The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-21
From the Philadelphia Ledger
ECONOMY.


We will here add "a word upon Mr.. Browns reso-
Iulion and the sliding scale OF reduction which II
proposes Il relates solely to SALARIES, and compensa-
tlon 10 members of Congress- and does not extend To
abuses Ia the army, navy, diplomatic list, or contin.
sc u fund Il reaches the pay OF naval and military OIL
lcers but not the frauds ol contractors and others
IL reaches the salaries OF foreign minister's but does
not aim DIMINISHING their lumber, or at the chang
frequently made among tnem TO reward paiu
sans ID reaches the emolunents OF officers who are
,,ad by fees but does not limit their amount. IL does
not reach the printing and stationery OF the House
OF other modes OF squandenng a contingent fund. :
Now let us examine these things. How many mil
lions have been squandeied by the navy commission
ers assuming the duties the head OF their depart
nient OF the naval constructors, aud other officers
OF how many millions has the country been cheated
IN the Florida war large portions oil when might %
recovered of ia ne who have grown rich upon The
plunderl How many ministers aud charges nave
been sent to countries where they were mol wanted,
aud how often they been changed, at the expense
OF salary and ou,i Tor each change
Mr. Brown proposes reduction oil all diplomatic
salaries We can tell him that the present salaries
are not enough for Britain or France, and more than
enough for other countries, and that IN several oil
those countries merely send Consuls. And yet
he proposes general and Uniform scale oil reductloh
Tor all countries BY raising the salaries OF Minis
tiers TO Britain and France from nine to twenty thou-
sand dollars, dispensing with missions TO some hall
dozen foreign Governments, and recalling no Minis
ter for the sake of giving 100 to another, we sha
save large sums annually The marshals are paid
by fees and commissions, and some OF them receive
thiry thousand dollars annually. From this amount
Mr. Browns ''sding scale" would take ~ 500, and
the remainder would be 22,5O0. IL sl,U00 be
enough for a clerk, and $1,000 Tor postmaster
s22 500 are too much for marshal. So district at
torney may make twenty or thirty thousand annually,
and Mir Browns "sliding scale" would still leave him
an exrayagant compensation. This is enough to
show that his prime pie Is not sound he'rehehheht
in official emoluments should consist in equaiising
them much possible, and IN making all certain,
| and none contingent He may say that ma shals and
district attorneys would neglect their duties upon
salaries, and therefore require the smulant OF fees
| Let us tiy it. Our cities filled with lawyers who
make very slender living by their profession, and
would gladly discharge all the duties OF a marshal
district attorney for 500 $1,000 If this be not
true why Washington besieged with such throngs up
on any change of the Administration, seeking offices OF
much less emoument than $1,000 The country
would be as well served at present, II no salary eX-
ceeded So 500 or less than IL 500 and II young
men without families were excluded from Office
| Mr. Brown proposed 10 reduce the pay and mileage
of members OF Congress to st, instead of IS. We
have objection to this, but would propose bellei
mode and would also eneavo 10 dlsspaie some OF the
deiusion which exists upon this subject Many sup
pose that members OF Congress receive the most ex-
travagant compensation yet careful examination
| will convince them that this compensation is much
less than that of various other officers and much less
| than majority Of them could make in private busl-
~
short one for three, the whole numb of days con-
sumed in each Congress is about 30, or an average
of 1876 for each year. The whole compensation for
this time at IS Is s. 100, average OF SlOs0 an
nuay. This for 1875 days is at the rate of ~
92O for year Therefore if each Congress were in
session without intermssion, during its whole exis-
tence each member would receive less than the col
lectors marshas and district attorneys of the large
cities or than the treasurer register, comproers au'
ditors captains OF the navy higher officers OF the ar
mo nj Oth s
time OF session only 1876 days annually and MEM
befs Of Congress are liged, practically, to renquish
all other business their emoluments from every hing,
Pubc and private excepting mileage, are little more
than $1,000 To me .nber living 500 miles distant
from Washington, the mileage amounts To $4OO, and
the expenses OF going and returning would not ex
coed $50. Then, assuming 500 miles as the average
distance and 1875 days the average annual time OF
session. find that each member receives Sl4S0 an
nually From this we must deduct 81 so for expenses
Of travelling and about $500 for board at $40 weekly
4 Ale Sl4S0 annually, charged with $3.50 expenses, an
" sapt 5hs4 Su:Ssss virtual reaqui.n
able men in Congress tor less. But will propose a
fixed compensation OF $1,000 annually, and mileage
at $40 for every 100 miles. This would reduce the
long session to about thee months or less and
much Of the time wasted for the pup pose of get
ting $S per day. and leave the members much mel
profit as they obtain under the present system. Mr.
Blown will gain little by reducing the compensation
while he leaves it to be paid by daily allowance and
if he thinks that fixed compen alton would induce
has.y legislation reply that the country would sui.
fer less from il that from the delays and other mis-
chiefs induced by the present sy tenn