Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-12-30


Be Il enacted by the Senate and House of Represents.
tipss Of the United States Of .amerea, Congress essen.
ted, That the Secretary of the Senate and the Ser
geantatarms OF the house of Representatives, SHALL
the commencement of each session Of congress, OBJ
tam from each member the name of the Post Office
nearest his residence, and shall then procure from the
Postmaster General statement Of the distance
to said Post Office from the Seat of Government,
puted according to the post road to said Post Office;
after which, he shall add to- subtract from the said
statement the may be, the distance from said
Post Office to the residence Of said Member which
statement the mileage of each Member 10 to be cUmpu.
ted.
Sxc. 9. find be IL further enacted That, on the final
settlement OF the account Of each Member, he shall
subon, at the foot of his account certificate that he
has deducted from his account all and each days
on which he may have been absent from the Seat Of
Government during those days which the House to
which he belongs may have been in session.
Mr. WIcKLIFrE referred 10 the existing law
on the subjc' from which he cad an extract.
The presen, bill consists Of TWO sections: one
Of which provides The mode Of ascer' aiming the
dis ance. The practice has been for the Ser
geant al Arms, or The Speaker 10 permit every
member 10 name The distance II has often
occurred tina, d fferent mode OF compute ion
has !akec place. Steamboat navigation has all
so changed the mode Of travelling aud he dis.
iances. Some gentlemen have calculated the
nearest rou, TO be the nearest river rout He re
red TO he case where a sum had been drawn
far exceeding VIVA; would have been Obtained
had not the construction OF the river rout been
Introduced The second section proposes only
The means Of Carrying into effec, the provisions
OF the act Of 1918, relating 10 the payment Of
the per diem for every days attendance, unless
prevented by sickness. The loose practice
now prevailing is checked by this bill by a
provision that each member shall, at The close
Of the session append to his receipts, GER
'ihcatr Of the days he has amended.
Mr.. HAYNES asked how This matter is 10 be
settled where members come 10 this city by
d,ffere,t mail routes. How is the Post Master
General 10 settle this difference. In adopting
this provision, some mode shou ld be PROVIDED
for The removal Of all doubt.
Mn. WIoxLIrFE said this suggestion showed
the nece,si,, f. some fixed rule " there are
various roads ,tsg n'enanf ON Georgia could
move 10 Tx IL al re nearest pos road. The
Pos, Mas,er General nigh probably fix such
rule. He could no, himself offer an amendment
because there are pos, roads on which there
are no couvenirnees for travelling. He would
prefer to leave i, 10 the Postmaster General
proper ore, had added several hundreG miles
~ the distance.
Mr. HAYNES explained tina: his views were
no, hos,ilr 20 the bill.
Mr. Davis Of Sou,h Carolina moved 10 a.
mrnd the Dill by Inserting the word "Snor,est,"
SO as TO read according to the shortest post
road" &c.
The amendment was agreed to
Mn STEnIGERE then moved TO amend the
bill by striking out the words =" and shall ,h"a
procure from The Postmaster General" He
believed that Pos'masters, from whom the
Pos master General must procure his iniorma
'ion, knew as little about the distance as mem
bers or less. Postmas,ers wi hin his know
ledge, had VARIED essentially as to distances,
and as the Pos master General published a
cook which cor, aimed the distances, there is no
occasion 10 trouble HIM the subject. He
believed hat tine Certificate uf a mrmbrr ough,
10 be Sufficient
Mr.. WIcKLiFFE thought there would be jus,
IS little proprlety in leaving the dis ance 10 be
determined by the discretion of members,
as Of Pn,unas,ers 1t would be as proper TO
leave it to the discretion Of members 10 de
termlne the amour, Of milesgc. He 'Lough
the best evidence OF the distance was the deei-
sion Of the Postmaster General, and it r,llevrd
the memberc from responsibility.
MIR. SrxRIoERE said he had no anxiety OH
the subjec,, bo he though, still, tina, 1t shoulh
b. |, Fl o me ,nbers to determine the distance.
M. BuRGEs male few remarks. He did
no. see tie necessity for the bill, ualess some
repor, had been made from Committee thai
some mistakes, by which The public had been
injured, had been made. Until such report
should be made 20 Justify the bill he could no
vote for IL, hut would rather move o rec ommit
i, to The COMMITTEE for the purpose OF having
such report made.
Mr.. STRONG hoped the .amendmen, would
prevail II was proposed by The bill 10 throw
the responsibility on he Pos, Master General:
distressing he correctness OF he Speaker, the
members, and the officers Of the House. He
was not ior doing this. and for casting the re-
sponsibii,y on one who was not an officer Of
The House, aud who owed ne responsibility TO
thr House
Mr.. WIcSLIFFE said he had stated in general
terms the fats that had come 10 the knowledge
Of the Committee # the character 20 which he
had referred He did no; wish to bring names