Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-27
OFFICIAL EXTRAVAGANCE.

Serious Accusation Against AttOr-
ney-GeneraI WiIIiaHis-Tse Govern
ment Made TO Pay $1,000 for "a Car
riage for Mrs. WiIIiams-OtiIer Abu-
SEES in the Several Departments
Domestic Servants on tie Pay-ROlis
Stylish Teams Kept by Officials At
Government Expense.
From the New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22-One Of the
accusations against Attorney General
Williams, in the investigation now
making by the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, is that the Government has
been made to pay for the carriage used
by Mrs. Williams Inquiry was made.
by the Committee, or some one Of its
members. at the Treasury Department,
and the following voucher discovered
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. %, 1872.
The United States to A. j. Joyce, DR..
To one fandaulet for Department
of Justice. ..........................S1, 800
Received payment, A. J. JoYcE.
This carriage. it Is said. was ordered
by Mrs. Williams for her own use, in
accordance with a custom that has OBJ
tanned among majority of the Cabi-
net officers. and as there was no author
ity of law for such an expenditure. the
fact is used now as an argumentagaInst
the confirmation Of MIR. Williams to be
Chief Justice.
No one would object to having each
Department supplied with a sufficient
number of horses and carriages to IA
cilitate the Secretaries in discharging
the duties Of their Offices. but, in addi-
ton to this. it has become customary
for several Of the Cabinet Ministers,
and a great number of officials Of lower
rank. to keep stylish carriages for the
use of their families, and to detail mes
sengers. whose names are upon the
pay-rolls Of the Departments, to per-
form the duties of coachmen and do
lnestic servants at the homes Of such
officials. So great has this abuse be-
come, that it is said that the heads of
several bureaus, and other officers in
the Treasury Department. whose duties
during Office hours seldom take them
out Of the Treasury building, have ex-
pensive double teams, paid for and kept
at government expense, and which are
used almost exclusively for the conve-
nience of the officials and their families
What is true of the Treasury Depart
ment is true also Of several Of the other
executive departments. There are ap-
pointed in the House Of Representatives
in each Congress committees on eXpen-
ditures in each Of the departments.
The original purpose III creating these
committees was to have, every session,
a careful examination of the way in
which the large sum annually appro-
priated as 4 contingent fund III each
department was spent, and to report
where retCenchment was possible.
Practically, these committees have
never done any work. At the present
time. when economy is so necessary on
every hand. they should at once begin
the work of investigation. Whenever
the minute workings of the several De-
partments have been heretofore inquired
INTO. extrayagances have been discoy-
cred that have startled the country.
IT is already officially given out that
the expenses of the departments IN
Washington cannot be cut down. Let
one of these committees go into the
Treasury Department and inquire
whether the appropriation of $4,000,
made last year for temporary clerks,
cannot be omitted this year, and
whether $4,000 is not too much to pay
out for stationery, notincluding printed
blanks. etc. Besides these, there Is
asked for. S65. 900 for contingencies
such as newspapers, repair Of wagons
cureof horses. brooms, brushes, matches
scans. etc; $4,000 for coal, wood, gas
fumblers, hatchcts, pitchers, towels
etc; and $4,000 for furniture and car.
nets. Then let them go into the several
bureaus and see how much the cierlca
force has been increased during the
-,resent administration, and how mucL
Loss york there is to DO inmost OF then
than lust after the close Of the war Il
ia the opinion of competent judges thai
very LARGO reductions can be made II
the expenditures of every department
n this city. .-..-...,
u.o-rINGroN. Dec. 23-When Pres
;7ont Gran in his last mcssageto Con
yress expressa,3l a hope that the severa
States of the Unscn would provide
homes at Washingteit i2r theft Sena
tors. it was not known ihqt the Govern
ment was running a huge livery stable
for the benefit Of the Cabinet Nmlster.
and their families; but it is a fact, anC