Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-02-15
Investigating Committees in Copgress.

" q
congress and things brought to light which will
bring shame and confusion of face on President Bu-
chanan These committees will not go to work on
the different Secretaries of the Departments, who,
no matter what mil ht be proved on them would be
sustained by the President and kept in Office but
they Will go the fountain head, to Old Buck himself
and show to the country what that patent Demo
cratic official has done We venture the prediction
that blacker catalogue OF cOrruptions never saw
the light of day than the one which will be brought
home to Mr.. Buchanan. We shall See that Mr.
Pryor knew what he was about when he said From
the highways and byways of the government the
rottcnncss of corruption sends forth an insuerable
stencil"
We regret very much to see the Editor of the
Register pursuing such course as this. 1t is not
enough that the black Republicans should abuse and
maiign an administration which has proved as true
as steel to the Constitutional rights of the South
but the Register Southern paper must join in this
abuse. Investigating committees will soon be ap-
pointed" says the Register and things will be
brought to light which will bring shame and conf-
sion of face on President Buchanan" So says the
New York TriJ7se so says the Albany Evening
Journal, so says Henry Wilson, Of Massachusetts,
and so says the Raleigh Rcgister' Well, nycstiga-
ting committees hare been appointed by the Speaker
of the House, who is black Republican; and the
black Republicans, aided by such Southern men as
Gilmer, Etheridge, and Nelson, will see to it that
thorough investigation is had. Let II come. We
have 10 fears that any truthful revelations will he
made which will at all affect the character of the
administration for integrity, purity, and honesty.
But if the Editor Of the Register will examine the
proceedings OF the Senate OF the 9Th instant, he will
find that Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, has
ticipated him on that score. On the 9TH Mr.. Wilson
introduced the following resolution:
"Resolred, That acommittce of - be appoint
cd to inquire into the extent Of the patronage Of the
President of the United States resulting from his
power of removal and appointment to office and TO
that end, TO inquire and report the number of oti
GERS or places of trust and profit under the control
of the President, tcNcluSive of those Of the Army
and Navy and including such as arc under the
control OF the heals Of Departments, subordinate
or inferior officers, with the amount paid to those
who are appointed to such offices by the President
or otherwise; and, further, to inquire whether, ii
in any, ard in what cases. such power and patronage
have been cXcrtcd, attempted to be eXcrtcd OF
erciSed to influence the legislation by Congress,
to direct, control, influence the votes or conduct
of otcGholdCrS Others iii the elections OF States
or Territories an; further, to inquire whether ANY
and what sums of money have been pad, or re
quircd to be pail by persons holding offices of
elections; and further to inquire into the ext mt of
the power and patronage Of the President of the
United States resulting from the expenditure of the
public money by or through the heads of Depart
mentS subordinatcS and inferior officers and others
excluding those whose salaries wages are fixed
by law, and including wages fees, ana compenSa-
ton of all kinds not fixed by law, paid to officers of
Government for services gratuiticS, partci-
patorS in contracts and jobs resulting from per-
tanning to their official stations or otherwise: and,
also the allowances made to contractors of all kinds
for supplies services without and above their con-
tracts or engagements; to agents employed IN pur-
chasing selling lands sites for belonging to
the Government; TO agents or persons who have
been employed to purchase vessels for the United
States to furnish engines, ordnance. military
stores, and transportation for the Army or the
Navy, Of the United States and to report 10y bill
or otherwise
So it will be seen that the Editor OF the Register
and Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, are going hand
in hand in the effort to bring shame and confusion
of face to James Buchanan We regret it, but so
it is
Now let us setback Republicanism aside, and
looking exclusively to honesty and integrity-whO
the men are upon whom the Etgs'cr relies for max
ing these Investigations. Why, at least of the
members of the House committee on public cXpen-
ditures, appointed by Mr. Speaker Pennington was
elected by money purloined by black Republican
State Treasurer of Name and in addition this it is
stated in the last Washington papers, and generally
admitted to be true that the black Republican nom
inee for printer to the House obtained his nominal
ton in the black Republican caucus by promising
to give the party portion of his profits to aid them
in their clectioneering campaign in 1860! This fact
~. Al I I...l- d. ILL.,.
difficulty among themselves in the House on the
subject which led to the posponment of the election
of printer until Monday last. Mr.. Sherman pressed
the election, and Mr.. Stanton, whose candidate was
defeated by this bargain and corruption, opposed it.
And yet these are the men who are to bring out
this "biack catalogue of corruptons these are
the precious guardians of the treasury who are to
bring shame and confusion of face on President
Buchanan!"
But let us see in what way these black Repub-
cans. aided and encouraged by such Southern Know
Nothngs as Gilmer, Etheridge, and the Raleigh Reg
;ter propose to reform and retrench and bring the
government back to its original purity and sImplic
ity On Thursday last the POstoffice appropriation
bill being before the Senate the following proceed
ings took place:
"Mr Toombs moved to amend the bill by adding
an additional section that from and after the tenth
day of April next the franking privilege be- and the
same is hereby, totally abolished; and all laws or
parts of laws authorizing the receiving or sending
any matter through the mail free Of postage be, and
the same are hereby, repealed"
This proposition led to long debate, when the
amendment was adoptcd-yeas 81, nays 2l-as fol-
lows:
YEAs-Messrs. Bayard Benjamin, Bigler, Bragg,
Bright, Brown, Clay, Clingman, Crittenden, Doug
las, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Green, Grimes, Gwin, Par
Ian, Hunter, johnson of Arkansas, johnson of
Tennessee, Kennedy, Lane, Mason, Pearce, Powell,
Pugh, Rice Salisbury, Sebastian, Slidell, ToombS,
and Wigfall-31.
NAYsaMsssrs Bingham, Chandler, Clark, Col