Mr. HENDERSON. He will find thatreally we have fewer officers under this proposition than there were before. We have stricken off the stationery clerk. If he were left in, he would have to be paid according to the system adopted here for paying clerks, $2, 200. We have stricken 011 the superintendent of the furnaces $1, 700, and an asst at $1, 200, and 2 drivers of Senate carryalls at $1, 440 for both as now fixed, making $6, 540 peranuum. We appoint a purchasing agent at $3,000; a clerk at $1, 800, and a messenger at $1, 200, which makesjust $6,000; saving $540 a year over the present system as it now stands. In addition to that, I may say that we get rid of several other messengers, pages, &c., making an actual saving of 3 or 4,000 dollars more. One word in regard to the bill that is now pending. The Senfrom Ohio, Isuppose with a view of having the Scrgeant at Arms do this business of purchasing, proposes that there, shall be a clerk to the Sergeant at Arms. which is a new office, and he fixes the salary at $1, 800. I He proposes also to retain the stationery clerk at $2, 500, and to give to the SecySenate an additional clerk. There are now but 8 clerks in the office of the SecySenate, and he proposes 9, which is 82, 500 more; making altogther an increase of $6, 800; and the Senator‘s bill will cost the Government $800 more than the bill we now propose to substitute for it. One word in regard to another point: it is a delicate question, and I dislike very much to refer to it. It is this we might as well be plain about the mutter the SecySenate claims that, under the laws as they now stand, he is entitled to do this work, and you will recollect that under the act of 1842 the Secretary is required every year to report to the Senate a statement of the expenses from the contingent fund. The honorable Senfrom Iowa, LMr. Gauss, the honorable Senfrom Pennsylvaniakg Mr. BUCKALEW] and myself are upon the omContingent Expenses. We called upon the SecySenate to furnish usa report of the expend itures from the contingent fund, which has not been made since 1864. The law requires that these reports shall be made at the end of every year. We know but little about the contingent expenses of the Senate. If the Senate are to require us to pass upon the bills, I desire, as my colleague says, to have sections specifically setting forth the duty of every officer of the Senate. The ComContingent Expenses are not particular who shall do this work, whether the SecySenate or Mr. Brown, the Scrgeant at Arms, or a new officer to be appointed for the purpose. We do not care who does it, provirffzd the officer gives a bond in a large sum. I have no doubt that either of these officers can do that; but we want him to give a bond, and we want him to keep books so that we can understand the exact condition of the contingent expense account every month, or every 2 weeks if we desire, during the year. That is the wish of the committee; and I will state that it is useless to have a ComContingent Expenses unless we can have these facts before us. Who is at fault about this thing, I do not know. The Secretary says he knows he is required by law to make this report; but he says, “ I cannot make this report because I do not make the purchases; I do not know what Mr. Brown pays for articles; I cannot tell all the contracts that he makes; I know nothing with regard to them.”