Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-03-29
COMMUNICATION.
sehemes fer Shortening the Sessions 81

Il
For SEINE years past, it is believed
that Congress have occupied in their
| sessions, on an average, six months in
zach year. Their hcr dien, allowance
has, Of course, amounted toDearly 1000
dollars. AS saving to the public, |
| would propose to abolish the ter diem
| alloeanee, altogether, and, in lieu of it,
| sllow each ne.nber salary OF 600 dol.
lars. Ii is presu%ed hat such a regu-
alton would have powerful effect in
keeping members to the question and
hat the business would be transacted in
/, salf the time now consumed. Should
the session close in any time less than
| 100 days, il is evident that the members
will have received, q will not say earn.
ed more than six dollars per day. But
Il is eslieved that Salary-Mem would de
The whole business in two months: If
50, their allowance would be 10 dollars
ter diem. That my scheme may not be
| condemned as visionary, without due re-
| aexion, permit me to state that similar
arrangement exists in the wise Empire
Of China, respecting the Court-Physi-
clans. The Emperor deducts from
their compensations all the days in which
se continues sick. It is, therefore, the
interests of the Physicians to cure him
| as soon as possible. 1t is said that the
Emperor's illness is always of short con
tlnuancc. That the faculty may have
| no temptation to terminate the disease
F! by killing the patient, It is provided
,ha. the salaries shall not recommence
previously to the restoration of the pa
lent. Another case in point may be adj
dnced. An eastern potentate secures
the yigiIancn OF the officers OF his army
(The General and fela-officersl BY dis
continuing their pay during the exist
ence of actual war. His wars are, OF
course, energetic and short. His army,
! no doubt, would, if any army could,
8 Conquer Canada in sic weeks"
At all events, Generals under such re-
sulatians would try their best.
! fornsce two objections that will be
made 10 ny scheme:
lst. Tie minority who complain, e.
ven al present, Of their subsection to the
shrepi us question" would suffer often
or by it under the proposed alteration
| As short sessions would then be the in
! eercs, Of the majority as well as the mi
nority, the former would be apt to consi-
der the speeches Of the latter as some.
thing worse than an idle waste OF time
| the waste Of money would also be the
onsceueHce-and such speech as that
delivered by the memorable Pickering
would, no doubt be considered, both an
argumentstiye and pecuniarY sense, as
extremely nnhrefta6fe.
| The only mode of obviAting this OBJ
1 jectiOn is to suggest that, as the mine
rity, in the capacity of salary-men, would
not 60 into such latitude of debate as
they 60 at present, the rule authofising
the previous question, should be abo-
lished.
End. The second objection, since it
relates to very Insignificant portion of
the community, yiz.-the keepers of
boarding. houses, is scarcely worth con-
sidering. answer it however, by stat
ing that, as those poor people are; from
the advanced prices Of every article of
housekeeping, Dread excePted) losing
money, instead of making it, the shorter
the session the better for them.
| As to the Printers employed by Con.
gress, I apprehend that their interest
would be promoted, instead Of injured,
| by short sessions. The fewer speeches,
the more business would be dons, and,
consequently, more printing required;
A PROPRIETOR.
The bill from the Senate for compro.