Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-03-09
Oar Washington Letter.

Special Correspondence Of the OBSERVER.
1t is somewhat curious, and no
little interesting to persons having
business in the department, to
witness the immense amount OF
clrcumlOcution and red tape, nee
eSSary to get even a small matter
attended to. The latest ill1stra-
ton OF this fact was when the
House requested the Secretary of
the Treasury, by resolution, to
furnish list Of private houses
fused for public purposes in Wash
lngton, with amounts paid for
rent, &c. When the answer re.
turned to that body, 1t was found
to have passed through the hands
OF SIX clerks, and tie assistant
secretary F; all this to prepare a
letter which an ordinary man of
business could write in a couple Of
hours.
The work of investigation has
now become so immense that the
committees have, many of them,
been compelled to ask leave to
sit during the session Of the
House. The Naval Committee
especially has it's hands full. At
every step they find some new
wrong to be righted, some addi-
tional fraud to be rectifed and
punished, 1t would not be at all
surprising if these committees
should be compelled to sit during
the whole recess.
Mr.. B&nning, of Ohio, has in
troduced bill for the gradual re-
duction of the Army to eight reg.
iments of cavalry and twenty
three Of infantry, and single
corps of artillery.
la the, Pension Office, yesterday,
forty five clerks, mostly ladies, re-
ceived their dismissal. For the
majority of them there has been
DO real use, and as many. were
brought here by parties in power,
from distant States, it is likely
there may be positive suffering a.
mong them. A cIerkship is GER
tainly tie most thankless Office on
the face Of the earth. The pay
is a mere pittance compared with
what might be earned by the same
person in other pursuits, and the
life is one of constant and unre-
mitted drudgery, compared with
which the existence of pillow boy
is paradise.
General Fremont has been be-
fore the Committee in regard to
the Memphis and Ell Paso Il. r
matter. There was, undoubtedly,
as it appears, a large amount OF
money spent, but no Congressman
received anything, cco:ding to
his showing.
The Senate Finance Commit
tee reported a bill Friday, amen
ding the law to refund the Ma.
tional debt, which increases the
amount OF bonds bearing 4 J per
cent. interest to five hundred
million, and provides for their re-
demption after thirty years from
the date of issue, at the pleasure
of the United States.
! Nothing attracts more general
Interest here - as it should all o,
Ivtr the entire country = than the
investigation Of the doings and
misdoings of the Board Of Audit.
1t came into existence soon after
Shepherd was overthrow. Shep
herd, however, merely stepped be-
bind the scenes, for he continued
in reality as much the master
OF District affairs as when actually
governor. AS a sample of how
things were managed by the Board
of Audit, may mention the fees
paid to Mattingly, Stanton and
Harrington, three attorneys who
conducted Shepherds defence be.
fore former committee. The
first received $4,000; the second
$4,000, and the last $4,000. In
addition to these claims (which
were paid, large and exorbitant
sum was paid to Murtagh, whose
bill, it appears, Shepherd himself
promised to secure; but being
himself deposed, compelled the
Board of Audit (his satelIiteS) to
settle in full. This is but one of
a thousand instances in which the
taxpayers of this District have
teen fleeced and plundered under
the forms of law. These claims
were paid, too, against the earnest
protest OF numbers of influential
citizens.
A currency famine seems immi-
nent, since none of the currency
received at the Treasury is paid
out again, and it is stated that
there is not sufficient on hand to
last two months. Pretty finan-
cierS, indeed, are our Republican