Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-02-02

IN the first instance, made a motion Tor con-
tinuinq for further and limited time the
law of March 1899. 1t was objected that
this simple proposition did not give the m
diyidual members Of the house an oppor-
.tunity of canvassing the amount of salary
allowed by that bill to each officer; and
that disposition might exist to increase
some and to diminish other salaries. Il
was also objected that temporary proyisl-
on ought not to exist forpermanent Offices;
and alledged that the provision should be
permanent that the house ought to be Ii
berated from the unpleasant necessity OF
discussing the subject every two years
Onthis groundthe resolution was disagreed
to; and substituted resolution referred
to the committee of ways and means
That resolution was, not that it was expe-
dient to continue the act Of 1899 for a,par-
ticular time, bat that it was expedient. to
fix by law the salaries, or in other words
to make them permanent. Not make
them permanent, by puttingit out OF the
power of the legislature at any time, when
they shall see fit, to alter them for at a.
nv future time they will have right to re-
peal this act, but make them SO far perma-
nent, as to relieve Congress from discus
sing the subject every session OF a new
Congress. Thus instructed the committee
reported bill in blank. In filing up these
blanks every gentleman possessed the right
Of obiecting to every item. The sense Of
the house was fairly taken, and the result
was a determination to establish the sala-
ries precisely on the same basis fixed by
the law of 1899. Now it appears to me,
thar if there really are any electloneering
views within or without these walls, which
am sorry to see displayed on the floor of
this house, gentlemen will be willing to fix
the responsibility of raising the salaries
upon certain members, and other gentle
men, if actuated by such motives, will not
fix the responsibility on themselves, but
place it where it ought to rest, by re-enact-
ing the law of 1899. But for myself, en-
terrain no fear of the public sentiment res
pecting any measure, dictated, as this is, by
a regard to the.public good. believe that
to legislate on other principles, is tacitly
to say the people are incompetent to their
own government.
SO much as to the recommitment of the
bill. When came into the house, found
the reverend gentleman from Massachu-
sets delivering his sentiments, on which |
beg leave to offer a few remarks. / under
stood the reverend gentleman as maintain
ing that, in the discussion of this bill on a
previous day, the salaries as now esta-
blished by law, were advocated from per-
sonal friendship to the gentlemen now in
Office. / can only reply for myself that |
did not advocate them on that principle,
and for others, that if they advocated them
on that principle, it altogether escaped my
notice. Another objection of the reverend
gentleman is that an amendment, made by
gentleman from the same state with him
self CDR. Eussis) represents these salaries
as the same with those established by the
act Of 1899. This Is either a matter of
fact, orit is not. Let gentlemen examine
the laws, let them compare every salary
fixed in this bill, with every salary esta-
blished by the act Of 1899, and say whether
they are not the same. If this is not the
fact, can the insertion Of the amendment,
which is at most an act Of surpererogatfon,
vitiate the whole bill? Is it sufficient that it
contains declaration of fact which no
one can deny, and which does not affect its
details, to vitiate it? When the gentleman
b. gan his observations had not taken lay
seat. There may have, therefore, been
some observations of weight which ] did
not hear, But if the rest were of the same
nature with those | did hear, would wish
it were consistent with the rules of our pro-
ceeding TO have dispensed with the reading
and to have printed the speech for the use
of the members, or of those for whom it
was intended In some of the remarks |