Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-02-01
CMr. HASTINGS Seeech Gouclaasd.D

One OF my aC0titdg5 uCs slito aootsiAe>N 40
one Of his reasons for the Purposed aug
msntation of salaries, that a war has recon-
menced in Europe, and that this war may
produce the same effects IN this country,
in raising the price OF produce and articles
of the first necessity, which the last war
produced. But will it not be prudent and
proper for us to wait and know whether the
same effects are produced by the present
European war, before we undertake to M
crease salaries Although nav colleague
does not now consider the proposed sala-
ries to be too high, yet find that in 1899,
when house rent and provisions, appre-
bend, were much higher than they now are
he voted against the temporary augmentati-
on of salaries-against those salaries which
1t is now the object Of this billpermanently
to establish. He says also, that he had
not heard any complaints against salaries
in that part of Massachusetts,, in which he
lives. No doubt my colleague is correct:
but compare the salaries proposed to be
increased by this bill, with the salaries OF
other persons in the government, with the
pay of members of Congress, with the sa-
laries of the highest state officers, and they
appear to be enormously high. In Massa-
chusetts the governor has yearly salary of
1865 dollars and 66 cents. The judges of
the supreme court, who in holding courts
in the several circuits, are obliged to be abb
sent from their families half the year or
more, have each permanent yearly salary
something short / believe of 1 200 dollars,
except the chief justice, who has some
thing more than that sum. The treasurer,
secretary osthe state, and attorney general,
each permanent salaries, [ think, of 1000
dollars and yet have never understood,
thar there has been any difficulty in Massa--
>chusetts in procuring suitable and proper
persons to fill those important Offices. |
believe, however, that for a few wears pas
some temporary grants have btenmade By
the state to those officers Excepting thego
vernor) in addition to their fixed salaries.
The bill before the House is intended &c
increase and make permanent the salarlSs
of the officers therein mentloned-the law
of 1899 was only temporary; by that ias
the salaries Of certain officers were ncreas-
ed for special and sufficient reasons, which
then existed; but now, when those rea-
sons, or many of them, no longer exist,
we are about to augment salaries and rem
der permanent those, which were only IL
mitted and temporary.
Considering the increase and deprecia-
ton of money, arising from the increase Of
bank institutions and other causes--per-
haps the salaries of the officers named in
the bill, as at first established in 1889, ma
now be considered as too low; but th5
great augmentation, which by this bill w
propose to make to some Of those salaries
/ cannot but consider as too high for tn.
present time, and must therefore vot .
against the passage ofthe bill,
Mr.. Varnum. MY two colleagues hay .
expressed an opinion, in which agrt /.
that the salaries CT the officers mentiont
in this bill, as fixed before the year 17s
are, under the existing state Of things, t.
low for the present time, but they has ;
drawn different conclusions from this fat .
/ believe they are not now too high, al,
shall Therefore vote in :avor ofthe bill. i,
although voted in 1899 against the Bill
for augnenting salaries, believe there j.
perfect consistency in the vote / then CAV /,
and In that which | shall this day give
Ny colleague last up has stated that rent.
are fifty per cent. lower IN this city, thar
they were at Philadelphia in 1899. Fol
such an opinion can find no data. In M
mind the statement IS highly erroneous.
and Il believe the other statements of the
gentleman are equally erroneous. wish
he had brought forward the data on which
he hazarded such statements. He further
states, that provisions are at forty or fifty
per cent. lower than they then were. Thia-
remark may, perhaps, be just inits appli-
cation TO bread, bat it will apply to tia