Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-01
Mr.. Riddle, and ''sQuandering the Public
Money"


EDITORS LEADER: The acts of public
servants are fair subjects for fair criticism
How far the course Of the Herald towards
Mr. Riddle falls under that character its
readers can, if they viii, best judge. It
has published garbled paragraph or two
of his speech on Lake defence, and two
lines of his speech on the war, and seized
upon one 0ote. As the Herald is the admit
ted enemy of that gentleman, and has per-
sistontly assailed him for the last two years,
the friends Of Mr.. R. may well congratulate
him that malignity can thus far find 50 lit
tie to fasten itself on, in his career
If the Herald condemns Mr.. R. for separ-
ating from the Republican party, it would
do well to remember that the measure for
which he voted, purchase from Gales s.
seaton of the Annals of Congress, &C.,
was recommended by a standing commit
tee of the House, whose Chairman, Mr..
Walton, Of Vermont, is known as one of
the purest and best men and Republicans
in Congress, and advocated by Mr.. stearns,
the leader of his party and the House.
The following is the Report of that Com
mittee, the facts of which no one attempted
to eontrovert, and which furnished the
grounds of Mr.. RS vote. They may not
be satisfactory to others, but a fair mind
would allow something to an error of judg-
ment, if an error it be, rather than at once
to charge all to want of virtue:
Mr.. E. P. Walton from the joint com
mittee on Printing made the following re-
port:
" The Committee on Printing to iUhOm loas
The petition Of Gales & SeatOn, re-
''That the petition asks the House to purchase
for the use Of its library, an additional number Of
the Annals Of Congress and Register Of Debates
from the organization Of Government in 17s9 to
1887. The committee considered like PROPOSE
ton at the first session Of the present Congress,
and reported that the number of complete sets
then in the library was eighty-fve; that, il their
value as books Of reference on questions Of un-
usual magnitude growing out Of the pending re-
bellion shoul1 be properly estimated, this num-
Der would be inadequate to the demand; that
the cost would be 1855 per set and ss 500 for one
hundred sets Of seventy volumes each and that
the committee had no reason to doubt the expe-
dieney Of then purchasing additional copies, ex-
cept that OF the extraordinary drafts upon the
treasury for the prosecution OF the war. A re-
consideration Of the question has induced the
committee now to make an earnest and unre-
served recommendation to purchase the work
it's the sole authoritative record Of the debates
Of Congress for nearly the first half century Of
the federal government, Of course embracing
the opinions Of its founders on questions OF con-
stituhonal power and national policy; and as
such, Il is invaluable. There are only about
three hundred sets remaining in the hands ofthe
publishers, and we think these should be at once
put under the control Of the government We're
it to permit them TO pass into private hands, or
to foreign governments, the loss would have to
be repaired in the future, by reprnting, at great
cost; and were il to leave the prOprietors TO q
forced sale, under the pressure Of present ne
eessltess even though ultimately for the use Of
the government It would &c cruelty unjust TO
them They are the authors, printers and pro-
prletors OF the work, and they alone deserve
whatever reward the government is to give. Jo-
seph Gales nom whose hand came much of this
great work, has closed long, patriotic, and use
ful lie. His surviving widow, with his lifelong
associate still perpetuate the firm Of Gales Sea-
tom but their declining years warn US that what
ever Of justice is to be done TO them must be
quickly done. brief delay may be denial o.
Justice -r..l.4
The committee therefore recommend the
adoption Of the accompanying resolution, in an
sWer to the prayer Of the petition:
Resolved, That the Clerk Of the House Of Rep
resentatives be directed to oproeursfrom the pub
fishers, for the use OF the House Library, at 8
cost 1st exceeding what has heretofore been
paid ior the said work, one hundred copies OF
sets Of the Annals Of Congress and Register o.
Debates, and pay fcT the same out Of the eontin'