Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-15
/ Few More of the Insquisies OF ths OpRo


A Few More of the Ensquities Of the OpRO
sItiOn.
In the whole history of civilized nations, such
shameless corruption, such reckless exatrsvaganee,
such open and undisguised thefts and frauds never
characterized the proceedings Of any legislative |
b3iy, as were witnessed in the Know Nothing OPP |
position House of Representatives. Of the S4th |
Congress. For the honor of the country, we hope |
that neither branch Of our National Legislature
win ever again be governed by such corrupt com
binat;on as that which controlled the House OF
Representatives of 1866 and 7, and large ma
jority of whom were elected by the so-caled Amer
lean party.
The filling of the Congress of the United States
with this legalized band of plunderers, was the re-
suit Of coalition exactly similar to the present
one, uniting the opponents of the Democratic party
North and South into one and The same party, Tor
the sake of the spOils of office. The same unprin-
ciuled politicians who led the American party in
1856, are now at the head Of the Opposition forces
the same men compose the body Of the two orgsni-
cations and should the present coalition succeed In
returning majority to the next House, all the cor
rupt practices of that party in the Bath Congress
will be repeated.
The Opposition msjerity in that body elected
| NATHANIEL P. BANKS, prominent Know Nothing
/ and Black Republican from Massachusetts, Speaker.
| They elected WILLIAM CULLoM, q Know Nothing
from Tennessee, Clerk of the House Southern
Know Meetings. united with their Northern brethren
in support of Gen. CULLoM, who had endeared him
self to the Northern wing of his party By his vote
against the Kansas Nebraska Bill.
At the next Congress, it was found necessary to
investigate certain grave charges of corruption
against Gen. CULIoM. Mr.. MAYNARD, Of Ten
nessee, a Know Nothing and friend Of Gen. Gull
LON, was made Chsirmsn Of the Committee of In
vestigstion The following testimony was ELECTED
before that committee. [See Report No. 1873, House
of Reps from the committee appointed TO inyesti-
gate the official conduct and accounts of VIM. Gull
LON, late Clerk of the House of Representatives,
page 513.l
Hon. CHARLES READY, Representative from
Tennessee, was called and sworn:
Question. Had you any conversation with the
Clerk OF you present at any conversation With
him in which he made any admission as to the BUSH
ness Of his Office, it's profits or emoluments?
Answer. The only conversation L remember to
have had with the Clerk with reference to the bust
ness Of his office or its emoluments, was some few
DAYS before the adjournment of the last session of
the last Congress During night session Of the
, House he came and sat down by my desk. After
some conversation upon different sub ects, asked
him myself, l think, what his office would yield
him. had heard something said about the pro-
fits of his office. He stated, substance, that he
had made $50 900; but if the book resolution should
pass his office would be worth he thought, $4,000.
l give this the substance of the conversation.
That was before the book resolution passed. AT
that or some other time-though my impression is
that it at that time-he spoke of having had the
advantage on account of his position here, of ems
gsging in some speellstions and making some inN
yesiments in stocks and real estate. do not very
distinctly remember what was said upon that SUBJ
ject.
The salary Of the off se out of which Gen. Gull
LON stated that he had made $50, 900, was So, 600
per snnum, or S., 200 for the two years. He said
that he would make $50 900 out of the office if the
Book resolution passed Now, it is one of the Off
csl duties of the Clerk to supply the members with
the Books ordered by the House and he can nct
legtimately realize one dollar from such a source.
Now, let US see how this Book resolution, out Of
which CULLoM expected to make about $4,000
was passed through the opposition House:
The 9th section Of the 'Act to regulate the COM
pensation of members of Congress" provides 'that
if any books shall hereafter be ordered to- and re-
ceived by members of Congress, by resolution Of
either or both Houses OF Congress, the price paid
for the same shall be deducted from the cOmpensa-
ton heretofore provided for such member or mem
bers; Provided, hoVsUsr, This shall not extend to
books ordered to be printed by the public printer
during the Congress for which the said member
shall have been elected"
At the last session of the 84th Congress, 1861
the House of Representatives, upon the motion Of
Mr. JOHN SHERMAN, of Ohio, Black Republican
leader and one of the first to charge the Democratic
party and administration of JAMES BUCHANAN
with extravaganza in the public expenditures, du
ring the 35th Congress, adopted as clause of the
deficiency appropriation bill, the following: "FOl
books voted to the members Of the House of Repre-
sentatives by the resolution of said House Of 9TH
July, 1856, SlS2, 1855; provided that one copy
only of Hickeys Constitution shall be purchased
fer and distributed to each new member of the
House."
This clause was adopted and passed, by yeas nine
ty-tour, nays ninety-One Twelve Democrats and
eighty-two Opposition voted in the affirmative, in
Guiding Messrs. EN-. ETHERIDGE and WILLIAM H.
SNEED of Tennessee, aRd FRANCIS s. EDWARDS,
WILLIAM A. GILBERT, ORsAMUs B. MATTEsoN,
and WILLIAM B. WEIGH. THE four last, all mem
bers of the Opposition, reported to the House
by the Select Committee appointed to investigate
charges of corruption against the members of the
House, with recommendations that they be ssveraly
expelled. EDWARDS GILBERT, and MATTEsoN, saved
themselves from the merited expulsion by resign
ing before the House voted upon the recommends
ton of the committee. WEIGH was acquitted by
the votes of one hundred and SeUen Opposition and
twelve Democrats. Fifty-tWo Democrats and thir-
ty-nine Opposition voted against this appropriation.
The bill subsequently passed the House By the votes
OF eighty-fve Opposition members, including seven
teen Southern Know NOthings, and thirteen Demo
Gratis in the affirmative. Fifty-three Democrats and
thirty nine Opposition voted against the bill.
Thus we fnd the Opposition members Of this OPP
position House forcing through, resolution supply
ing books to members Of Congress, in defiance Of
the provisions of former law, at cost to the
Government of Sl86 OOO-and this was done no
doubt that their Know Nothing Opposition Clerk
might reap his anticipated profits, 30 which he had
no more right than the humblest man in the nation.
For such purposes do the Opposition party squsndsr
the public money.
To show how profitable this Book Resolution
proved, we again refer to the Report of the Com
| rnittae nape 305 Mr. SFAToN q mart of whose tes-