The national Republican., 1869-02-10

that w have full confidence In the integrity
md nAithfulnessl Of Col, N. q. 0rdway, ser- |
geant-st-Arhs; and will add that, whom cx-
ira compensation hss been allowed him, II |
was done 70 enable him to facilitate the In |
vestigations ofsuch matters as were commit |
ted to us, and In our judgment such expcndl- |
lures were made for the best interests Of the |
Government. ---........
(slgned,) c. T. HuLpuRp,
Chairman Committee on Public Expeudi.
tures. |
JAS. T. wnsos,
Chairman Committee on judiciary.
..r- W, 8. LINCOLN,
Chairman Committee 70 investigate Paw De-
partmeu'.
Jso. P. c. sH,xKs,
Chairman Committee toinvestigute Cruelty to
Union Prisoners.
J. W. MocLuno,
Chm Committee on Southern Railroads.
. II. l.. DAWES,
Chairman Committee on Elections.
WILLIAM WINDOW,
Chairman Committee on Indian Afairs.
b. +. BUTLER,
Chairman Committee on Assassination hbrn-
ham Lincoln.
II. d. wAsHBuRs,
Chairman Committee on Bounty.
THos. ID. ELIOT,
Chairman Committee on New Orleans Riots.
During the late presidential campaign 1t
was thought advisable by the Democrats, as
party expedient, to charge all the officers
OF the House with malfeasancc in ONCE, and
an employee In the Doorkeeper's department
from Indiana was induced to bring forward
the charges with view Of having q special
committee appointed to investigate, not the
officers Of the House, but the committees Of
the House who had passed upon and al
lowed the bills In question, and who were
presumed to be nearly as capable and honest
rs any other committee which would be
likely to DO raised. The House very prop
erly referred the pamphlet In question con-
taining the charges to the appropriate stand
Ing committee for investigation and report,
doubtless coming to the conclusion that, II
the House should undertake to review the
decisions Of Its standing committee, other
persons could easily be found to publish at
tacks upon such special committees, and ask
for review Of their action, thus leaving
very little time for legislation.
The following portion Of the last report
relating to the scrgcant-at-Arms disposcs of
all insinuations against the official conduct
Of Mr.. ordway:
tExtracts from Report Of July ~, 1851
THE sIRGEAsT-AT-ARMs.
The charges made In the book against the
Scrgcant-at-Arms consist almost altogether
OF those Investigated by the committee in
the early part Of this session, and the report
In that case Is referred to a. a JtiiU dnsper 10
than. i Is sufficient to say, In short, that
after full investigation the committee ascer-
tained the amounts awarded to him since
| h. ,f tl.
gress 10 be IN strict accordance nth lao and
I precedent.
Take single case complained Of by Man
ker, Chat OF the New Orleans nsinvestigatlon, }
the sergeant-at-Arms Is charged truly with
! having received %, ,392 40 for summoning 30l
witnesses-this is s7.94 each. During the
last Democratic Congress-the Thirty-afth-
the Sergeant-at-Arms charged and received
In the Fort Smelling investigation a, ,40s for
summoning 4s witnesses, making s100.l7
each. Other comparisons between 1867 and
1858 show similar results. The parties who
have purchased the book will hardly profit
by contrasting the Thirty-flfth and Thirty.
ninth Congresses.
) In regard to Mr.. Ordway's candidacy fol
, reelection we know but very little, but we dc
know that he has introduced many import.
ant reforms In his Office, establishing a regu.
, lar bank Of deposit, procuring drafts, allow
ing members to check for any sum they
choose, &C., while the law only makes II his
duty to I'LL up the Speakers certificates and
deliver them to the members, or, In case they
J desire, draw and hand the money to them.
The marked change In the Capitol polio,
since It has been placed under the control oi
Mr.. Ordway and Col. Brown sergeant at.
A nf tha ataA ia hu
who has occasion to visit the Capitol. We
now find a clean, uniformed, genteel and In.
telligent class Of men, representing every
State In the Union, all Of whom have taken
pledge to abstain from the use OF intoxi
, eating liquors while they remain upon the
force; and, instead of books being stolen and
carried out Of the Capitol in midday, as wa,
, the case the very month the force was placed
4 in charge Of the Sergeants-at-Arms Of the two
: Houses, hardly dollars worth has beer
. stolen or lost from the Capitol. During
the presidential election so much political
o capital was attempted to be made out o.
0 the custom, which had prevailed under
the administration of all political parties
from the foundation of the Government, o.
0 furnishing Grape and gloves when a mem
: Der died while Congress was in session
Mr.. Ordway was determined to put stop tC
the practice, and notified the committees that
a he should furnish no more gloves nor Grape
r while he remained in office; and, In order to
A put a stop to the foolish and extravagan
!. statement as to the emolument received or
y account Of fees for summonlng witnesses, Mr.
a Ordway addressed the following letter to tn,
B. chairman of the Committee on Accounts, re
y questing that all fees should be stricken from
, the office, preferring TO serve for the smal
salary which was fixed years ago, when 4
{ cost much less to live In Washington than Il
; does at the present time:
OgyIcR OF SERoEANT-AT-ARMs,)
HoUsR OF REPRESENTATIVES, }
Hon. :. N. Brooadu, House Of Reprs,eniatipsi o.
DEAR SIR; Certain newspapers, for politi.
i cal effect, have been circulating the most ex.
N trayagant and false statements In relation to
.. .. the fees received by me as Sergeant at-Arms
for summonlng witnesses. In order there.
, fore to put stop to these Wholesale mlsrep-
reservations, and to satisfy the House and
, the country that witnesses are hereafter ia
!, be secured at the lowest possible expense, III
any more Investigations are ordered)
/ have to request that you will introduce q
resolution taking away all allowance for
mileage which has heretofore been allowed
the Sergeant-at-Arms, and in lieu thereof
s provide that the Sergeant -at-Arms, or his
s messenger, shall only be allowed the actual ex,
penses Incurred in securing the attendance oi
r any witness; and that all such bills for ex,
penses paid to secure witnesses shall be ac,
compancd by an affidavit signed by the per,
D son who expended the money.
: Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
N. G. ORDwAY,
Scrgcant-at-Arms, II. r.
COMMITTEE ON AcCoUNTs,)
February 8, 1850. I
2 certify that the above Is true copy OF O
, letter received at this room on the day of the
date thereof by the chairman to whom 1t was
addressed. ]. W. CLARK,
Clerk Committee on Accounts, II. r.