Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-22
the Expenstveness OF the Inited
states senate.

/ Warrington torreHpouoeuce ~ inr ~lucihnAi VA
The senate Of the United States is, il all mat
ters of provisions for its own convenience, prov
erbially the most extravagant legislative body in
the world For 10 ffty two members il spends
Sl7 900 in stationery. The one hundred and
ninety two members OF the house only ask for
their whole number $4,000 The fifty 1.-TWO
members Of the senate manage to consume in
session more ice than than all the one hundred
and ninety two members of the house They
paw their secretary $3.50 year moro than the
house gives its c lexis; and the clerks OF their
committees $I4 more per week They order Just
four times many of tbs expensive Oppression
al Globe 40 does the house; aud 70 be brief, their
other expenses are similar in ratio.
Mr. Senator Sherman has been conspicuous as
leader in this virtuous rigidity Of the Senate.
A prying wretch, for whom capital punishment
would be too mild a fate. thought he would look
into one or two items Of the virtuous senator's
little private accounts with the government His
first discovery was the interesting fact that com
putting bic mileage from Mansfield, Ohio, by the
shortest route, the senator has TO spend land
draw therefor from the treasury $3.50 40 for
travelling to Washington. Mr.. William John
ston, member Of the House. lives in the same
town, but manages TO get there for $40 The
senator, who il one Of the most honest men in
public lite, has been too busy watching the ras-
caliiy Of the House in its expenditures oft own
contingent fund. TO discover this triiing leak out
Of the treasury into his own pocket
But that is mere bsgatelle. Mr.. Senator
Sherman may be readily excused for so trfing
an accidental overcharge; but what shall we say
of his friend. Mr. Senator Jim" L the, Of Kan
sss? That incorruptbc worthy lives according
TO his Official Directory In the town of Law
renee. He comes from there to Washington by
the nearest travelled route, and he swears that il
costs him two thousand one hundred and sixty
dollars. II happens shat the representative from
Kansas lives in the same town; but by some su-
peror skill of his. he manages to get here At a
cost TO the government Of only twelve hundred
and seventy three dollars and sixty cents.
There is another incorruptble senator from
the pleasant state OF Kansas, known unto men IA
Nr Pomeroy. he is accorded as living in Atch
ison, forty or fifty miles nearer Washington than
Jim" Lsue. but is costs him precisely the same.
s., 100, TO get here, while Mr.. Wilder, the repre-
sentative, living back of Lawrence, can travel
the extra FIFTY miles and get here for nearly
half the money or, 20 pm il accurately, for 81,
1880
But from the Kassas senator's nobody would
expect anything slse Iowa ought to sent men of
different stamp, and il must be that curious
fact about their mileage need only TO be csled
TO their attention TO be corrected Mr.. Senator
Grimes lives in Burlington. on the Mississippi
river: Mr.. Senator Harrison lives in Mount
Pleasant, just one county west from Burlington.
and Mr.. Representative Wilson. from the ex-
travsgsnt house. lives at Fairfield. just one
county Sest from Mount Pleasant. Now it curl
ously happens that Mr. Senator Grimes charges
The government 81 l59 30 for travelling here from
Burlington, and MIR. Senator Harlan ST. ,6O6 40
from Noun. Plcaapt; while Mr. Representative
Wilson is able TO &c, here from Fairfield. just
from beyond both economical senators far $3.50
40.
IL will be seen that DIR. Representative Wilder
could get to Washington from Kansas for So
273 CO. AID that Mr. Representative Wilson
could get here from Iowa for 1882 so; but il
costs that paragon Of senatorial modestv and vr-
tue, Mr.. Doolittle. OF Wisconsin. 81. 100 to get
here from Racine. on the lower coast of Lake
Michigan, almost down TO Chicago! l will IN
dertske to get there, without tho use Of any of
the desdhead tickets which the senator has in
bis pocket, and stopping every night to sleep in
FIRST class hotel for the odd sixty dollars. and
so leave him the round twenty one hundred for
s.eslingsl
These are all the items OF the senatorial mile
age account that have been able to procure. |
called Mt the proper quarter for more. but was
pleasantly told that they were constrained 20 re
gard the accounts OF Senators With the govern
ment. left in the hands of the officers of the Sen
ate. as private. l happen, however. TO know the
way in which they can be shown to be not pri-
vste; and NAV have occasion yet TO return 20
draw from them fresh illustrations Of senatorial
virtue and economy