The record-union., 1894-12-15
WHEN AMERICA Was YOUNG.
Quaint Extracts From Cur Last
Century's State Papers.
John Adams Bill Docked-Coporess
Dealt at First Hands With Indians
and the Lottery.

!
pile catalogue ofthe Government publi-
cations of the United States from Sep
/ tember 5. IVA, to March t, 1881. The
| present Congress is considering the ad-
Visibility OF bringing this work up to
date. The Poore catalogue makes most
formidable volume, !, 1892 pages, of which
nearly $50 pages are devoted to the index.
AS book of reference it has an evident
| value, but one would not turn to it nat
urally for interesting reading to while
| away an hour. 1t contains, however,
much that is amusing and interesting for
any one who wishes to hunt through its
| pages. a great many men tind enter
laInment IN the seemingly monotOnous
occupation of reading the dictionary.
There is entertainment to be found-en-
| tertalnment of almost as varied charac-
! term Mr.. Poore's catalogue.
! This entertainment Is i'll the contrast
| between the customs and ideas OF the
colonial period and those of to-day. For
| example, according to one of the docu-
ments described in the catalogue, the
| Colonial Congress provided that counter
| letters OF Continental or State bills of
credit should have their ears cut off and
| should be whipped and fined. \ dollar
would go further in those days." as
|
| great deal more than it is to-day.
| Among the early documents published
| by order of Congress was history OF the
American Indians, with their customs,
| descent from the Jews, ETC.. compiled
| from official sOurces,' by j. Adair SO
began The study OF ethnology under the
| auspices OF the Government, which is
carried on with success at the present
time by Major Powell's bureau. In the
| early days Congress had more direct
dealings with the Indians than it has
! now. 1t even addressed itself to them
direct. There is record of an address
| dated December l6, 1715, in which Cap
tain White Eyes, Delaware chief, is
| welcomed to the council ire kindled for
| all the United Colonies.
In April, 1776, Instructions were is
sued to &c. Morgan" by the Committee
on Indian Affairs that ''the Indians were
to be treated kindly and Hospitality, in
spired with sentiments of Justice ana hu-
manlty, and were supposed to introduce
| the arts OF civil and social life."
| The men who fought the establishment
of the Department of Agriculture a few
years ago on the ground that 1t was un-
| necessary Will perhaps be surprised to
learn that 100 years ago there was a
Clothing Department" and that Con-
| gress issued regulations for a Ciothier-
| General, State ClOthier, q Regimental
Clothier, and so on. 4 department of
Clothing" would excite derisive laughter
| now. There was a good deal of inquiry
and report on the subject OF clothing for
the Continental army, and at one time
General Horatio Gates reported that the
cost of clothing each man was S23.
| Congress to-day would be rather sur
prlsed at proposition that it should
! print an edition OF the Bible. Yet such a
| proposition was made in a memorial of
DR.. Allison, on which special committee
made report in September, I777. The
| report of the committee was adverse
chiefly, it would appear, on tile ground
of expense. The decision was reached
'after conference with the printers" and
! the recommendation was made that in
stead OF advancing money on importing
| type and printing this Bible, the Conn
| mittee on Commerce should order 10000
| Bibles from Holland, Scotland, or else
where. Thus death blow was given in
| committee to the first infant industry of
America. In 1872 Congress was asked to
| approve an American edition OF the Bible
and William White and George Duffield,
| ChaplalnS OF Congress, made report
recommending the work.
At this time, when Congress was taking
so deep an interest in the Bible, it was
practicing what Mr.. Wanamaker sue
! ceeded some years ago in convincing
! Congress was a very immoral thing
promoting lottery. The Committee on
| War Lottery reported in favor of the is
| sue of 100000 tickets at $40 each, the prizes
| TO De 80, 100000 in Treasury notes, paya ble
in five years, with 4 per cent. interest.
| In August, III, the Committee on Treas
| ury reported recommendation that the
| drawing be postponed because the sales
| had not been large enough, and requested
! that more tickets be sent to the States
with the request that the Governors ex-
pedite their sales.
The scheme of this Government lottery
! n Lot
terry of recent day-only one-half of the
! money repaid i'll prizes, and chances,
| therefore, two to one against the buyer of
| the ticket. Congress once authorized the
District of Columbia to establish lottery
''for building purposes"
! The Prohibitionists of to-day would
| have been horrified at resolution passed
! by Congress in september, 1777, directing
| the COmmlssary-G General "to purchase
| thirty hogsheads of rum to be distributed
| among the soldiers, in compliment for
| their gallant behavior in the late battle of
| Brandywine." 1t was not an inappro-
| pirate reward, though, for Brandywine
The question of clothing the army
| seemed to give the Continental Congress
| more trouble than anything else, for in
| December. III, we find an appeal to the
! States to furnish clothing to soldiers. and
! in the same month the Committee on the
| treasury made report strongly con-
| demning certain persons in Massachu-
| setts Bay" "who contracted for clothing
| at an enormous price and refused to de-
| liver the same until they could receive
| the cash." SO the army contractor was
not product of the late civil war.
| There Is nothing more amusing in this
| collection OF old documents than the form
of an address reported by Congressman
| Osgood in 1874 for adoption by Congress
| as general "sea letter" to be issued to
| Captains OF vessels. 1t was addressed to
| Most serene serene. most pussant puis-
| SAINT, high, illuStrious, noble, honorable,
venerable, wise and prudent lords, en-
| perors, kings, republics, princes, dukes.
| earls, barons, lords, burgomasters, schep-
| ems, counselors, as also judges, officers,
| Justlciaries, and regents OF all the good
| cities and places, whether ecclesiastical
| or secular, who shall see these patents or
| hear them read.o 1t would De interest,"
! ing ii one could have had Mr.. Osgood's
views on the reception of an Intanta a
| year ago.
| AS there was no President to receive
! foreign Ministers or to give instructions
/ TO the Ministers of the United Colonies
this duty devolved on Congress, and
1 there is, among other things, an account
of the reception OF the Dutch Minister in
! l1S3, with his remarks and reply of the
| President OF Congress. In the same year
| Congress adopted list Of ceremonies to
| be observed at the first audience of for
| eign Ministers with Congress" When
| the Marquis de Lafayette returned to
| France in l17S Congress gave him a letter
commencing him To his King. Congress
| carried on correspondence with the
| King of France without an intermediary.
Congress had some difficulty in repu-
latlng the expenses of its foreign Minis