Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-01-26
CONGRESS
OF THE
UNITED STD re
HOUSE OF REPRESEfSTAT..Y
FRIDAY, Nov. Is.
Debate On The 5ill feiing the SdLARIES 9
certain Offers fheresss msnti01se..-
GoNTIaUEp.

parted by the gentleman ~ 0sl y - iisiss s.
lenabled HIM TO give a correct vets on thls
subject; before he did which he should
trouble the House with a few observations.
His I'll state ofhealth hadnot permitted him
Ito attend to the progress CT the bill belore
1.-The committee, and when he. before rose he
was new to the subject. But from the re-
marks which had dropped from dlflerens
gentlemen in the course OF this debate he
had found no reasons that satisfied his mind
Of the propriety Of a reduction OF t!ls sala-
ries of the, officers contemplated IN this bill.
He. ON the contrary, believed those sala-t
Iries were at present full .ow enough. 1t
was a maxim with him, unless good rea-
sons were offered for the reduction OF sala-
ries, to be in favor OF continuing them; and
no such reasons had he heard. Ii had been
stated by a gentleman from Pennsylvania,
(Mr. Ciay) that the wages OF member OF
that House amounted only to about the rate
Of 800 dollars year: that statement was
incorrect; calculating for the year at the
rate per diem they would amount to about
2,1OO dollars a year, and in the case OF
members, living remote from the seat OF
government, to about $500 dollars. He
would ask the House to recoilect the differ
ence between his services, and those OF a
head ola department; and vel he received
more than half of the compensation made
to the highest officers under the govern
ment, excepting the President and Vice
President. Mr.. S. said he was clearly Of
opinion, for these and other reasons, that
the salaries should continue to stand as they
then did.
Mr.. Skinnerrose, ndmade some preli-
minary remarks not distinctly heard. i!e
then said, his opinion was that this place
was more expensive than any withia the
United States. Comparing the expences
here with those In the cast wing Of me
continent, lhey bore no proportion. Gen
tlemen. say these are war salaries; and is
here not now &tate Of war in Europe
Would it then be wise, when these sala-
ries were formed under circumstances a.
rising out of wa3', to reduce them at the
commencement of another war before1ts
effects are known? He drew, IN his mind,
a distinction between increasing salaries,
and continuing them after such increase.
At the time these salaries were increased,
it had been stated as a reason tor the in
crease that we were about removing the
seat of government to this place; but he,
believed ithad been opposed on this ground,
that it would be best to wait until the go
vernment was removed, when, being here,
the necessary expenses could be better as,
certalned.
Much has been said of economy. Mr..
Skinner said he had never been for fixing
he compensation of officers so low as not
o adm It highest talents. True econo-
NY, in his opinion, conslstedln saving un-
necessary expences; and this would be ef-
fected by filing the first Offices of the go
vernment with the best men in the union.
Let it be recollected too that these officers
have been arraigned before the public u;l-
Iii the weapons of SANDER had broken
harmless at their feet. Was this a time to
reduce thei -compensatlons? Such meat
sure would surely be indiscreet, as it
might produce an impression of demerit on
their part. 1t would also be an act of in-
grantude.to the people. Mr.. Skianer stat
ed his belief, that, so far as related to his
constituents, the present salaries were
deemed no greater than the officers merit
ed, and not more than sufficient to support
them. He said he was against continuing
useless syi TENS that involved expence; but
should be one of the last to reduce the sa-
larry annexed TO an Office Of the first impor-
tance. He had never been in the habit of
| contemplating a deduction of these salaries
or ofsreiying upon the patriotism Of officers.
He belieyedthe best way was TO give sala-
ries to the public officers that would enable
them to live comfortably. Suppose the pa
triotism of the gentlemen now IN Office