Year: 1868

as it were, upon them that they were the
one eternal source of dissension. Now. he
did not intend to submit to any such thing.
He intended, as q Representative of the
the people, to raise his voice whenever he
thought their interests demanded it and.
most especially, would he protest against
and denounce, in unmeasured terms, this
reckless and sinful waste of the money Of
people ruined already by the desolation
OF long war, and who were now be ng
fast being driven into pauperism by having
their affairs thrown into the hands of men
whose incapacity is only excelled by their
wickedness. He opposed this appro pria-
tion and would never cast his vote for it,
until he should be clearly convinced, first,
that the Secretary of State had right to
employ special clerks; and secondly, that
the amount charged was fair and reason.
able.


MIR. Estes said he did not care par
ticularly about the resolution, but il any
reflections were made upon q committee of
which he had the honor to be chairman,
he would resent them, let them come from
what quarter they would


MIR. Mendenhal said he understood that
the gentleman (Mr. Walton) who claimed
mems Bureau. He thought ono SALARY
ought to suffice him.


Mr.. Estes: Not if he has energy and en-
terprise to command two. He lMr. Wal
ton) had been in the habit of coming TO
the Secretary of States Office in the after
noon, after Office hours in the Bureau, and
working very late He works harder than
Mr.. Mendenhall and gets less pay for it.
Mr.. Durham said, that last session the
House had refused to pass bill to allow
| the Secretary of State an additional clerk,
and he was not going to vote for tho pre-
cedent of allowing officers to bring in large
Dllls Tor the State to pay, incurred without
| any authority whatever.


Mr. Estes said that at the close OF last
session, the House was willing to allow the
Secretary another Clerk, but there was no
quorum In The Senate It was well under.
stood that the Secretary would bring in o
bill to meet the expenses incurred on ao-
count of employing the additional clerical
force, which the work of his office deman-
ded.


Mr.. Durham replied that for 70 years
the work of this Office had been carried
on without any clerk at all. It was only
at the close of the war that clerk, after a
hard contest, was allowed. He did not see
or know how the work of the Office had
been SO much increased that three addi-
tional clerks had to be employed for the
last SIX months. Now he wanted gentle
men who favored this resolution to toe
the mark. Let them frame and pass bill
giving the Secretary of State additional
clerical force, so that the people generally
would know how many were being fed with
fat places. Do not conceal the matter by
passing appropriations.


MIR. Ingram favored the motion to re-
fer.


After some debate, Mr.. Silly said there
had been statement made to the Com
mittee on Salaries and Fees, that another
person claimed to be entitled to the pay
instead of Mr.. Walton, and his claim would
be rendered to this body. This informa-
ton which he now gave to the House led
him to make his first statement in regard
to the matter.


Mr.. Estes said if the gentleman had
spoken out at first, it would have stopped
this discussion. Though he believed the
charge to he unfounded, yet he would
move to recommit to the finance commit
tee.


J. s. Leary, colored, rose to point of
order, stating that the question properly
REQUIRED on his motion, made in the early
part of the debate, to refer to the commit
tee on Salaries and Fees


The Chair sustained the point.


Pending the further discussion Of the
matter the House, on motion of J. H. Har.
rls, of Wake, colored, adjourned.