Mr. TRUMBULL. I should like to know who it is, with a salary nearly double that of the Sergeant at Arins, the officer here who has discharged the duties of 3 or 4 men, who has purchased all the articles for your committee rooms purchased the articles that are fornished this room, purchased the articles connected with all this wing of the Capitol. He has not paid for them; but he has rendered the hills, which have been certified to by the ComContingent Expenses, and paid by the disbursing oliicer. Now, sir, why is such an assault made upon him? Why is be singled out here as not bein, in his place? Will the Senfrom Iowa tel me why he is singled out here? Does not the Senfrom Iowa see the Sergeant at Arms as often as he sees other officers of the Senate? Why is he held up before the country as neg lecting his duties? Sir, I deny it. I say he is as faithful an officer as ever was Sergeant nt Arms in an legislative body. In regard to his purchases, I will an this much further of Mr. Brown: he is a gentlemau of taste; a gentleman who always purchases a good article; and it is economy to purchase a good article. In furnishing chairs, car ets and whatever else he is reqnired to furnis, he gets a good article. That is characteristic of him. It is in keeping with the building which we occupy; it is proper; it is economy in the long run. Sir, I cannot sit here, I confess, and see the Senfrom Iowa rise in his place and single out the Sergean. but Arms as neglecting his duty in this body when such duties have been devolved upon him as he has had to perform, charging him with usurping authority, and admitting, before he sat down, that under the direction of the VEEP the Sergeant at Arms had performed these duties. I have not examined the law; but from what the Senator says I understand it is very doubtful as to whose duty it is to make these various purchases; but one thing I know, that proriety requires that the same person who es the disbursements should not make the purchases. Now, sir, I think there are some very excel lent feetures in the bill which the Senfrom Missouri has reported; but I think there are some features in it. that this Senate would never agree to. Let me read a section of this bill that the Senfrom Missouri has introduced and which he is indorsing, and see how we shall ct along. This purchasing agent, who is to have a salary almost twice as large as you ever gave the Sergeantut Arms, who has done all your purchasing and everything elseShall alsocontract for the carryin! of mulls documents, or other printed matter and for‘all otherI carrying or transportation neededby the Senate. He is to let ontn contract to bring up a mail to your house; to let out a contract for taking your documents to the postoffice. No articles are to be delivered except on a written requisition: The articles to be delivered only on the written requisition of the properotIiceror personauthorized by law or the resolutions of the 'enate to receiv them. I Why, 'sir, ifyou should happen to want open or a sheet of paper, you must make a written requisition before you can get either. This is a very small business, in my jud ment. The purchasing agent is to hire your aeks; he is to do all the business; and I believe a penalty is inflicted upon anybody else for doing any of it. You ad better make your purchasing agent the Sergeant at Arms at once and let him do all the duty. Suppose a committee is ordered to go to the Presidcutto inquire whether he has any communication to the Senate; you must go and hunt up the purchasin agent and let him make a contract for a hoe. Where would on find him? The Sergeant nt Armsis forbid on to do it. You had better disense with the Sergeant at Arms at once an call him apurchasing agent and let him do it. Now, sir, I am for all proper checks and balances. I hope this bill will 0 so arranged that the same person shall not be purchaser and disbursing agent. Do not let the man who makes the purchases handle any money, but let the inciiey come from some other party; and strike out of this bill all such provisions as this of making a contract for carrying the mails to Senators, and all such provisions as require a written requisition from a Senator. It is very likely that there have been abuses connected with the stationery room. I have not inquired into it. Whether Senators have abus their privileges or not, I will not undertake to say; do not know; but let an account he kept of ever article that each Senator gets; let him be c a ed with it: let the account be seen; and if there is a disosition to draw improp crly, I would limit the amount as they have done in the HoRep so that no Senator should be permitted to take from the stationery room more than a certain amount. But, sir, I would not clog it with this sort of a provision requirin a written requisition for every article that ie got. I would no. but in a provision here that this agent should contract for carrying the mail and for the hiring of a hack to take a committee to the Presidential Mansion.