The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-02-06
THE RADICALS RoBBTEG THE TREAS
URY AT SPRINGFIELD.
Queer stationsry---Mr Durham tries to pre-
vent the Steal but is voted down by
| Radical House.

hadlcaI House.
The House judiciary Committee at
Springfield reported in favor of the pas
sage Of a resolution to furnish paper for
the use of committees, and the House
adopted the resolution Mr.. Durham
from this district opposed the passage Of
this resolution and spoke against it lie
took the ground that almost every mem
Der, perhaps every one, was on some com
mittee, that the $50 allowed each member
for stationery was intended to furnish HIM
with paper etc. 1t was argued on the
other side that they had power to furnish
committee rooms with chairs and turIn-
ture, and that il necessarily followed that
they could furnish paper for the commit
tees as they could do no business without
it. Mr.. Durham replied that he had no
doubt that, under the Constitution, they
might rightfully furnish paper for the
purpose Of keeping the records ct
the committees, that is. furnish
committee as an organization or
body, as it is furnished to the clerk OF the
House, but he was very decided chat, I'M
der the Constitution. it could not be fur
nished to members. This distinction be-
tween the committee and individual mem
bers he emdeavored To have made plain in
the report, but failed, and therefore he
opposed its passage lie made the fol
lowing pertinent and rointel inquiry
If the House shall 60 into committee
of the Whole can each member go to the
clerks desk and help himself 10 all the
paper he pleases?' OF course he could
not, and it seems to us that the parallel
Mr. Durham drew is perfect That Mr..
Durham was right in defending the treas
ury from the little Radical stea. there can
be no doubt-but Radical House voted
him down, and went onwith the seal. Read
the following from the Springfield core
spondence of the Chicago TriJae;
The Chairmen of some of tie Commit
tees are hard at work drawing stationery
One Senate Committee has rdered the
following One ream of lega cap, Ia
quire would do the. same Comnittee for an
entire SESSION., l quart ink, 5.inkstands, |
box pens, , dozen holders, 2 dozen blot
ters D bottles of mucilage, feather dust
brush, + dozen hooks for c0ats and hats.
l small coal shovel, 2 boxes matches. The
hooks and the shovel are shard kind of
stationery 4 House Committee order
ed half ream of legal cap, one-half
ream letter official whatever that
means, one-quarter ream ut note paper.
2ju envelopes what does Committee
want of note-paper and enye, pes, excert
TO write private letters p. gross pens. !
dozen pencils. t lnkstands. on bottle ink.
3 paper weights, medium 2k.ecl erasers.
) Faber rubber eraseTs, | rubber ruler /
bottle Carmine, , dozen blotta-s I pair of
shears. | box assorted rul-er bands.
/ box brass fasteners, | punch, pa
/ per folder Another Hons Committee
drew the following Mating for floor,
! long table Tor fifteen membrs, % chairs.
l desk, large stove and pire for wood.
, vast basektS, / spittoonS, ? ads Of wood
ready for use in room, / shoVei, poker,
ash bucket, ! water pail. digper, | pitch
T tA dlii % SidNNfA- bTp0l. / custer. d
towels, and soap Why did they not add
a laundressI These may appear to be
small things, but, if they IN draw the
miscellaneous articles enumerated. what is
it they cannot draw, unle,,, indeed, a
street car? A Chairman OF a Committee
describes the ink bottles supplied as AT
mnspheric ink bottles, some patent fix
ture that costs ike sixty In the House
members use wooden ink-tottles. which
are found to answer the purpose remarka-
/ bly, well but in Committee they must have
atmospheric arrangement The paper
weights are Of unique pattern, and costly,
One Committee OF six members ordered
twelve erasers-two apiece-with which to
rub out their peccadill0es The record
books which private individual can buy
for : each, are marked s. . and $3.50
Who makes the difference Who is get
ting the percentage Where is the screw
loose The last General Assembly never
voted a single inch of statlney to a Com
mittee, though it was in session for nine
months, and did four time the work this
honorable body need or viii do Drawing
opens the door for all kinds of extrava-
gances. and permit a specie of petty lar
ceny that members should he ashamed to
tolerate. Some Chairmen have declined
q draw anything and supply the few
dollars necessary to buy paper out of their
constitutional 500