Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-08
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASH
INGTON.
Wednesday, January 7, 1918.

VshtSady3 oHEEt' = - iOiO'
The house Of representatives., in com.
mittee of the whole, Mr.. 5. Smith IN the
cha,r) was employed all yesterday upon
the new compensation bill. The select
committee who constructed the BILL had
seut il to the house, not, as usual, with
blanks to be filled up by committee Of
the whole, but with the sum of NINE dol
lars specifically set down as the daily
compensation, and NINE dollars forevery
twenty usiies travelling to congress, and
back again. When the chairman put the
question on the first section, Mr.. Ross
moved to amend tie bill by striking out
the word MIMI, and substituting SIX in
ITS place. This motion was seconded By
Mr. Desha, who made speech on the
occa.ion; in which, after promising that
he did not expect to change tine minds ct
gentlemen, but thkt he, uever theless, Ow.
ed il 70 himself to give his reasons for
voting ter the amendment, he said he re-
sret,sd that the committee had not lett
Slanks, in the customary way, for the Sc
yeraI suns !; which would have better
comported with the dignity OF the house
than the course they had taken but
when he considered who the persons
were that composed the committee
There he was called to order by the chair
snsu1-that they were chiefly lawyers,
and therefore fond Of high fees Cagain
he was called 10 order, ard stopping tor
a moment, proceeded to ask the house
whether they had already forgotten the
violent agitation Of the public mind on a
former occasion touching this very sub.
iect ;7--ana he urged the expediency OF
oaying due attention at this time to the
manifest feelings of the public declar.
ing that for his part he would oppose the
compensation proposed by the bill, as ex.
trsvsgant, even though he should stand
alone. He denied what had SO often
been asserted, that members OF congress
were worse paid than any other officers
of yovernmen for he wsuId maintain
that the officers of both the civil and mi
6tary establishments we're much more
noorly remunerated. As to the plea that
money had fallen in value, he charged
cnperess with having been themselves In
,he fault OF that, by ciartering so many
hanks, aud said that therefore they ought
, ~ bear their share Of the evil arising out
IF il. To another defence that had been
need on this subject, viz. that there
senld be a want OF talents in congress,
q thew did not bid higher for them he
answered, that he thousht the country
could be at least as we'll served by men
NJ Main common sense as by great ora
tors--for be very much preferred, as ie,
y;s,ators, men OF solid reason and souna
iudoment, to such as he had seen enough
af in that house, who could only Gull rhe-
toncai Ics ers and make speeches. Hha'
Ihe demauded) must the Industrious ifa-
sal. hard working farmers think OF pay,
;ny nlas dollars a day for the support Oh
single representative ? Mr.. Desha seem
ed as il he had observed, or thought that
he observed in the house around mn,
syuptoms Of disapprobatiou and imIa'
fence; and he openly expressed his cha-
Uin at it; seeming to think that their
con,hiur, which was. I imagine, purely
accidental, was intended as personal M
kindness to him---and he, above all, IN
,a.nted and deprecated the houses be-
saving such an anxiety about their own
nscunssry emolument. in case IN WHICH
ihey ought to be actuated solely BY pure
.,,;ofsarn
Mr.. Clay said that in selecting the
committee, he had been guided BY two