Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-09-18
TUE GAZHTTE.
MONDAY, SEPT. Is as3a.

CONGRESSIONAL GUNs.-We hav,
recently seen one Of the guns which
the members of Congress have beer
voting to themselves out OF the public
money at every session for the last 4 o.
years. Some of our readers will
hardl y understand us--we will there
fore explain. Some years ago ths
members of congress passed resolu
ton whereby each member was to take
TO himself, at the public expense, /,
newly invented gun.-Thls resolution
is standing resolution, by virtue Of
which every new member who is re.
turned to congress takes gun. So
that gun may now be considered
part of congressman's pay. About
two hundred Of these guns went off
with our modest delegates at the close
OF the last session and as there is ev-
cry probability of great change in po-
lltlcal sentiment before the elections to
the next congress, we may reasonably
calculate that the gun maker will have
excellent custom in 1885. About the
time that the charitable resolution of
which we have spoken was passed, an
other equally kind to themselves was
passed by the same body. This was
to help themselves out of the public
purse to a large number of books.
This was so patriotic and magnani-
nous, that congress has felt itselfunder
a moral obligation to renew it every
year since, with increased munifcence:
for it would be extremely unjust to let
the new members 60 away without the
books the old ones had received.
The new ones scorning to be out
done in liberality, not only help them
selves to the volumes which the old ones
had, but add to them a few new g. val
liable works. The next set do the like,
SO that the charge upon the treasury
is compromising annually, and of
course will in the course of a few years
relieve the country Of troublesome
dispute as to the proper guardian of the
public purse, by entirely exhausting
it; for the British debt, if converted
into hard dollars and poured into the
American treasury, could not stand
this system of oren and upblushing
robbery. We have seen with our own
eyes near one hundred volumes, in law
binding, and which, we stand the pledge
could not have been got up, as the
book. worms say, for less than six dol
lars q volume, the nett proceeds of
these charitable donations.
One member Of congress, to whom
these books were given to prepare him
for the discharge of his duties with
wisdom, brilliancy, and congressional
acumen, Gas the advocates of the res
olUtion urged, conceived the idea of
transferring his new measure from his
head to his pocket, and at the same
time ofilluminating the British nation
with American politics, statistics, &c.
&c. and accordingly he sold his books
to the British minister, at somewhere
about one thousand dollars. Taking
this as datum, we see the whole reve-
nue. swept off in fine style at one fell
swooP' by the last congress.
The account of a Georgia members
pay for the last session will stand thus !:
Per diem pay at 50, 2la days, 1896
Books, 1000
Gun, 10
Stationary, 90
Travelling expenses, (mileage) 600
Franking privilege, equal to 100
S3471
1.-THE above article is from the Au-
gusta (Geo.) Sentinel. 1t is curious
enough. This is the first time that we
have heard of these Congressional
guns" which beat, all hollow, any
thing ofthe kind we ever remember
to have read of.-ALEx. GAz.
Mental and Corporal suffering There
/ is a very pretty Persian ap ologue on the
difference between mental and corporeal
suffering. A king and his minister were
discussing the subject, and differed IN o
pinion. The minister maintained th'
| first TO be most severe, and to convince
his sovereign of it, he took lamb, brok'
its leg, shut i. up and put food before 1t
He took another, shut it up with tiger
which was bound by a strong chain, s.
that the beast could spring near but no
seize the lamb, and put food also befor
him. In the morning he carried the KIM
to see the effect of the experiment III
lamb with the broken leg had eaten VI
all the food placed before him the othe
was found dead from fright
George Stevens used 20 relate stor
of a man that married a woman so niue
taller than himself, that if he wished {
salute her, he was obliged to climb upo
a table. This woman" added Georg
"if her husband was ever out OF hume
and complained, would look down as
from two story window, and ask who
was that kept grumbling there below"
A late arrival at New York brings new
of the death, at Madrid, OF Mrs. Val
Ness, the lady of the American Mlnistel