Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-05-06
From the Virginia Advocate.
HOW THE MONEY GOES:
BEING A suppl EMENF TO THE PAM |
PHI EFT ENTTTLED "WH4T TT COSTS
TO BE GOVERNED"

couuptions of the government are either not mem
toned or but hastily alluded to- That pamphlet
has given in FIJI the celebrated transactions touch
ing the Msrrck Contract, whereby, with Mr.. BIZ
ehdndas orn endorsaton, Merrick Co., for 45O
votes, received naval contract without being the
lowest bidders 1t detailed also the shameful swim
ding practised by Wendell and Seaman in connec-
tion with the Public Printing whereby, according
to the Washington States, edited by Mr.. Pryor.
"he committee convict them of receiving brides and
bounhes-one to the amount of $4,000, the other to
the amount of $40, 600.
That pamphlet also detailed the charges-so far
Iuncontradcted-and alleged to be matter of no.
toliety in Washington-to the effect that "a GER
tain Mr.. Rice, editor of the PemsytdniGn had
contract for printing blanks for $4,000 which cost
him just $4,000, the profit being dvided so per cont
10 the Washington Union 8 per cent 10 the Assistant
Secretary of STATE, and three per cent 10 paper
published IN the interest Of member Of Congress-
That document in addition to the affair of Mer-
rick Sons details also the other frauds exposed in
the Philadelphia Navy Yard by the minority report
of the House of Representatives
y 1t gives also the case of Hon. j. Glaacy Jones'
leading member of Congress from Pennsylvania
and particular friend Of Mr.. Buchanan who received
5 per cent, whilst member of Congress, to obtain
contracts from the Government for the Reading
| Forge C0mpdny-although there is law of Con-
gress expressly forbidding all such transactions
That document also gives in detail the expenditures
for the Committee Roon's of the Capitol, nvolv-
ing 81 $50 for lOoking-glass 5000 for set of cur
tains, 800 apiece for chairs &c, &c.
These points we shall therefore but hastily if at
all, refer TO in the present paper. We propose to
take the subject where that pamphlet left off and to
present to the Virginia people some more interest
ing studies the subject of the Public Plumber and
the damning corruptions of the Federal Govern
ment.
"Much yet remains unsung" And we proceed
calmly-and we defy contradiction---to bring under
the knife the administration of the Government;
am we shall lay open its putrid sores until Democ
racy shall stink in the nostrs of the people We
do not mean TO mpugn the rank and file of the
Democratic party; by democracy" we mean the
policy and the acts of those who have guided and
controlled public affairs.
Well may Democrat exclailn Why are The peo-
pie SO patient? Why sluiabers the Indignation Of
his party?
Surely 1t is time for all parties to rise up and
sweep from their foul roosts the vultures at Wash
ington-to fright the unclean birds that swarm at
the capitol.
But let us proceed with our task:
And, first in his letter of February %, 1852, Mr..
Buchanan speaks ioih horror of the "enormous" ex-
Ipenditures of the Government, which had reached
the said, though it not true) the sum of ffty
millions Of dollars per dnHuu, and "uness arrested
by the strong ann of the Democracy, might, in
few years, reach one hundred Millions lie was
'cOnsiderdJiy reduced beloW the present standard
That's the promise. Now let's read the practice.
In his first year. Mr.. Buchanan spent $8l, 100000,
and had to borrow some twenty-one millions to
carry on the Government. Actually, when he was
Strengthened for money, spending $50, 000, ,000.-
What would he have done in the flush days of Fill
more, when the Treatsury was overfowing?
But, we do not design to declam: we come for
ward with Facts: we give dates and authorities and
we shall examine chiefly Democratic witnesses. Il
is object to show how the money is spent; and,
to begin, let us see how Congress--that precious
protector and guardian of the pcople-manages, in
the course of one session, to feather its own nest
with the peoples money
HOW MUCH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS GET.
We take the following exhibit of the pay, mile
age, and pckings of Congress from the great Cen
trail Organ of the Democratic party-the Washing
ton Unicn, (of Feb. 9, 1850:
Pay, mileage and contingencies of 300
members, S3,5S3 523
Cost of franking privilege to the Post
Office Department 100000
Expended on Capitol, 100000
Total, S6,os3,523
The Virginia Legislature, argues the Union, con-
ssting of 200 membt rs, spends in one session. in
Guiding everything, Sl50,000. If il had 300 mem-
bers las Congress has at the rate, its total
expense would be $275,000
The Virginia Legislature for three months, get
$lO6 900 pay and mileage. Double the session,
and suppose the average distance Travelled TO be 10
times as great and it would be S43S, 900, supposng
the body to have 300 members. But the actual
pay and mileage of Congress- long session, is
Sl,559,OlS.
Let us deduct this is our own calculation the
81 900 900 expended on the Capitol, and see how
, much our patriotic friends get per head. The
laft IL = fcr fnilp
hngencies Divided by 300 we have as the annual
cost Of member Of Congress the snug little sum Of
$1,000 o. which is tolerably comfortable
But how does it all go? They receive one mil
lion and half in pay and mileage; what becomes
of Il c other three and half millions?
I Well carrying on, they do, an extensive cor
respondence with their constituents, they require
tcO post offices. The Senate has post Office for its
sixty-four Senators and the House of Representa-
tives, being equal in dignity, has also its post-otce
The Senate post Office takes four men TO keep it,
first post-master, at 100, secondly, an assistant
postmaster at 81, 440, and thirdly two mail-boys
at 5000 eachI The Houses post-oilice takes also
four persons; a postmaster at S2 100 one messen-
ger at $l,74O, and two mail boys at 81, 100 apiece
(pretty good pay for boy.)
Then the gentlemen of the Senate require to be
waited ON, and nggers being scarce they require,
for Ga Senator's IL irhie messengers at the remuner-
\ ative wages of 81 200 EACH for the part Of tie
year during which Congress sits, or nearly one ST.,
200 messenger to every three Senators. The House
of Representatives has only 80 messengers, gener-
ally getting much smaller wages than their friends
in the Senate, but the head one receiving 81, 100
80 The Others get 81 1000 81 200 $1,000, and as
low 600. The number of servants in this House
being smaller in proportion than in the Senate it
is necessary to employ, also, sS50O of pages and
, mai-boys how many pages and how many mail
boys we do not know.
Well then, as the people pay these gentlemen $
postage of they ought TO pay also for the pa
per they write on. Congress accordingly, appre-
catcs this; and we have among the contingent
expenses of the Senate;
For Stationery, $1,000 for 1851
; Supposing each Senator to write up each session.
to his wife and constituents one ream of paper II
would take about 50 50i but If each member
wrote up forty reaas it would take $500 for each
/ gentlemans writing paper AS il does.