Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-24

IL Snoulu ne SuilClent To CO.
yer the expenses of his Office ard pay him the
salary which the law allowed him. The de-
sign Ofthe committee in reducing the commits
sion thus low, was, as he understood. TO make
tile collector practice economy to enable bim
To deiray the expenses and receive his own
compensation from the commission. This
being the object, Mr.. Van Buren, went on TO
shcw that the proposed commission would be
inadequate to provide that amount of COM
pensation which the committee admitted the
collector ought 10 receive; TO prove which he
referred to the statements Of several years, in
the two last of which, with the present com
mission of one-fourth of one per cent. the sur
plus was but 5000 dollars; of course it was
manifest that the commission would not have
yielded the necessary amount had it been
one-eighth. Where, therefore, lac asked, -,vas
the necessity or the reason for :; reduction
winch could save nothing, and might operate
unJustly on most responsible officer? Asa
means of compelling the officer to exercise e.
economy, 1T was entirely unnecessary, because
the Senate would sec that other sections Of
the bill fully secured that object, and for which
the committee deserved credit. As there
was, therefore, no possible use for the reduc-
ton OF The commission, he hoped it would be
rejected and the present rate allowed.
Mr. HOLMES rejOined that there was no
difference in principle between himself and the
gentleman who had just sat down, but a diff
ference in calculation only; and he went into
a number OF statements 10 shew that his own
view OF the subject was correct that com
mission of one eighth would cover all proper
expenses, and pay the Collectors salary, and
at the same time have the effect to produce G.
economy in the officer. He advcrted to what
had been said of the great expense of those
Offices, particularly the expenses of clerk
hire, and observed that, what the Collectors
said on that point mast be received with much
allowance. These clerks were sometimes
surveyors, weighers, sc. who performed the
duties OF clerks Tor nothing, TO secure the o.
+ Their good Offices ; but, that the collector
}, charged this clerk hire, rendered graiuitousIy,
5 and put the amount in his own pocket
Sometimes relations would give receipts for
, salaries they never received, for services they
never rendered, TO enable the Collector To
}, pocket The amount. Such things were said,
and he would be therefore cautious in brliev-
Ing all that was alleged of the amount of these
expenses. He knew, himself, ofno cases Of
direct fraud, but what he had heard had made
HIM little incredulolis as to this matter of
clerk hire. He would only add, that the Sc
, cretary OF the treasury was satisfied that the
one eighth would yield the necessary a.
mount
Mr. LowRIE observed, il was not material
! how this question was decided, as it had no
{, thing to do with settling the amount of COM
: pensaton. The committee hid agreed on I,
D maximum allowance of 1000 dollars. and fit
was supposed that one-eighth of one per cent
e woald not produce that amount, a higher com
mission should be fixed. He would suggest
one-fifth, rs was allowed in Philadelphia, and
, Boston, or one-sxth, if it was presumed tina,
a one fourth would yield surplus. Ii was not
this part oftiie bill which he looked to- for the
e correction of abuses for such, he had no hest
/ tation in saying, he believed to exist.
: Mr.. VAN buren, altered his motion to the
t insertion of Onesixth of one per cent.
= Mr.. Otis thought the question fought frs.
h to be taken on striking out, that the sun,
/ might he inserted afterwards. with reference
t to other cities, which were generally fixed in
o a certain ratio proporiioncd TO the commission
b at New York. He thought the contest a very
Improbable one, and it was not the point ON
: which the battle ought TO take place for ifa
: certain salary was agreed on, it was of no sort
e OF consequence whether it was raised by one
fourth or one fifth, as the surplus goes into the
e Treasury,and must be accounted for He had
Y no idea that this surplus should remain in the
, hands ofthe Collector for years for the purpose
|, oil speculation, &c. and it ought TO be guarded
:. against as well as all other abuses but at
: the same time he did not conceive it proper to
0 deal with these Collectors, or speak of Them,
u -.
d BILE to justice; and he thought every consi-
: deratioD of equity and policy required that
g they should be well paid.
: Mr. MACON said, this question might be
# settled by a short clause, providing that, if the
n commission fall short, the deficiency should
y be made up out of the Treasury. AS to the
8 object OF the BILL il was its misfortune that il
C would meet with opposition here from every
= state where there were officers Interested
He did not know much, ne said, Of high sala-
# rIes or great Offices in his part 0fthe country
e but, whatever might be said Of these places
e and OF the danger Of not getting men to Gil
e mem, there hdd never been any difficulty oil
e that sort. He put no confidence in any such
v Tears when he saw members quitting theii
C seats in the Senate 10 take those places. and
= were glad Of them. These offices, therefore
could not be very bad. He for one had beer
r. willing to fix the highest salaries AT 1000 dol
n lars they are now $4,000 and he thought
z 1t enough. AS to securing the honesty O
st officers, Mr.. NJ. said, man who would not b,
i. dishonest with five Thousand dollars salary
" would not be a rogue with four thousand.-
d whenever Congress tried To reform any
10 branch of the service, they were always told
J. that was not the right department to bcgir
10 wlth-every aitrnpt to reduce expenses me-
l. with that answer. There was sort of pride
2 he said, in high salaries, and he had heart
people from SOME states boast that they CAV,
: to their officers such and such large salaries
e, but III one of the best regulated states OF tn,
E. Union they never talked in this way. III
of alluded TO the state of Connecticut, one of tb
s, best regulated communities in the world
n there was 40 Boosting OF high salaries there
le The objec of the committee in reporting tb
At bill was to give enough and at the same tim,