Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-07

Under this head the n. \. Journal OF Com
merce contains the following account of bar
barous robbery, committed by majority of the
last Congress, on the public chest and on the his
torical literature of the country:
Honesty in public officials is getting to be n
very virtue. The country is familiar with
the mileage bill which the late Congress passed
We have now, however, to call attention To an
act beside which the mileage appropriation pales
it, lustre. We respectfully ask our cotempora-
ries not To charge that we have any political par
tissnship To serve in bringing to notice this mat
ter. We not who Is concerned in it, or what
party voted for or against II. IL Is of the
most astounding robberies ever perpetrated by
public officers. and we invite the attention OF pa
psrs of all classes in politics IT, for the purpose
of giving il such universal condemnation as il
deserves
The following resolution. entitled Public
Resolution. No l6. we find now first published
officially. How it was rushed through Congress
wlth"ut attracting attention. we know not IL
was introduced bv Il member from New York as
are informed; but. until farther advised we
do not charge the responsibility upon him. The
following Is the resolution
PUBLIC REsoLuTioN-No 10
'cins Resolution the distribution of public
books and documents
"Resoived bytas Senate and House Of Represent
afiues ffhe United Sfafes Of America in Congress
assembled. That the Secretary of the Interior.
md all other custodians thereof be and are
hereby authorized and directed tn cause equal dis
tribulion to be made forthwith. among the mem
bers OF the two Houses of the present Congress,
OF all books and documents heretofore printed or
purchased at the cost of the Government. and
not sctually belonging to any public library or
the library kept Tor u>e IN any department of the
Government. excepting. however. all such books
ami documents embraced in any existing
order for the distribution thereof among the
members at either House of Congress
Approved March 3. 1861
There are now on hand several hundred thou
sand dollars worth of bOnk> and publications of
various kinds BY this resolution each member
OF the last Congress is receive from 1--WE 10 ten
thousand dollars' worth of books The decks
swept clean. Not book l. left on handi
Not only will the Rebel States be deprived OF any
share of public documents ON their restoration To
peace and the Union. but the Government will be
unable to supply new States and Territories with
its standard publications. and the entire reserve
of books and publications. now held by the Gov
eminent supply future demands nj home and
abroad down 10 the last sheet, whether purchased
or published by Government, will be mercilessly
sacrificed to the rapacity of the members OF the
late Congress-
n
never recorded on the statute books OF a nation
As public act IL i VANDALISM. and for the pur-
poses of private plumber it is unequaled by any
mileage or distribution act on record We sin
cerelv hope that the public press of all parties
will unite in call on the President 10 stav. rs
far as possible the operation Of the act until the
meeting of another Congress. when il can be
pealed. We are happy to learn that member
from New York who called on the Secretary OF
hi -. If sbo
il WIS the same member who introduced the reso
lution.) informed that great the
amount Of books and documents on hand 10 be
divided. that il would take at least a year 10 get
them ready for distribution. We hope this l. 50.
and that within wear new Congress will put \
stop to one Of the most wholesale attempts at
plumber ever devised by public servants