Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-09-11
Sweeping Expenss.."
From tho Albany Argus ]

II
Congress continues to create new cticcs and
increase salaries. There is an array OF twenty
thousand Office holders connected with The
a Treas Try Department alone in this country, at
this hour, sucking out the life-biood of the
masses We have some Of them in every Con
eressional district laying up from FIVE to seven
thousand year for services which thousands
of honest, capable men would be glad to per
form for one fifth of what they receive.
80 Congress has raised the pay, Of its own mem
piI!age and plunder.. This salary is about
fourteen dollars day, tor every day in the
wear, Sundays aud all, and probably more than
thirty dollars day for the actual titue spent.
fro this should be added an average of $1,000
each year for mileage In other days, Con
gressmen took large number ut newspapers
on both sides in politics, from their State aud
elsewhere, but now they very largely commute
tormoney. 81 Intel -
The amount fplunder they set Is past fad
Ing out; bur, by way Of Illustration, let give
some samples OF 1t upon a small scale, and
leave you to Judge what it must be on large
scale: 1s
We have copy Of Senate Miscellaneous
Document No. 54, Tbirty-ninth Congress, ID
session, which Is detailed statement of pay
ments from the contingent fund of the Senate
for the year ending Decembe 3, 1866, publish
ed in accordance with an act passed in 1912,
and certified b, J. w., Forney, Secretary Of
the Senate. It is a pamphlet o! 81 pages,
about 10 By. 6 inches, in fine print, giving items
Of contingent expenses Of the Senate, which ),
in the absence of Southern Senators, is com
posed sot SO members. We have added up
some classes Of these. items with the following
results, which show sufficiently the character
Of these contingent expenses: a 20
For poeket-knives. SOL in number Sl,1l9 80
For n-kniyes, 405 in number, sss 1901 GO
Making 9l4 knives for these 52gentle-
men, in one year, about IL each; av- i
erage cost 81 So; amounting to 1892 SO
103 pair of shears, aboutcl4 pair each,
=" cost,--.r--r 80 w
Sponge 71s.zIs, ts.s-.g.E.*E. 1854 76
7,l37 pair Of scissors, about 22psir each
at u little over ST a pair, !, lS9 10
2l0pair of kid gloves, about 4 pairs #l.
each, Ut S2EOa pair, 525 GO
ll6diaries, . z06 rs
294 portfolios, nearly six each, at ST, 1,l04 90
446 pocket books s each, at $3.50, l,Ol9 so
800 brushes, - s.t.,E ..,..s..s 40 324 35
556 pin-cushions, .:..z ~ 60 10
1895 boxes Of pens, ~ iE. ,89o 64
2,S03 lead pencils, -s:F l-. 12o 50
Newspapers and magazines, 3,265 6O
1854 raan.s papcr. = nv IS 1892 80
l,SO7454 envelopes, 1O90l 81
Other items such as paper weights, cork
screws, cords. erasers, leather busters, chamols
SKINS. folders, pen-wipers, bankbooks, ink
stands, eyelet machines, pamphlet-caseS, copy
books, paper.6es, pen-racks, stationery cases,
gold pens, dies, key-rings, h-cases, fuld,
silk taste, eard-cases, memorandum books,
combs, cologoe soap, pomade,, toilet powder,
lemons, are scattered through the book in
quantities sufficient to supply all their friends,
or to set up variety stores in the country.
In the House the. rule allows each member
so much for stationery, to be paid in stationery
or money, as he chooses, but stationery is tur
pished in addition for all committees, and the
practice is for member to supply themselves
from that furnished to committees, and then
take the allowance. a. w @-
REPEATING 1T AT THE ADJOURNED SESSION IN
JULY : ~
On motion of Mr.. Spauding, OF Ohio, IN
the House of Representatives on the Sth OF
July last an order was adopted to allow the
same amount to members for newspapers and
stationery 70. that brief adjourned term, Us al
lowed for short term of Congress
If they will thus plunder the people in small
matters, what nay4we ~neS exrect-zon large
scale? Is it any wonder that these men amass
immense fortunes; that so many OF them are
able to betravelling now in foreign lands, riot
ing in the Injuries and splendors of wealth? :?
HANDKERcu1EF FLIRTATIoNs.- AS hand
kerchief hirtations have been Of late introduced
intn thi,. oit1 lGhn filo n;n,, toh, of thn SIGNS