The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1817-01-29


country, was travelling in south-we,
tern injection. Wealth. and veal
only, would become passport to a Sc;
here. lie asked, what must not be a.
avarice OF that wretch, who, Tor Sl50,
would sell his country and himsel
Look, he said, at the compensation "
give 10 the common sailor; look at Il
compensation to The captains OF our u,
w, and TO the field and general Office,
OF the army, md compare il with uc
compensation the law Of the last sessi,
went TO give members of Congress. !,
he thought the public now required,
Mr.. Il. said, he would vote TO rcrea,
the law; but nothing short o. the pre-
position he had made would answer the
public sentiment. 1t would be only to
iorbear the pay Of the present session,
said he, bich would disdaiD 10 receive
under this bill. said. at the last ses.
sion, would as soon be caught with
my hand in my neighbours pockcJ
as vote against the bill then before us,
and receive the money, and say so
still. After dwelling Gil the advantages
OF his amendment, MIR. r. returned 10
the subject of the bill. Is there a coun-
try Oh the face of The earth, he asked,
where the officers areaswell paidas ours?
He spoke OF the subordinate officers,
the military and naval officers particu-
larly. Had aey appeal been made, not
TO say TO the genet osity, but 10 the pro-
digaiiy OF this House, in their favor,
withou, being iavorabIy answered? Hoc
many bills had passed 10 make good TO
the captCrs OF ships pi war the amount,
and the enorr:ous amount too, OF YES
sells destroyedi How many men in the
naval and military service had been ele
waited from poverty to aAluence ant
splendor! Arc sc about TO aI!irm, safe
he, that representatives on This Aoor
are The only degraded cast in this Scci-
rty, when the emoluments o! military,
naval, and executive officers, arc raised
to the highest pitch (? Shall it be declar
ed by ourselves that this house, as has
been well expressed by the gentlemen
from Louisiana, shall be The mere mi
tiative school for executive appoint
ments2 God forbid, said he, that the
time should ever come that this house
should be regarded as the mere step
ping stoue to other offices--as the lad
der 20 be kicked from under the aspir-
ant, when he has attained his object.
have always regarded seat in this
Housc-and from that consideration
haze rejected overtures for different
situaiion--as worth the acceptance of
any man OF a liberal and honorable am.
bition. The qualifications TO fit mem
Der for this House, are such as 1900
dollars per year will not purchase
I'here was, Mr. r. said, valuable
description of excellent salents--oi
planters apdfarmers of a certain midi
ocrity of situation, who could not come,
under the old compensstion.-which he
begged the House not to restore 10 the
statute book, unless they meant fom make
the station Of a Representative such
one that ncne but two descriptions oil
men could afford 10 seek ii, the opuieGt
Yabob on The une hand, and the misera-
bic political muck-worm en- the other.
MIR r. said he had another objection
10 this bill--that il contained no prcyi-
sion for additional compensation 10 The
Breaker Of this House MIR Il. hay-
ing been corrected IN this impression,
continued thus He had been told he
had inexperienced the bill; and that
a provision 10 allow him twice the a
mount allowed 10 other members was
contained In the bill. That compensa-
ton, he said was not adequate TO the
character and condition of The presid
ing officer of this House, When
think, said he, of the Speaker of The
House Of Representatives, my mind
naturally reverts to the Onsiows of EO.
gland and the Peyton Randolphs of A.
merica. ] look - man WHO ought TO
possess talents of no despicabe sort
who ought TO have parliamentary law al
least at his fingers ends; who ought
to be the grave and dignifed modera
tor of an Assembly of great and au-
gust character--lor such il is, and little
they do know of it who deem OF il less
reverently. Never let me see man in
that chair, VINO is parlizan on the floor
and an umpire there. The Speaker oil
this House and the President of the
Senate ought to have compensation
commensurate with the dignity OF their
stations. Why have VIC given to Hull.
Decatur, Jones, TO Scott, Brown and
other worthless in the publ, employ
ample competitions Because we ex
pecl them 10 live like gentlemen; and