Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-01-28

OF THE
ST E S.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
FRTDAY, Nov.sf8.
Debate on the bill fixing The S1LARIES ct
csrtaap officers therein menftonea

Debate on the bill fixing the SALARIES Of
CERTAIN officers therein mentioned
CONTINUED.
Mr.. I. Randolph. The gentleman from.
| PENNSYLVANIA asks FOR information, and pro-
fesses~ ignorance of the duties Of the attor-
ney general. / believe those duties are
prescribed By law. As to his compensate
on, the first act, passed under this govern
ment, gave him 1909 dol'ars. In 1872,
400 dollars were added; and IN 1881, 500
dollars more were added, making il the
whole 6, 400 ollars. BY the act OF March
1899, this salary, with the others, was rais-
ed 10 5000 dollars. 1t appears TO rae that
these progressive additions made to the o.
riginal salary of this officer, furnish proof
that it has heretofore been too low. HE
gentleman proposes to make the sala y
1000 dollars; when before the passage OF
the act of March 1899, it was 400 dollars.
In my turn let ne ask the gentleman from
PENNSYLVANIA, and it IS the first enquiry |
have made o. him, his reasons for reducing
this salary below that fixed previously to
1899! I understand him as wiling to put
the salaries generally on the same footing
on which they stood before the passage OF
the act Of 1899. This salary was then
2,4OO dollars it then was increased with
the rest, and having been INCREASED pro-
p~aortionally with them is a reason with me
that it is not exorbitant and does not re-
ouire diminution. / have no other reason
to offer. The gentleman asks if the impor-
tant officers at the head of the state and
treasury departments receive only 5000
dollars, why we give 5000 dollars to an In
fcrior officer. For the plainest reason on
earth. We must give him a salary that
will enable him to i've in a comfortable
manner. | agree with the gentleman, if
we were to remunerate our officers in the
ratio Of their merits, and were to give the
comptroller s 5000 dollars, we ought to give
to the head of the department at least
$4,000 dollars. I speak as to the Offices,
not as to the men that fill them. But this
is impossible. 1t is, however, proper that
every mar shouldliv in some style; how
ever we may reason on this point, the feel
ings of men will decide it. This is myrea-
son for giving the attorney general 5000
dollars. If | am asked, why give ourclerk
1000, or his chief clerk 1900 dollars, |
have no other reason. There is no doubt,
if we give our door keeper 800 dollars,
5000 dollars is not competent to the secre-
tarv of state but it is necessary, neverthe-
less, to give our door keeper enoughrto live
on, that we may insure his daily faithful
services.
While I am up, I will take the orportu-
nitv of making an explanation, which will
shew how far [ have been misunderstood
by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. [
did not State, as represented by him, that
the contingent expenses of the departments
were p~rofuse, or that any reform could be
made in them. But / went over the list
TO shew that, if the object of gentlemen re-
ally was to make a saving Of the public mo-
ney, it was in them that it was to be made,
and not in the salaries 0 particular officers.
{ stated that in the department of the trea-
sury, whose whole eXpences are 100000
loilars, it was idle to attempt an economi-
cal reform by curtailing a few salaries. 1
could not have stated that | considered the
apartments as conducted with profuslon,
FOR | do not believe it.
/ also stated that gentlemen who wished
% save money should resort to the marine
and military departments, and that they
were the W. great sinks of nations; but /
did not stat that they were the sinks of this
ration. Did the gentleman ever hear of
4 nationed ruinsdb by its civil list? do not,
however, mean to say that abuses should
De tolerated in the civil list but that in
great pecaniary reforms, we ought tobe-
gin with the marine, the army, diplomatic
expences, and then come to the civil list,