
8. JOHN MARSHALL was Chief Justice Of the
United States and WILLIAM JOHNSON of South
Carolina was ono of the Associate Justices.
4. JouN DRAY7oy was district Judge for this
State, and MoRTox A. WARIyG Marshall l,-Judg's
sallry $500.
5. THOMAS SUMTER, of South Carolina, wcs
minister plenipotcntiary to Brazil :-salary $4,000.
6. SIMON TuHUs was Collector of the customs at
Charleston his compensation amounting to $1,000.
THOMAS CHAPMAN was collector ut Georgetown !;
and WILLIAM JoYHER, at Beaufort.
7. The collectors of Direct Tax in this State
were as follows: ROBERT HOWARD, lst district, at
| Charleston A. II. JONES, 2nd district, at Coum-
bin JAMES CALHOUN, Jr., 4th district, at Able
villc FRANCIS ADAMS, 9Th district, at Greenvle; !;
JoHS BUCHANAN, 9th district, at Fairfield; JoHs
S: RICE, 7th district, ut Chester; THOMAS P.
EVANS, 9Th district, at kershaw; and MORGAN G..
BRowS, sth district, at Marlborough.
s. JAMES GADsDES, Of South Carolina was then
Lieutcnpnt in the Army, belonging to the Eng-
necring department.
0. South Carolina afforded the country at that
time only one mail contractor, JAMES HANNAH /;
and his pay amounted to the astonishing sum Of
| two hundred dollars. Stop-wo arc mistaken
There il another; ono of the firm Of KENDALL Il
RANDOLPH, but which one of them is the Curoin-
ian our book does not say; their compensation
reached the figures $780,
10. Our Navy numbered about 40, of which
number six were 74's; FIVE were As; three were
36's; ono was 80; two were 24s; eight were
1s's; four wero 16s; three wore l2's &C., &c.
In 1857, our entire Navy ahoat did not number
| 80 ships Now there are a few more.
IL. In those days tho government of the United
States gave CHARLES BrLrlycu, architect of the
Public Buildings ut Washington, $4,000, per an
mum. Now, South Carolina alono phys an en-
poyee Of the same kind six or eight thousand dol
lars ycnr to plan and guide the erection of o
single public building.