Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-02-09

/ iic? Remember how Thcbes Ino,,,,r,a $50. - -
"hen her people atteEpied to vie with the Persiars in
pomp and splendour Rencmber what became Of
| Sparta when she forgot the simple laws of Tr,.,,
60 will this government crumbe into ruin in less IN,
twenty years, unless We stop the wheels of its down
l-."'o course III extravaganza and progigacy. What
an astonishing effect this place produces anon manv
honorable members. We come from, oar homes ,n,n
poor and almost pennyess We enter and ioolr AZ tb
nagniilcence oiths hail. re attend leyees routs and
nails in continued round %, p,rasnro how;nr
ooseqniously TO the high dgnitaries who in fact are
nothing more than ourselves mere servants and w;lh
US, amena5le TO the sovereign and soon d;sdain
10 own That we were poor We dress eff in gay appa-
rel, at the public expense and soon cut fine figure
indeed. Eut this will coon destroy ns unless W.
stop midway in our mad Career
WITH regard 10 the pay of the Members Of CONGRESS-
would oeg The Indulgence of the Hocse while
tue officers OF any branch of the government are mi;
pa'd 'hey are certainly the Members of Con-
e'ess. heir pay is compensation that poor Young
~" " sen.us daFes not receives for should he make
voc atte.f'' lie sees nothing but starvation before
oi!a. inc pay offers him 30 CONDENSATION for the
osses lie must necessarily sustain in quitting ufde
o' ms pursuits IN life. Whether those pursuits be
pFoessona, agricultural rnechan;cal the present
pay OF Member presents no indemnify for The loss
SIR, who do we find in the possession OF these. we
hnd meo either CT great wealth. or men reckless of
comfort Tor themselves or families, bachelors
",'out FAMILIES or dependents make not this last
usioo Out OF any dsrespest that valuable class of
unmarried gentlemen upon this floor, but TO complete
me tue list OF the occupants of this House. l say,
and nsst upoh it, that are woi SC paid than any
o'ner persons In this government. We haYe more
aFducus duties i! indeed would perfurn them.
DO not mean TO say that do fully perform them;
only mean TO say what my words clearly Indicate
oot u we did, we should labor harder than any other
persons liz the government; and vet the sorr;nst drudr
Ia ono OF ile Departments receives more for his SER
wees than we do, nnless il be Nessens en- or
'e'lor menia wall candidiy tell The House my Opt
mon In tins matter: II that OF two things ought
70 DC done, the pay OF Members of Cpnercss ouy lt
either TO be raised 10 reward the exertions OF
'''e i'st talents OF te country il ought 10 be
huced 10 what will barely pay for our board aud
single suit Of clotles aud then, whe that suit is
worn cut, we will all, witt, accord, go home 70
'aN OF our present compensation being thng like
ah equivalent for leaving business and homes
10 come here, Is perfectly idle. WHY sir in the asi
vacation which Could spend home--aud this / say
mol IN ooastng, but of tru--I made more money by
lar than The fnii amount OF all The clear money
10 r.
Sir, gentlemen sometimes tell me that a iu.l or
o'eifow,i'g Treasury is Ia one view of the
suoject agree that fall Treasury a curse: bu!
not IN the light IN which. they vies. it, mean il is
curse 10 IBIS government whenever is knova thai
!nere IS any uaappropriaed money in its Golfers;
h'ho oi pscupiaty mama seizes upon all and
seem 70 think that every individual may deye his arm
1910 w. ana taks am scatter contents TO the four
"ihds SO far, overio,gine treasury pioyes TO he
sseat curse aud 50 far, too, we make use uf il
merely 10 advance our own ends by throwing u into
u q M S!Dn In
inquire whether tbs. icg cd object const, a,onal or
not III Is said that money .he root of evii. No sir
IS not 'he 'noeE, bi!' the love OF it, that cousii
tu'es the evil From tence follows that it lis mol
in the Overlooking fuilness Of the treasury that Y
evil lies, but in our own degenerate hearts. Were
It not for this tue treasury might be repenisled we
should not be CONTAMINATED BY tho brilliant shners il
'ngt contain If we would only prescribe ourselves
the rule Earl Fit pursued when he was Chancellor
OF the EXcheGuer-thai - never 10 suffer our ewes
vstfuljy to lcok upon the treasury. We should re-
member that II was sacred deposit, and the money
there the bone and sDew our couDtrys s engt!
iheHce, tie great necessity of extingUsiDg the pub.
Tic deN. Sir, the resolution cannot but have good
effect. 1t will at least establish rule OF due accouD
liability amongst all the officers OF the various Depart
ineDis of this government, and make them circuIn
spect in Their expenditures. We see a contingent
fund here and a contingent fund there, and every
little Office Las lis contingent fund And il Will have
more saluiary effect in instiiut;ug the inquiry into
the and necessity of keeping up this immense ar
! ray OF more than 5000 officers Aud again, II will
be giving The sovereign people such valuable inior-
nation. if i. should be necessary retain nearly all
these officers, because the most Intelligent Of them
cannot the present state % affairs see how il is nos
sble that one half OF these officers be usefuy Gun
pIoi cd i'll government much extoed iar its eco.
poiny and simplicity
Dir. Speaker. The present and approaching situation
Of country orcibIy reminds me of CERTAIN kim
who as 'sbe says, lived in odep times. lie hea,d hi,
people iondiy grooming under heavy taxes and exac
lions OF every Kind; lac Inqsned into tie state of bis
treasury aho ne found there was money there. -
Beng peFriexed for the of the evil, he nmedi.
ate,y called his council about him; they into
any long Arguments; great confusion prevailed and
The conclsTe came 10 conclusion Seeing This tie
Monarch dismissed his noisy councillors, and sent for
obscure sage who resided in his neigbo rhood ben
the difficulty explained and laid open to the view
Of i!iis wise man he requested the Kings attendants
might bring bin roll OF CLOTH pair OF shears ball
of twice and needle aid all The money from the
Kings Treasury. The sage Immediately went 10 work
not by words, but by deeds, making as many b,os
rs there officers concerned in the collection Of
the Kings revenue The Grst was large enough TO
hold the entire that las in lis presence; no then
counted out the fees aud per censge of The first and
each successive officer, reducing his bag each time
just to hold the respective sums until the whole
was exhausted except single piece not larger Than
a pisareen, which be pushed into very small bag
He up aud made very profound bow and said
presenfInG me last bite bag) and this for your
Majesty. lie then retired without utteripp another
,unrd- Pie cnocinaa lnfnlin.l