Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-13

- 10 AE0AC " nDttS
Under this head the ~. Y. Journal of Com
merce contains the following account of a bar
barous robbery, committed by a majority of the
last Congress. on the public chest and on the his
toriezl literature Of the country:
Honesty in public officials is getting to be a
very rare 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
- lustre. We respectfully ask our cotempora-
ries not 70 charge that we have any political par
tisanship TO serve in bringing to notice this mat
! ter. We care not who Is concerned in it. or what
party voted for or against it. II is one of the
most astounding robberIes ever perpetrated by
public officers, and we invite the attention of PHI
pers of all classes in politics to il. for the purpose
of giving il such universal condemnation as it
| deserves.
The following resolution, entitled sPublic
Resolution. No. is" we find now first published
officially. How it was rushed through Congress
without attracting attention, we know not 1t
was introduced by a member from New York, as
we are informed; but. until farther advised, we
do not charge the responsibility upon him. The
following is the resolution:
TPUBLIc REsoLurIox-No. I61
"JOint Resolution for the distribution of certain public
books and Documents
~Resoloed bg the Senate and House Of Represent
afiDes ofdhe United States of America. in Congress
assembled. That the Secretary of the Interior,
and all other custodians thereof, be and are
hereby authorized and directed to canse equal dis
tributi0n to be made forthwith, among the mem
bers of the .wo Houses of the present Congress,
of all books and documents heretofore printed or
purchased at the cost of the Government. and
not actually belonging to any public library. or
the library kept for use IN any department of the
Government, excepting, however, all such books
and documents as are embraced in any existing
order for the distribution thereof among the
Members of either House of Congress.
Approved March 3. 1853"
There are now on hand several hundred thou
sand dollars worth of books and publications of
various kinds. By this resolution each member
OF the last Congress is to receive from FIVE to ten
thousand dollars worth of books The decks
are swept clean. Not a book is 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 70 supply new States and Territories with
its standard publications.. and the entire reserve
Of books and publications, now held by the Gov
eminent to supply future demands at home and
ebroad. down to the last sheet, whether purchased
or published by Government, will be mercilessly
P~acriheed 10 the rapaeity Of the members of the
ate Congress-
A more gross Disregard of public right was
never recorded on the statute books OF a nation.
As a public act it is VANDALISM. and for the pur-
poses of private plumber il is unequaled by any
mileage or distribution act on record. We sin
cereIy hope that the public press of all parties
vii unite IA a call on the President to stay. as
jar as possible, the operation of the act until the
needing Of another Congress. when i, can be re-
Pcaled. We are happy to learn that a member
rom New York. who called an the Secretary Of
(be Interior Tor his share OF tse spoiIs. possibly
was the same member who infrodsced the reso-
otion,) wa informed that 80 great was the
1monnt Of books and documents on hand to be
divided. that it would take at least a year to get
hem ready for distribution. We hope this is so,
md that within a year a new Congress will put a
pop % one Of the most wholesale attempts at
Plunder ever devised By public servants.