The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-13
UNITED STATES SENATE.
EXTRA SESSION.


s.,s.,sni-st. Arms and Door. keeper
Mr BUCHANAN should vote against the reso-
luton IA ths death Of Judge Haight the late Ser
reant-at- Arnsl the Senator fiOm New York made
sirons apeal 10 tins body Ia behalf Of his widow and
arranaesienis were AZ that time made, under which
che was 10 receive the entire salary OF the term Tor
which nc was elected This Door-kecper at that time
agreed 10 perform the duty OF Sergeant-at- Arms
1hs course was pursued from motives of the purest
charity that the Government OF the United States
might not be compeed 20 pay two salaries, and at
the time, the widow might receive that Of which
she stood greatly in need Now at the very close of
this Executive session, when there earthly
need Of Sergeant. at Arms, why should be imposed
on the Treasury the payment Of double salaries p
When they had the power, they RETAINED from this
eecliOn or the purpose Of doing this charity deter
mining that they would not electa Sergeanat- Arms.
They bad night TO have elected one-there was no
such officer Now, when the election might as well
be postponed TO the meeting Of the 9th Congress, he
should not vote forit and respectfully called the yeas
Mr. MERRICk should not discuss the question at
length.
The Office was one Of great importance. That
Congress had granted sum Of money TO the widow
Of the late Sergeant at Arms very good In itself
But IL certainly formed reason why they should be
deprived of such an officer The Office now was va
cant and il was proper that il should be filed and
this account he had moved 10 ill IT,
MIR. ROBINSON read the rule of the Senate, pro-
viding that the second Monday of the first session
Of each Congress the Senate should elect their Ser
geant-at- Arms, sc.
Mr. KING said that afler having given TO their
preceding officer the salary Of a whole year, when
there not particle OF business 10 be performed they
determined TO 90 into the election OF an officer
they about to give salary for the discharge OF
no duty whatever. III this was the reform that had
been promised, really the Administration party
had much TO boast of
Here an officer of the Senate, not wanted for one
solitary duty, to be forced them merely togve
him the salary.
He spoke plainly. No gentleman could deny it
No gentleman could get upin his place and say that
this officer wanted-and if not, why elect him
They had got along in the business and confusion,
and transacted all the misunderstanding the past
sion with their present officer d
Ii this was to be specimen Of what might be ex-
pected from this Administration, many esmable citi-
zens who gave them their support under the impress
sion that economy was TO be the order of the day,
would turn with regret from what they had done.
Senators must remember that they were responsible
to the people, and to the people he would leave them
Mr.. CLAY, of Kentucky, said il really appeared to
him that gentlemen the other SIDE were disposed
to make great deal out of small affairs. On what
authority Che asked) did the Alabama Senator
tuIe the assertion that this resolution, if passed,
amounted to nothing but to provide Office for the
purpose of fillingit9
Mr.. KING said, the fact itself.
Mr. CLAY. There none. There was
existing Office with certain duties attached to it, 1t
vacant If the Office was unnecessary, bring for
ward proposition to abolish it-dispense with it al
together And if that was done, they would not un-
derake to fill the office whilst such proposition
under consideration. Here was an existing Office
with all its duties attached it. There might be-
and in all probability would be- extra session of
Congress. He spoke common rumor-on nforma-
ton attributed to the President of the United States
himself recent visit at Richmond, when he de-
clared his intention to call extra session Sup
pose extra session took place was il not of
consequence then that this office should be filed p
And ii by new person, was il net of consequence
that he have IN opportunity to become acquainted with
its duties Z
If there extra session. he believed one
would deny that there should be Sergeant at Arms
appointed. II there was an extra session two months
hence the salary being $500 per year, the salary to
that time would amount to $3.50.
1t not with little matters of this sort, that they
had held out to the country these promises of Ierench
ment, hut on the great and important sources of
pendtnress thsso monstrous leaks on the Treasury,
which had reduced II TO state Of bankruptcy: this
was the kind of reform which the administration
would benefit the country by making.
But gentlemen talked about having used the salary
by grant That was to say, that gentlemen, those
in the majority had made charitable grant to the
widow OF Judge Haigh, and because they had exer-
cised their charity in this way the public was not to
be furnished with officer whose duties were neces-
sary Was this the sort of reasoning by which they
were to be detained from the performance of
sary duty2
He did not complain of this charity; but he denied
that this account they should not fill all offices
the duties of which might be necessary, and in ali
human probability would be necessary in the course
of some forty, fifty or sixty days from this time.
As TO the rule II was a standing rule requiring
biennial elections of certain officers And what vas
the purpose of the rule2 To bring these officers in
review periodically before the Senate that the Senate
might decide on the expediency of their reelection.
DID any human beng suppose, II vacancy occurred
by death in the Office of both Sergeant Arms and
Door-keeper the day after their election that the Sc
nate to wait till the expiration of years be-
fore these offices were illedl No Here was an
Office to be filed, the duties of which, in all human
probability, would become indspensaby necessary in
short time, and it proposed to fill this Office He
hoped that gentlemen would perceive that it not
case in which any thing could be gained by a pro-
Mr.. MERRICK modified the resolution, making
the time Monday the 9Th March, at o'clock
Mr.. KING farther opposed the resolution.
Mr.. SMITH, of Ia, should vote for the resolu-
ton. He adverted to what had taken place in the
case. Notwithstanding they did not fill this office
Notwithstanding the Door X eper agreed he would
perform the duties of the station and nowithstand-
ing the amount given to the widow Of the late Ser
geant; from that quarter resolution giving to
the present oor-keeper ST. 600 extra for about six
weeks service in discharging the duties of that Office
tpassed this body, giving $500, thus giving double
salary TO one officer.
He advocated the resolution therefore on the ground
of economy.
Tho discussion was farther continued by Messrs.
KING, SEWER, BENTON, and MERRICK.
Mr. BENTON moved that the resolution be post
poncd till the second Monday of session of Con-
gress, and ON this called the yeas and nays, which
were ordered and resulted thus
YEAS-Messrs Allen, Benton, Buchanan Cal
houn, Clay, Of Ala, Cuthbert, Fulton, King, Linn
McRoberts, Nicholson, SEWER Smith, of Conn
Sturgeon, Tappan, Walker, Williams, Wright,
Woodbury., and Young.-20.
NAYS-Messrs Archer, Barrow, Berrien Bates.
Bayard, Clay, of KY. Choate, Clayton, Dixon, Evans,
Graham, Henderson Huntington, Kerr, Morehead,
Mangum, Merrick, Miller Porter, Preston, Rives
summons Smith Of Ind, Southland, Talmadge, White
and Woodbridge. 90
Thus the motion failed
The question then recurring on the resolution. af
fer few remarks from MIR. WRIGHT in opposition
20 it, the question taken and tho resolution adop
ed, by yeas and nays, follows:
YEAS-Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Berrien, Bates.
Bayaid, Clay of KY, Clayton, Choate, Dixon Evans
Henderson, Huntington, Kerr, Mangum, Merrick