The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-05-15

WAsHINeToN, April 25.
The House went into Committee of
the Whole on the Legislative Appro-
priation bill. The amendment pend
ing yesterday, appropriating 81 ,000,-
900 to pay judgments of the Court
of Claims, was adopted.
Nesmith moved to strike out from
the paragraph concerning the Depart
ment of Justice 81 400 for repairs of
carriages and harness. He spoke of
the ttorney-Generals 1850 Ian
daulet, and remarked that lawyers Of
his (the Attorney-General's) calibre,
in his State, rode onlthe outside Of a
iifty-dollar mule. Laughter, There
was Spanish proyerb to the effect
that if you put q beggar on horse
back he will ride to the devil. 1oq1
Negley objected to comparing Off
GERS Of the Government to beggars
on horseback. ~
Nesmith-T simply referred to a
mule. Laughter '-' 'gl' ~
The Chairman-The gentleman
from Oregon will continue, being
careful to keep in order. Ia,.rg
Nesmith-I was only quoting the
Spanish proyerb, which says: "Put
a beggar on horseback and he will
ride to the devil" l have no objec-
ton to q termination of the journey
in that particular direction, but |
don't want the people to pay for the
transportation. Laughter.
Durham said that as one Of the
subcommittee on Contingent Tx
penses of the Department OF Justice,
he had investigated the subject, and
would be prepared shortly to make a
report on the extravaganees of the
Department, but he now desired the
Chairman of the Committee on APP
preparations to state how many horses
we're provided for in the S1,400
item.
Garfield replied that he supplied
as many as that sum would take care
of.
Durham insisted on an explicit an
swer, which Garfield failing to give,
Durham accused him of want Of
candor, and some unpleasantpassages
occurred between the two. 8 'rlg.7
Garfield explained that the reasons
for inserting the item were, that it
was necessary for the Attorney-Gen-
eral to use a carriage daily in his
publiSbusiness, and that it has been
always customary for the Government
to furnish the horses and carriage.
If the House wished to strike out the
item they could do SO, but he depre-
Gated any attack upon the Attorney
General. 1t was true that that officer
had been furnished a 81 600 carriage,
which was wrong; but it was pur-
chased by q subordinate, who had
charge OF the fund without the knowl-
edge of the Attorney-General, who
regretted it.
Wood denied that the practice Of
heads of departments using public
horses and carriages for private con
venience dated back of the Republi-
can Administration, and Wheeler, in
reply, produced a voucher, showing
that in 1859 Floyd, the Secretary Of
War charged $500 difference between
an old wagon and o fine carriage. v
Hoar thought that decent convey
ance should be furnished the Attor-
ney-General, and asked Nesmith if
he would like to have the Attorney
General ride down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. on mule.
Nesmith replied that he had seen
the Attorney-General on mule in
Oregon, and added that Philip H., \
of Spain, rode a mule through the
streets of Madrid when he went to
marry Mary Of England, and Sacred
History gaye an account of a better
man than either of them riding one
of those useful animals that had no
pride Of ancestry and no hope in pos
terity. Y 'aa 8a
Finally, Nesmith's motion to strike
out the item was agreed to-S5
to 60.