Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-03-27
On the CONDENSATION Bill.


no Law has lately passed Congress.
"h'cn has excited so much feeling as the
one " varying the compensation for the
services or the Senators and Representa-
uves. The arguments in its favor are
weak; while the objections to it are CO.
gHnt, clear, and, we had almost said. ire
s'sribie.
Inc ARGUMENTS are, 1. That it will
cut shorter the sessions of Congress
mat It brings the pay of the M .mbers of
Congress nearer to that of the Executive
branch or the government and g. That il
brings theirpAy nearer 10 what it was at
hrst, making due allowance for the depre-
Citation of the currency.
those who use the first argument, paw
eut poor compliment to the Members of
congress. 1t IS, IN fact, to say, that at pre-
sent they do not do Their duty by the peo-
PIE ; that they either sit there to listen to
long speeches, which delay the public bu
siness, or spin out the9 Sc ssian, to in
crease their pay. Now, if it be the first,
how Is this eXpedient to cure the evil !?
How is 1T to stop the three-day speeches
OF MIR. Randolph IF the members are
to cough him down or leave him TO him
self, why do they not de it now Will
they take more care Of their own purses,
than OF those Of the people And if the
last he the fact, what are we 70 think of
the Congress of the u. S. p0cketing their
wages without earning them If such be
IN tact their disposition, we have to fear
a contrary evil, under the new system :;
that as they now ST too long, for their own
emolument, they will then Sit too short
time to do the public business thst they
will not &c do many things which ought to
be done - hurrying over the public bust
ness IN respect to their own purses.
The % argument is worthy of Mr. Ran
dolph.-If TIE Presidents salary be too
high, lift were made for the man General
Washington and not for the office, as Mr..
II: contends, why not reduce it ? Instead
OF CARRYING the one up, Why not bring the
other down If indeed, the Executive be
SO much better paid as to endanger the i'll 4.
dependence or value of seat in Congress,
why not curtall the former to its proper
dimensions
The Sd argument is not agreeable to the
jacf.-Money has dcpreciated--but how
muchs A fourth or fifth but not az
much as $500 dollars a year exceeds 6
dollars per diem.-But, even if the wages
were too low, did it suit the dignity of Con-
gresS to raise their own wages Was the
law meant FOR their successors, it would
nave been much bctter--if it were even
TO nave taken effect from the next session
OF Congress, it would have been an act of
SeJ denial, which would have recommen-
dcu 1t TO Amelica.-But TO make the bill
retrospective IN its provisions, will not
tell well in history.'
The OBJECTIONS to the measure are
LIST. that 1t raises the wages too hieh-The
next session opens in December, and must
END on the 18th March-three months.-
And allow the other session Of the term to
be twice as long as this-For two years
thcn the sessions average nine months--or
Is months year 40 days at 1900 dolls.
d year, IS more than 10 dollars a day-Ijut.
II the sess ons be made shorter, the COR
pensation becomes greater. This advance
IS too creation the 218 members, il will
cost the nation 1862, 900 more. This appears
somewhat different from the bin drawn
up by Mr.. Jefferson in 1776, which allows
the reasona6ie expenses for susfenance
and travelling of the said Delegates. aad
OF their wives and children accompanying
ttheD, &c. or any such member prefer
ing the same, the sum OF dollars
Tor every day he shall be at Congress.
2nd. The time, of its going into effect
as already stated.
3Td. Lest it cut short the public busi
ness II what us friends hint be trre,
that the present sessions ars spnn cut
IN order to gain more pay.
Oh objection. Where will the increase
stop DO they not let in demands from
all other quarters and have not appiic1ti-
on for mare m,oucy been already made for
clerks, judges, ambassadors, heads of de-
partme nts. &c. &c. ,
Though this bill bas passed, it is not too
late 70 repeal, to modify, or suspend it,
Thanks to the Senate they have thrown
ont ano her measure which went up 70
them from the II. OF R.--to grant the
members of Congress the privilege of
frank ne duriag the recess
" I'VE understand. that the Supreme
{ art of the L. S. have decided the Nan.
tate Case. in opposition 20 the decision of
the Court of Appeals--that some persons
at Washington regard the course which
they have taken, as conciIiatoiy but, what
that Course precisely is. the hasty account
we have seen, do not give US distinctly to