Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-12-06
.or orr CORRESPONDENT A
fho WASHINGTON.
,y,lasslsg 4;A Dec. 1916.

rha hulk OF this cay SusinS
Inc u y representatives has been a mo
House o :, NV ~ Sir. Johnson Of Kentucky'
ton made e |, y committee to enquire inlo
TO raise .l;sncy Ofrepealing or modifying
ne "a srsnsation Law" Mr.. johnson
the Ceh prstty long speech which SO tar
made =. : p rs any thing in favor Of a repeal
from as,a,,dS,ced the justice and policy OF
ratnsr He recognized the propriety OF
sae ~. q Congress receiving the IN
lesln at;ao, Of their constituents. profess
rlS ~ nsr,uasion that when the people
,nss ~, - ppn;uion of their own, uaswayed
ior'l ~ n,sIence, they are sure to de-
W. f.;thtuIly: but in the present In
slae IT, rho artful use that had been made
' s.l';s aet. for the most unworthy purposes.
s.,d"'aat aa had the effect Of esciting
aaJ ;,,fpeucing them beyond all former
s ~ Of this he stated some instan
% ,h;eb il they were not OF too serious
Dature for mir,h would be in the high
at degree ludicreus. To obtain either
,;sbt or favor he said the most inye.
.s,sfe hostility TO the compensation law
s.d becone necessary. Be his preten
s saa what they might do you denounce
sss Compensation law was the teN by
'ss;cs the candidate was FIRST tried. Was
sny one seeking to- It ! to abhor the
oo,nnsnsstion law was an Indispensable
au,l;6cation. If he wished to be coa.
sfabIe be must set out with elmer a.
gainst that object of public wrash--and
r. Johnson mentioned the cause OF a
worthy gentleman who having beautiful
Isuqntcrs, refused his consent to a gen.
tenan who was paying his addresses to
QUE Of them, unless he joined IN crying
down the Compensation law. Sach was
the aniversal.y and yiolence of the pub.
lie excitement, that men seemed as II
they were afraid not tu.join in It; and
state legislatures themselves condescend.
ed 10 crimlnate the motives OF old, ap.
proved, faithful servants of the public in
Congress, who had grown grey in the
service of the country And this clanor,
whcih extended from Maine to Georgia,
was, for whati Why for raising the
compensation Of members OF congress 60
lleyel vita the salaries OF the door keep,
srs and common clerks Of the house,
which salaries were in 1896 only half
what they are now, were increased
cut Of a sense of justice. and very
properly, to the satisfaction of the
puoilc, BY the very members of Congress.
vino 40 their turn have been ceusared
aOa vitupefated for doing only equal
justice to themselves.
N sell defence as. the original mover
4 OF the LAW, Mr.. johnson entered into a
jnSnhcaton of the provisions, on princi.
pies CT cannon Justice Was there a
man IN the country, he asked, who did
not know that every necessary of life had
risen IN p.lce in ratio greater than that
compensation law, and that dinner
which nov cost dollar, could, wiiep the
odoIlars day was FIRST allowed To mem.
sers, be purchased for half dollar or
even less: and when viewed in compari'
son with the salaries Of all the oticers Of
state. judges, alt even down to the Sc.
l9etary and clerk Of the two houses Of
tonsress, it would be found still more
reasonable. 10 the state legislatures the
same reason did Dot exist, because the
nenbers might discharge their legislative
auty without neglectius to any jniprioSs
extent their private ca,Iings, and without
ious separation from their homes aud IA.
miles, whereas a member of Congress
vas, win some ie,y exceptions, Interrupt.
VI and cur oil trom ms private business,
anu separated from his family and from
al the comforts of hone, a great part at
ne year. When the people had got lid
~ me Impressions and excitenents un.
aer which they n3w labored, Mr.. Johnson
nad 30 do0bt they wonli think 1909 dol.
ia's year not more Tran sufficient
compensation for suchs services and for
such bitter priyat;uns as those of the mem.
Sers of Congress.
ne declared on MS own part, that after
paying hls outfit and tear and wear of
h SoFs s N travelling, the expences here,
as did notpu; one hundred dollars in his
pocse'-And he was sure that when
he@oers brought their wives {and who
aoS'u say that married men were TO be
sae from Congress y they must be
soaslaerably cut OF pocket by il.
LIZ considered the Glamour against the
Jaw Is the effect OF artiui misrepresen,a-
YOU working upon the minds Of pubic,
s;..s aiiye to patriotism and public
'.ae aed jealous OF their liberties; bu.
p0lA.ed out to their consideration the
, ss!, OF the parliament Of England ia
SSlca no member received compensation.