The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-06-06
From The Baltiniors Patriot.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The neglect Of their public duties by many mei-
beTs OF the present Congress 10 matter Of very gen
era complaint Hardly aday passes that the proceed
ngs of the House not stopped for want OF quo
rum, and on Wednesday this repeatedly hap
pening that il really seemed impossible for the House
TO get on al all. Some remedy is wanting for this
evil II may be found by stopping the per diem OF all
the members who not present on call OF the yeas
and nays unless absent on leave IL may possibly be
corrected by making rule, like that PROPOSED by Mr.
Adams on Wednesday, requiring the names of all
absentees to be published in the papers We should
rely aher upon the stoppage oil pay Tor cure Tor this
evil than upon the rule Tor publishing the names
The air at Washington hasthe elect Oh many men, {?
making them calous to the shame OF such exposure
The mistake of the people sending them to Congress
they appear be fully satisfied, Will not be made
again and conlenting themselves win the empty
honor of right to seat in the House, winch they
seldom occupy and to the PER diem allotted them,
which thew never forget, they pass their time at
Washington as Indifferent spectators of the scenes
there enactng, if 1t was not their duty 10 take
part in them Such men cannot he reached by any
mere publication They must be touched on another
point. The "pocket nerve all rds the only means
Of moving them. Let the disseclng knife but reach
that nerve, and it will be more rare to see such
members of the House. as we have referred to, ab-
sent, than it is 10 them present.
There are members of Congress, however, who
absent themselves from their duty, who would be
operated upon by the rule proposed by Mr.. Adams,
1
ping the pay and publishing the names. We should
then reach the proud well as the mercenary, and
| be able to keep them to their places
The press also has duty to perform on the subject
| 1t is sometimes painful duty, and never pleasant
one II may be that political, perhaps personal
friends are found thus derelict in their public en-
| ployment and to censure such is the duty of the
| press. The neglect of public duty is contagious and
the more distinguished the member of Congress who
is thus guilty, the more pernicious is his example
/ ahn ha tha n
cded for the reason that they cannot be allowed to
escape without injury to the public business. re.
markabe instance of neglect of duty is at this time
presented by one who cannot but feel If he reflects
| for a moment that he is doing great wrong to The
public interest We refer to distinguished repre-
| sentative from Kentucky, who has been delivering
| speeches in New York for some time past, and who
| il is announced intends to remain in that city still
longer, for the purpose OF defending Munroe Ed
wards who is confined in that city for large forgenes,
and is to be tried in this month, We do not know
whether this gentleman is now IN the receipt Of his
per diem as member Of Congress- nor is it very ma.
teria to know in deciding the question whether lie is
not highly censurabe for absenting himself from his
duties at Washington. He is entirely without excuse
for his prolonged absence. Though may be doubt
ed whether member of Congress should go away to
a distant city for the purpose OF delivering ectures
speeches, yet because of the great merit and
citing interest of the cause this gentleman went to
advocate, he may be excused But the special object
of his journey over, he should have returned to
Washington, with all convenient despatch, and, by
renewed attention to business endeavored to conpen-
safe the public for neglect of their business. In
not doing this, and in prolongIng that absence to
month, he is Justly entitled to censure. Blu he has
gone further than this. He has actually set himself
down to the practice of his profession and has
dertaken the defence of cuprit, city far away
from his own home-a culprit who has no claims on
his good oflces--and who only secures his services
because he may be able to pay him liberaly out OF
the proceeds Of his forgeries, for which he to be
tried 1t is too hard that members of Congress
should thus act, and it is among the most unpleasant
duties of editors to be called to condemn then for it.
In this case it is especially unpleasant ami if we
thought less highly of the member referred to, we
might refrain from this expression of our opinion OF
his conduct in this matter