The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-03
REDUCTION OF SALARIES.
SPEECH OF MIR. PRENTIss,
or VERMONT.

SPEECH OF MR.. PRENTIss'
OF VERMONT.
IN SENA TE--MARoH 2, lo4i-
The bill making appropriations for the cv'i ana =,
pomaiic expenses OF the Government '',,on uend
i64I being under consideration, and the m"'''. y, -
49,, e linn, he salaries Of collectors so as not 70
exceed in any case the sum OF So,VU- .l
NJ pRENTISS said that he wished TO say woIo
or two in explanation and vinu'cauon y -. NOR
ha.lI ,,vs He was aware that action was more
- ~ discussion al that late stage oftne session.
mi he shouId not permit himself 10 say any
,ec;aIIy when 20 much important business remaihtu
undisposed OF, ii circumstances "ouiu a,o" % hs
ms;ning slent. He would assure the Senate, howe
YER thai his remarks would be very brief and tnat nc
should take up but a few moments Of their Tine
Mr.. r. said he should vote for the amendment pro-
posed and should also vote TO retain all the PROVISIONS
Of The bill of a character similar TO the amendment
He should do this, he might be allowed to say, mol
from any motives OF popularity, but from deep sense
of duty from settled conviction thai ne shouu ~
that way best fulfil the high obligations resting upon
him in the high public staten ne was PeL'ea -
hold. He would not be understood as undertaking
popularity because he discaimed II as rule OF con
duet; but he was quite too humble and unpretendng
an individual TO count greatly upon ~ ~ 70 SEN y,
or desire any which did not arise from tue Pulsu,
right ends by right Whatever popularity that
woull bring might be as grateful to him as to any one
but he neither coveted was ambitious OF any oth-
er. Both the amendment and the prosisons u inc
bill TO which he had alluded rested upon pncipe nc
had always advocated and had often voted i"r ana
he could NOT allow himself to iasy all that ne hau
said and all he had done on former occasion he
had at former time declared his doctrines upon the
general subject, and he had uniformly acted IN con-
fornity with the doctrines SO declared. w nat those
doctrines were would appear from the remarks ne mad
made in 1888 the proposition 10 increase the saia
ries Of certain Judicial officers OF the United STATES
part of which remarks he would take the liberty 70
read On the referred to, he expressed him
self to this effect
alt is undoubtedly correct in theory, and wise IN
practice allow such salaries as will enable you 10
command competent talents, and 10 NIL your oHices
with able and meritorious men and If the reason OF
the theory formed rule which was invariably OBJ
served in making appointments, there would be some
plausible excuse at least for the unreasonable extent
10 which you have carried your llberaiity But now
is the practice Are appointments made with sole
view merits and qua, atoms Is It MOTTO be feared
that in general Offices are bestowed more as reward
for partisan services than with any reference to merits
and qualifications Is there not cause to apprehend
that even your judicial offices, which ought to be ted
with the most learned, able and upright men, without
regard party distinctions, must first be earned ny
savsh devotion to the party in power and by sassh
labor in the service OF partisan warfare he theory
or principle which ought 10 be the rule and guide,
seems be entirely lost sight Of or to be wholly IN
applicable to these degenerate and evil times
" hold that it is unjust to tax the People by unne-
cessary expenditure IN any way but expenditure In
salaries 10 not only wrong al
well as policy, but has evil and pernicous enden
cy 1t Is not only violation OF the true pincip es OF
this Government and the duty we owe to II, but II IL
violation OF the duty owe to the States, to allow
salaries which will enable officers to not IN luxury, or
to live in style OF ostentaton and extravaganza un-
suited to the manners habits, and customs OF the Peo
pie in the States where they dwell. In establishing
the amount be allowed officers Of this Government
regard ought always to be had to the salaries allowed
in the States where the duties Of the offices to be
Tha I a,ioIat Ennvu tha
oflving well the habits and customs of the Peo-
pie their respective States and the salaries estab
lished by them in general regulated by just re-
gard TO economy and TO what Is reasonably due TO per-
sons employed in the public service.
" If you exceed very considerably the salaries allow
ed by the Statas you not only give direct encourage
ment extravaganza, but make the offices under the
General Government the principal objects OF ambition,
and create and keePup among the People, as natu-
raconsequence OF your protuson constant party aga-
ton and violent party excitement The officers otthe
General Government become prominent and active
leaders of parties mngle conspcuousy in all the po-
tical conflicts Of the day, and, by the means which
their extravagant salaries provide them enabled
it they SO disposed to plan and corrupt and
profgate partzan purposes In this way the General
Government msy acquire and oxert . commanding and
predominant influence in the elections-an influence
no less dangerous the Independence of the States
than to the character and best interests OF the
Union.
have no disposition to deny amy officer of the
United States much less to judicial officer ade-
quate and liberal compensation for his services
but am opposed, general principles OF policy, as
well justice to allowing In any Case, compcnsa-
ton obviously far beyond demanded by the
and amount Of services to be performed by any
other considerations properly appertanng to the sub
ject. | would proceed on the principle Of quanfum
merut and allow every officer what he deserves to
have, considering the dignity and responsibility of the
office the labor 10 be performed and the expense to be
incurred, having regard always to the rate OF compen
saton given to officers in analogous stations In the
Stale where he is to officaieD !,
Such Mr. p. SAID, were tho oPinivns he had uttereu
upon this floor not quite three years since. ne hau
been guided by them at all times, because he thought
they were right and he would repeat that ne couiu
not asy or contradict his expressed opinions and ie-
corded votes, unless there were new and strong CIR
cumstances to justify him in SO doing lie Was ~.
ignorant that thing which was positively Iig ~
be relatively wrong. He knew that CIRCUMSTANCES
might be such, or muhs have SO changed as DO. ohiy
10 Justify bu, 90 require opposition 10 measure winch
nyht he together right the abstract But no such
circumstances attended the proposition before the Sc
nate 1t provided regulations which would be saluta
ry at all times it rested upon general principles OF
fitness and expcdiency which were true to-day as
they were yesterday or at any period past and gone
and would remain equally true in all the transitions
of future time The gong out of one Administration
and the coming in Of another did alter change
its relations. What Mr. p. would do such n at
ter under Administration he would feel himself
bound to do under another.
The bill before the Senate having passed the other
House, afforded MIR. p. said, most favorable oppor-
tuni,y, which he glad to avail himself of tar
he could, to give PRACTICAL effect to the doctrines he
had proessed. The bill proposed to fix the mdrimum
OF compensation to any district attorney marshal at
six thousand dollars and the narimum of compensa-
ton TO any postmaster at five thousand dollars. The
amendment which had been offered proposed to extend
the provisions OF the bill to collectors Of the GUS
toms that the compensation to collector should in
exceed six thousand dollars. Neither OF these
offices, in general, ceta My of them except the
one first mentioned, necessarily required, as some
other offices did, the highest order talents any
very extraordinary attachments. Numerous Indivi-