Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-01-20

should hereafter be called up other orders of tn,
aay NIGH intervene, and the bill 81 length fail o
oe'ng acted upon. IT, after all that had been done
.he gentleman wished more information, he should
DC willing to aceede TO his request but, If thi,
delay Is 10 be made fer the purpose of comparing
Offices, not of the grade, he could not think
Tue proposition reasonable fair, far il
cerned this bill. The Offices of which be had spo-
Ken, were altogether different, with different claims
on the Government. The Postmaster General wa.
AZ the head of great and important Departm ent
ne knew he was not of the Member of the
Iaoinet' and why be was not, Mr.. V. B. did net
comprehend. There one thing certain: either
the salaries ofthe other Heads of Departments ought
10 De reduced, or that of the Postmaster General
increased.
MIR. Holmes knew one, and ba, one inconveni-
ence' In having very good public officer. !,
was 'his-that when you raise his salary for a
jealous performance of his duties, his successor,
NOT so good or so able, came In for his share oil
the advantage. Mr.. II. said. however. that he
should vote for an increase of the salary of the
postmaster General, because he liked him; be-
cause he respected him as a faithful and jealous
iunctionary. He was the Head of Department,
the duties of which required 81 much ability and
Integrity as any OF the s,her Departments; and far
more industry. During the recess of Congress,
The Secretaries might go on excursions into the
country; but the Postmaster General could no, do
it, as his duties required his ince.sant attestion;
and they would probably always require the same
degree oil industry. They plainly enough the
talent and exertion which the Office required, and
why not pay the incumbent accordingly! This
single officer, in the arrangement of salaries. has
been left behind his class. The other Heads of
Departments, he believed were satisfied with the
pay they receiveJ-a, any rate, Congress was sa-
iished with IT and now the objec, was, to bring
up the compensation of the Postmaster General
to an equality with other officers of the same raak
Mr. in fa,1 &c
allow the gentleman to make the comparison he
proposed. He rather thought The salaries of the
Heads oil departments 100 high; and should be
disposed to reduce their salaries one thousand dol
lars, and raise that of the Postmaster General 10
the same sum.
Mr. Chambers was opposed to this proposition.
The increase proposed 10y the bill VAS no more
than justice. Not only had the expense of living
increased since this salary was first fixed SO that
o,UOO dollars would be less than four at that time
but the duties OF the Office had increased in far
greater ratio, and which had not been equalled in
any OF the other Departments.
MIR Woodbury. said that the bill came into the
Senate from the House during the last week OF the
last Session; and The only reason why il did not
then pass. was. that the increase OF The salary of
the Postmaster General was coupled with the in.
crease OF other salaries, which met with opposition
In The Committee, and delayed the subject until the
Session terminated. The opinions oil the VIII lie
OF the Postmaster General.
Mr.. Seymour made some further EXPLANATION of
his views. He supposed, when a salary was 10 be
increased, the Office, and not the man IS a. to be
affected. BY 'he proposition which he had SUBJ
United, he w shed to fix upon some criter on from
winch TO decide as TO the rate of increase He
thought the method OF taking separate Off .ers and
increasing their salaries one by one, an Improper
system; and which would involve Congress in
the necessity of making other advances in Tie sal
aries OF officers. He had given the subject very
little attention, and had made the proposition from
the impulse OF his Fl st impressions.
Mr. Rrggles advocated the BILL but, If the
gentleman wished The postponement in order TO
compare the Heads of other Departments with the
General Post Office, be vas willing to as es to the
proposition.
Mr.. Bell said there was no good ground for max
ing distinction between the pay of the Head of
one Department and the others. He believed the
one called Tor as much talent, industry, and integ-
riy, the others; and he believed the duties had
been performed as well. Throughout the whole
term of the present incumbent's administra alton he
Mr.. } ha,; never heard single complaint. He
was not prepared 10 say that the compen sation of
the Heads OF Departments not too large Bar
he though, one question ought to be settled first,
and the other branches OF the alter at future
time.
The question was then taken on LAYING the bill
on the table, aad rejected.
Mr.. Cobb observed that the argument had been
formerly used, and was still a COOL one, that the
Post Ohlce was only Bominsliy Department.
He had on his table the report Of the Engineer De-
partmeD', and there other Departments If
the kind, the heads OF which would not be rank ed
with the Treasury and State Departments. But,
If he rocoected the reason why the salary of the
Postmaster General was placed no higher on a
former occasion, it was, that he bad. in his De-
partTsent, two Assistant Postmasters General up-
on whom much Of the duty devolved, which, in
other Departments, depended entirely on the Head
This argument was used ten years ago, and lie
thought it equally applicable now. If the two AS
sisiants were taken away, he would vote for in
cfeasing the salary Of the Postmasisr General.
MIR. johnson of Kentucky, would put i, on the
footing on which the subject was placed by the
gentleman from Georgia, and il would he allowed,
by every person acquainted with the subject, that
each Of the other Departments had double the
assistance which the Postmaster General had
There were, it was true, the Engineers Depart
meni, and the Surgeon Generals Department, bu,
they were but paris of the War Department. The
Navy Department had it, Navy Commissioner,
and the Treasury Department lis Comptroller. aud
Auditors, who continually employed in re-
lieving the principal officer.
Mr.. Holmes, said, the argument Of The gentleman
from Georgia was not sound one. The idea was
not correct that the Post Office was Department
merely in name. IT it not Department,
then had they been going contrary 10 the con-titu-
ton, ever since the organization of the establish
ment. The Constitution gave the power 10 Heads
of Departments to appoint its subordnaies, and il
the Postmaster General was not Head Of De
partment, Congress had violated ihe Constitution
in allowing him to appoint subordinate p. masters
The question being aiken, the bill was ordered
10 be engrossed for a third reading by large una
iorty.