Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-03-15

ton OF EXbGuL1NG nHn A<~N y 49, - rs, !
|;rers. NOR did ne see why the mem.
hers Of congress should measure
their compensation BY that Of ether
officers of the government. This
question was one separate and DIS
.inct: il was a question OF its own
character, he said. and thought to
stand alone. He was, therefore, ol,.
f;,osed TO commitment, in order to q.
mend the bin.
Mr.. Campbell said. as . member
Of Tie comt'c Of finance he was not
ware, that the committee could
give any information to the Senate
on che subject of this bill, which
would enable il to act better than
they could without il on this bill
The principle of the bill. be said.
was a naked one, whether the com
,ensaiion of The members should or
should not be increased !: the ques,
ton in relation to the manner OF
was also a single ques-
ton. MIR. G. said he felt in SO
great degree the delicacy which
had been adverted to, that he would
not say much on this subject. AS
to the argument that the salaries OF
some other officers Of government re-
rr
auire an increase, he was net dis
posed to deny the fact: but in ad
dition to the reply that it was not
necessary to connect that question
with the one row before the Senate.
he said, the salaries of those off,
GERS had been raised since the com
pensation of the Members Of Cen
gress had been fixed. Mr.. C. did
not profess himself to be an advocate
for the manner of compensation pro
posed by this bill : he had serious
doubts on the subject: but he tho't
proper to state, that this measure,
having been adopted by the other
house, which is considered general
ly as immediately Responsible to the
people for its acts, and the members
of which pride themselves on being
the pursehosders of the nation it ap
peared to him that this house was
relieved from the necessity Of preb
ing the subject as closely as it might
otherwise be proper. Not, he said.
that he thought the Senate was at all
hound BY their vote, but in this
respect the other house was at least
as responsible as this. The present
TO the Members of
Congress, he was convinced, was en-
tirely too low, If it was hstended
that they should have q compensa-
ton any thing like competent to pay
their necessary expence. He was
opposed TO the reference altogether:
'ifcommitted, be hoped it would be
10 anotbercommittee than that which
had been named.
MIR Dagget said. the question en-
.braced by this bill. was one which he
should be always disposed to leave
with the other house he would not
interfere, he said, to prevent that
which they should
deem adequate totheir services. He
felt no reluctance in contending. and
centending earnestly, with the House
of Representatives, on questions such
as that Of the extent Of the treaty
making power. the expediency and
amount OF a land -tsx-indeed, on
any question of general nature
but. he said, there WAS an innate
delicaey ia the Senate's undertaking
to say that the House of Represen.
tatives should not have sort of
control over such questions like this
He WAS. therefore, disposed TO take
la bill ofthis nature, and pass it as
sooR as. according to the forms of the
house, il could be done, and to have
Jas little said about it. If they had
even increased the compensate still
farther, or if they had thought fit to
diminish it, he should not have tho't
Unnecessary, for his part, to say a
word about it.
Mr.. Macon did BOT consider this
as question of compensation The
question now TO be considered was.