Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-06-07

IL the creature. Under certain. pow.
ers Of attorney, il may so style them,
known as constitutions, State and Ma
tional, they grant certain. powers to
others to act for them. These consti.
tutions, so far us they grant the pow
ers, authorize those acting for the peo-
pie to do certain duties, when the per
sons to whom the powers arc granted
have been qualified in a given way,
But anything that is not within these
grants is an assumption wrongful and
fragrant.
The Army, and Navy, the Terri
tories, and the treasures belong TO the
people. II anything be left without
an owner it is subject TO the common
law right of occupancy; and that in.
stinct pervades almost the whole hu-
man race, that if thing be lying open
without an owner any person coming
along may occupy it and have a good
title to it. Now, with reference to
this, it seems as il the people are en-
tirely forgotten and as if the territory
OF the Government to great extent,
and its treasures are presumed by
those in power in this Bureau to be
open to general occupancy, and that
they can acquire title to everything
they can lay hands upon, because they
have forgotten the people have any
definite ownership. This principle vim
dicates itself in that the employees Of
corporation do not conceive so clear.
ly of the privilege Of ownership exist.
ing IN it, and take from il more freely
than they would from a private indi-
vidual. In great Government we
find persons doing deeds and commit.
ting crimes against the Government in
the way Of appropriating property and
moneys which they would never think
oe doing if they were in the employ
ment of an individual.
Now, the first fact / want to have
understood in reference to this Bureau,
and may say every where else, is,
that there is an ownership as to the
property of the national Government;
that her treasures are her own, and
not open to general occupany at all.
And | fear this principle has been vio-
lated by this Bureau, as l shall be
able to show as proceed In order
that the business Of the Government
NAV be done with facility Il ;s divided
into certain departments Those de-
partments in themselves have no right
to anv particular norton Of the nublio
territory or the pnblic treasure II is
only in proportion as the work can he
best attended 10 that n should he as.
signed TO any particular department or
B1reau Now If the Department of
War can do this dntv which we nro.
pose 10 assign 10 Il with greater intel.
iigence. greater economy greater dili.
oence and greater nnriiy Than where
IL is now, it ought to be removed there.
And we propose to show that the bu.
siness can be done more intelligently,
more economically, more diligently,
and more purely BY this transfer.
On this point ask the attention of
the whole House. We have endeav-
ored TO obviato any possibility of party
opposition by fixing that the transfer
does not occur until 1877. In 1877 no
one can tell whether the administra-
tion will be Democrat or Republican.
This may hit the one party or it may
hit the other But il It is right, | ask
that il shall be done. We fixed the
date of the transfer in 1877 that il
might have the candid consideration
Of every member Of this House. And
! ask you TO Join in effecting this trans
fer if to you IT seems right. fit does
not seem right, and II is not right. |
am just us sincere in the desire that
you shall not do il as any man in this
House. But to me II seems that II
should be done.
Let me show how the Bureau came
first TO be placed in the Department
of the Interior In is4o II had boen
concluded 10 organize new denart.
ment TO be knswn as the Department
OF the Interior. Duties were ASSIGNED
TO that department This pension du.
ty was one. AT that time Il was com.
paratiyoly triainp; and when n man
has a small work 10 do he is not ant
TO consider very carefully whether be |
is to have il done in the most econom.
ical wav or not but if tho work be
comes vast in its proportions then il
il of importance that be should have n
done in the most economical wav
Hence this Bureau being small at tbe
time was ASSIGNED os n mere fragment
TO make work for the Interior Dsnart,
mcnt. But this state of tbings does
NOT now exist This Burcau has bo.
come an important denartment II
has an expenditure of SOD 0oo O0o Itl
provides for the pavment Of 93i Ooo
nensioners An army of man stands
behind its awards iThev recc;ve their
daily bread in many Instance from 1,
What was then Transferred has be.
come great What was tben an In
s;gnificont labor has swelloJ !, ;,s A;
mensions until il ia ;mmense and
while il ia n Great bnrden II "a olso
great honor 70 our conniry and m
The other hand il il n great sbamo r.
we do not SEQ that II Is bones,Iv and
well administered Il was ass;g1ed IN
the Interior Department onlv ior The
purpose of making work for The now
department without anv narticnlar
reason wbv that assignmsnt sbonld ho
made, Now The labor has Increased
and il it naturally belongs to the War
Department and tho fsbor con be
greatly reduced bv tra,sfsr;n, !, ,horo
Z is our duty 10 make thai ,ransfer
Now what arN The duties oc Tho
Pension Oe,coo Who, H. !, Az