Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-14

sear expences, and voted compen-
sation nearly double; the her to.k the
Iisgraceiul reason assigned by col. John.
on, in the house Of Repre- entatiyes. and
|,aid, that to save time ,sand despatch
business, he would accomm date tie ava.
cacious rascaIs with as much money as
They had the conscience to ask, in one
Hump, and l"ake it their interest to get
loft as soon as possible.
* In the first place, the majority voted
| for it from sheer avarice. For tley can
laot persuade any man in his senses, tba,
six dollars per diem are not sufficient tn
Ipay all the personal expenses of gentle
imam, whatever be his mode of lie. No.
lcessarily incarred in any part of the .,
States, whether engaged in pleasure ~
business. And it never was contemnl..
Ited b. the people, or the trainers of tbs
constitution, that memb IS of congress-
should be considered salary officers or
receive sum more than adequate n
Their exnences. Members of Congress
being only substituted for the reople. who
|could not conveniently assemble and lie.
lsnlate for themselves, are intended 70
1be free from the temptations of Offices T.
aIaries, are expected to he independent
|ot pecuniary reward, and TO be elevated
Far above the scrambling Ell the loaves G.
fishes. They were, the Ere intended
ITO be in motive. pure a dis:nterested.
and in character, honorable and elevated
as the representatives of lie sovereignty
|of a free people ought to be.
| " In the second place, the majority
deliberately ID shameful y prevaricatetd
q the people. in assigning the reasons
land motives that induced them to change
+ mode and amount of their compensa.
zion. They were not, col. Johnson said. in,
ifueBced by desire to husband time, and
ieypeaite lublic Business otherwise theY
aould have thought OF better ex-
)edient aud more reasonable remedy.
fhey directly asserted faisehood. when
ithey asserted that six dollars day were
not sufficient TO pay their expenees. Then
they were guilty of meap prevarication,
| in Offering such excuses to the people.
THE truth is, and there is no mystery in
the affair at all, corrupt, selfish aud
Iavaricious motive was at the bottom; &
Unsigned those who voted for the exc
Icrable law.
In the third place 1.-The majority were
Iguilty Of the most unbIushing and indpii-
|cate disrcspect for the people, and the
custom established from the beginning Of
1.-THE goverDment.-They not only changed
the mode and the amount of compensa~
|tion, but they profted BY their expert"
|ment Immediately. They passed the
law. not as delicacy would have dictated,
to take effect at subseque period. &af,
feet the compensation ola future cong ess,
the councils of the nation, and the proba-
not interested in the decision; they pas.
ed the law and shameful applied ts
ope ration H. their own behalf, before the
then constituents could have any oppor-
tuuity 20 decide on this matter.
:. The truth is, there is much more in
the compensation law, TIM in the mo-
new itself: and that, to b. sure. is a Sc
rious matter, when there are soldiers who
fought Oh the frontiers yet unpaid their
paItry stipends. 1t shew- in /, city
clear point of view, how our liberties and
interests will be treated, ii we be ref
firm enough to guard against corruption.
This measure ought to be examined with
greatieaIousy it has the marks Of a sell
tied administration measure. 1t was
brought forward by leader Of the admi~
nistration party. 1t passed both IoQses
Of congress. 1t received The sign mann"
al Of the president. But i;;s was net all,
the National intelligence, frcm the mo-.
ment Of its enactment, justified il; and
that too, OH the miserable gretences thas
were offered by its frieLds in the two
houses OF congress"
But this is rot The only symptom OF
this political detection II we lock to the
Western states, we discover amongstthc
democratic ranks traces Of tie sane c0n"
fusion and dismay. Henry Clay VAS, N
The usual acceptaiion Of The term, denPm'
rated the right band man OF the e%c'"'
i've. He was the Presidents con!nls'
,ioner at Silent, and assisted in the tor
nation of that Treaty, in which the P:c'
,ident so nobIy surrendered bis doctrine
IF {, free tiade ard sailors rights" Mr.,
Pope, formerly senator Of the trrea
States from Kentucky, Mas, in consc,
luenee of his vote on the preslde8t's VIZ .
measures; burnt ia efEgy Let rs see
low the popularity Vi 50 men vii lear
, comparison nov. She following IS
IN extract trcm the a. ess OF the dc'eo