Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-05-03
RETRENCHsIENT.

members Of Congress has called fnrth Il world
ofdcbate in The IT. ofR.-morc than we can
this day crowd into or columns. The n
inteligencer of Monday spreads before us
more than seven columns in small type. We
shall merely touch the questions which were
made.
MIR. Sanders moved tn re commit the bill
to the committee that brought it in, with in
structions" SO TO amend it as to make the mi
ieagc s 6 for every 90 miles, also Ia make the
ether sections of the bill correspond with the
amendments made in the LIST sections '-Other
notifications were proposed TO this amend
| meut-ai We're rejected.
Mr.. Hill moved to amend the instructions.
SD as to add arro, iso that no member should
receive f,Ty for any day dring which he has
been absent from the house unless detained
from ii by sickness-be threw out an ntilna-
ton that some gentlemen who were absent
fora week er fortnight-at time had received
as much pay as il they were in their seats
Mcssrs. Alexander and Archer nf Va. indig-
iian'ly repealed this destination, for the dele
CATION from Virginia.-Tns molten was re-
jected.
motion to postpone to fine 1st I,Iunary
in December was also lost 1872 to j3.
| Mr.. Bassett mnved TO amend the instruc-
tons about mileage by striking out four
doitars aud inserting SLr.-Lost nays 90, yeas
! n.
Mr. Alexander Smyth finally mored to a
! mend the instructions by providing that af
\ ten the last day of June next, the mileage and
| wages of the members, and ehe salaries ef
i the secretaries of state. &c. attorney gene
raj, postmaster general, and ;sh the executive
\ officers, clerks, &c. should be reduced 90 per
cent? SO as'to reduce all their coRpensaiuns
| and all equally. Mr.. Rochester rsrovcd To a.
mend this resolution by making an exception
in favor of clerks, who were not Ia be rcd,r.
ed below s 1000 pei ann,tm.-But before aly
question WAS taken, the House adjourned
1Nhe proceedings Gf Tuesday are deta;!e IL
our columns. 1t will appear that Mr.. Smyth's
proposition finally prevailed. Another bi
4 was, however, called up, before the question
1 was finally taken ou the recommitmcnt of tie
4 bill with the Instructions
The general scheme of Gen. Smyth ap
pears TO us to be the best Reduce the wa.
ges of Congress, hut at the same time the Sal
| la'ies at the Executive officers Let us com,
| back to the point from which we started il
| l0l5-w hen the State of the circulating me
dunn furnished the reason for an increase %
boih.-Mr. Cambreeng even considered nj
the laws, raising the salaries of the officers o
this government, passed in the year 1875, t,
have been, taking into rcsiew their continued
er,Sfence, Il fraud upon the nation. Deprecia
ton OF currency was the plea for them. l.
!, not now appreciated /; aud are they repeal
ed! Is not that fact alone a reason for go
ing back?
Ii that were net aiene sufficient reason
We may End it in the state of The Treasury
Mi. Hardn's Committee Of Retrrnchmcn
report probable deficiency of revenue for thu
present year ef 100000. Gen. Smith, Op
the centrary,( Chairman of the Committee al
Ways and Mrans) contends there will be
i surplus Of s 72f geo. {'Who shall decide,
&c. But he that as it may, il is agreed oi
all hands that the annual appropriation for re
ducins the principa! Of the public debt, is an
huaily diverted from lis ol5oct-and tina
when The tug comes in 1895, when there vii
TIL due more than eighteen millions, and il
1926, more than 90 millions, fhere will be-
large deficit and the pubic debt will conf
nue with very iucOusiGerable exceptions {,
saddle the nation. is the public debt lllei
erer seriDEsly TO he paid 81; or are we +,
trust To some windiail-( some war in Etm0p,
pcrchance0 To- tTke us cut nf the pil 2-N,
have NO reasons certainly 90 despair of our fl
nances; yet we have also many to retrench
retrenchmrut be practicable.
Il The committee of retrenchmef alpcars {,
dean to one important error. ghey seem Il
take Mr.. Jrf'crson's administration as tn
standard Of eHrcKpsn,cs-The last war expo
/, SrS thdt mistake. We must have "a rCSpeCta
, bic navy, Notifications, arms nay, Il 5uiijci
tut army, officers, SC. ready Cor war. 1'hi
is true ccOnomy-not, as the committee seen
todEink, save all sur money ~ time of psac,
! to pay of our debt, and in time of war Dor
= row money 10 build ships, forts, sc. The mo
ney costs us a great deal more then, than il
n period Of peace--and besides what is NOR
Il important consideration, tle losses of au un
1 provided war are incidentally grett.-Vh
last warts yet ringing IFS melancholy warning
: In our ears.
Il But There is Il medium in all things. We To
4 would Ieirenct but what Not our esseniii
offences b,'i all salaries, aud wsgrs, SHE =
it could be ELECTED. We wouirs not haze ON
general hess; but we would pay them les