Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-02-02

MIR. Randolph said, as this thing il to be gone .
into so far from having reached the middle of the
session, fear we have only begun ii. had hop |
ca that instead oil being halloway, we were two
thirds through it. 1 do not know what more the |
public good mperiously requires, that is now at
tanable, than that should pass the other appro-
priation bills, and then adjourn. shall vote a. |
gainst the amendment proposed by the gentleman
from New York, MIR. Taylor,l but shall not |
therefore, vote in favor of the resolutions of the
gentleman from Kentucky, Mr.. Chilton.l 1 can |
not agree in sending the resolution to the Commit
tee oil Ways and Means and one reason is that the
Chairman of that Committee has very truly told
us, that ne would be sent without chart or com |
pass, upon voyage of dircovery, TO find out ter
rd uicogntfG; but, if adopted, will Join in sending
II TO Select Committee. knowing, from the past, |
now mat Committee will be apponted-I should
not say, knowing, but rather, being able to sntci
pate, from the usage OF the House in all such
es Ii this subject is to be brought up, hope it
Will be thoroughly probed; and the only way tho
roughly 10 probe 1t, will be, 10 have the discus
sion first, here, on the general principle ofreorn
Let gentlemen herein this House-deterntine
whether they will retrench, and then point out
what officers can be spared, and what salaries can
be reduced Sir, any movement at this time, az
| iectnS great interests and classes of men, was
what deprecated when my very worthy and most
respectable colleague, Mr.. p. p. Barbour drought
In his resolution the subject of the Government
Stock in the Bank OF the U. s. and, which although
the House refused TO put it upon the table, finally
obtained but nine votes in its favor. do not hest
tate to say, here in my place, that the expenses Of
! the Government are too high-that they ought to
/ DC reduced-and that as soon such thing is
practicable, am ready TO join, heart and hand, in
| Its accomplishment. Sir, will specify one or two
particulars. The present salary Of the President
| Oh the United States, (and hope no gentleman
VIII understand me as wishing to have il increas-
| ed has remained where il now is ever since it
| was appointed, hard upon forty years ago. What
other salary under this Government is in the same
situation? Is there one otier.-When, by the inn
! Of no bO
were at the bead of the Treasury, and of the Coun
ciis OF this House, under their auspices, the whole
country was delugcd with paper money-whcn
the People of the United States were brought to
tins pass, that their trustees exchanged their notes.
1 bottomed upon every foot Of land and upon every
shllngs worth of productive labor of the country,
against the notes of certain hardly solvent corpora
ions; yes, exchanged their notes, bearing in
terest Tor the notes OF these corporations bearing
no interest-when they agreed, moreover, TO allow
bonus on the nominal amount of these bank
notes, equal TO nearly twenty, certainly exceeding
ten per cent. when tobacco was worth forty dol
lars per hundred, for choice crops-when cotton
was worth thirty doilars-and for single slave, a
common field hand were paid to my certain know
ledge, 81 ,2OO-when land was u price which
beggars all belief; Of that price had not been paid
in worthless trash for the land was in fact cheap
er than now)-then, sir, the salaries of all the
ofcers OF this Government raised. ] will
point to one, (dbsit inuidiG) that Of the Attorney
General. 1t commenced, believe, with 81 200
because it was considered that the very Office it,
self was great remur Grafton. Since then il has
been raised, know lot how often. So, all the
salaries have been increased Sir have any been
diminished? l believe not one-not one to my
knowledge. 1t is easy to talk about certain
style OF living, and about the dignity which be-
comes the officers Of this Government. Sir, we
may swell like the poor frog in the fable, till we
burst, but We cannot equal the style or splendor of
those on the other side of the water. And we ne
yer shall be able to equal them, until our people
shall be reduced TO the same state of misery with
their people Dignity consists in adapting the style
OF our living TO the means we have to live on. 1t
never did consist III expense and pageantry, espe-
clally IN Government having even the semblance
OF Republicanisn. Dignity, like happiness resides
In the mind-It is in the man, and you cannot give
| 1t by any station, much less by money. Sir there
was as much true dignity in Fabricius-there is
! 1oto as much true dignity in Fabricius, az there
ever was in Louis XIV-The grand nlonorque,
who was never seen, even by his ualet de chdn6re,
without the paraphernalia OF his enormous wig!
There was much dignity in our CuriusSin-
conattS CuTium cdpitttsj yes, sir, there much
dignity in the American Dentatus, / mean Roger
Sherman, as in any Of the Ambassadors which his
most Christian Nj ajesty thought fit to send TO US
then his very great,doar allies.
Sir, whenever money is plenty, and every thing
Is at the highest price, that price forms a very
good reason why salaries must be raised. And
when all things have fallen, and the price is de-
preciated, fifty, seventy-hve, land for aught |
know,l 80 per cent, why then, sir. the times are
so hard that salaries cannot be reduced but on the
contrary, should be raised. So in reference to
the emoIumentS Of Government, that happens
which happens ia certain other institutions
where the Directors, the Cashiers, and the Pre-
Sidents, take good of themselves, building
places and providing for their friends. but are
quite regardless OF the Stockholders. Sir, in this
Government, the People are the Stockholders
and all look at, in any public man, is, whether
he Is for the Stockholders, for the Directors
ms Is my test, my touchstone. Yes, sir, when
all things are dear, salaries must be raised be-
cause they are dear; when all things are cheap,
stH salaries be raised because the cheapness OF
| every thing shews the scarcity Of money, and
that the times are hard So, Sir, to use of my
honely phrases, and that language is understood
by the People, and is the only language l will e.
yer use. when speaking to them-the game a.
mounts TO this: Cross, the People lose, and Pile
their rulers win. Sir, wish TO know il the Off
ces Oh this Government were filled with less able
men, when Jefferson was in the Department of
State, Hamilton at the head Of the Treasury Knox
aye, sir, KT1Oz, in the Department OF War, ard
Bradford was Attorney General, than they are
now' Were our officers, with about one half the
present salary, less dignfed then, than they are
now, with double the amount? 1 wish to know, ifI
that q was going to say unrvalled Chief Justice
oil the United States, has any more dignity now,
when his salary is $1,000, than he had when il |
was $4,000? Or whether his Associates are more
dignihed now they get $4,000. than they were |
when the salary was but $500! They are the |
same men, they perform the same services, and
with the same ability and integrity, and not one
atom more or less. Sir, did not intend to tres |
pass on the House 80 long have done, but out
Of the fulness of my heart have spoken Sir, / !
believe that the country live in is quite as well
OH as any Of those adjacent to il, and this per
hapS, be owing to the fact of its being too far re-
moved from any Bank, from this Pandora's box, 1