Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-02-11

considered that errors against the Government are very
rarely made the subject OF ser r%rr91TnoS
Mr.. KENNEDY of Mary land, from the Comm''. .s
on Commerce, asked leave to suomi ieso'u 81. r.
rewarding the officers and men epgaseu ~ '''' 80
M JOHNSON of Tennessee objected TO the .ecep
,on or the resolu,.on and therefore It lies over
~" TIE POTOMAC BRIDGE.
D;s,c, of Columbia reported bill TO provide Tor the
cnmnleton of the Potomac Bridge; Which was read q
GIsI and second tne and referred to the COMMITTEE Oh
the Whole on the Stale of the Union.
q, uo,;or Of Mr. RODNEY, il was resolved tha'
HE Coo,rni,tee Of Ways and Means re instructed ~
inquire inio The exredeney "i makh@ " ua"'s ~ +,
pr"ora,lon for the repairs III The renc peers near
Penn on The Delaware river, together ".h 'ne amos
~ ,,,orants lhercuno belonging; and, the lurisdIc-
,; ,b.reor Layinr been cSdeG 10 the United States
Inv nm net of the General Assembly oil the state oil
Delaware passed January 70, l19l with the express
understanding Of the General Government, deciareo
he acts Of Congress- approved August 1882 and July
% ISoo 10 nav all necessary expenses TO support the
boundaries and repair of said piers, condition OF such
cesson being made ,,,-,,,,,
A. pp0NNE from the Committee on the PUBLIC
Pn;ld;nrs nd Grounds, TO which had been referred
reaonon instructng it TO enquire into the expediency
of reducing the salary or abolishng the ONCE OF Com
missioner OF the Public Buildings made report there
=, n the effect that The office should not be abolished
1
tina, would he nvidous to select merely one tree Tor
the prnninr. rife of the House.
| Mr. BOARDMAN a member of the committee, on
leave introduced n bill 10 reduce the salary OF the
Commissioner from So 600 to S2OO0
| Mr. BRONSON moved 10 amend the bill oy mitIng
the snary 10 81 800: and the motion prevailed
The bill having been read twice, the previous ques-
lion moved.
Mr. WISE inquired whether it would be in order to
subm amendment
CT. f. 1, "a NJ Dul1 mi
MIR WISE seriously suggested that it be recolnmit.
ted with instructions to embrace all other proposed
reductions OF The salaries OF various officers, nclu.
ing the pay of members Of Congress He would make
tbs motion in tho name of the gentleman from Ten
nessae (Mr Arnold) if the gentleman would permit
Mr.. ARNOLD acquiesced in The suggestion, and
trusted hat,h motion for The previous question would
nc, be seconded
Mr. WISE inquired whether tie previous question
would cu' off the motion 10 recommlt.
The SPEAKER replied that it would
The pre- vous question was then seconded by the
House;
And the question being stated Shall the main cues,
ton be now putt
Mr. McKENNAN moved TO lay the bill on the table,
and called for the yeas and nays which were ordered,
and, being taken resuited-yeas b. nays l6i
The main question was ordered 10 be put; and the
b II Was read third time and passed.
BRANCH MINT.
MIR COOPER, on leave Intio duccda bill anie ndatn.
ry OF the act 10 establish branch mint at Dah!onega,
ard defining the duty of assayer and conner; which was
ordered 10 be printed and laid upon the table.
TIE NAVY.
The House resolved itself into Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union, (Mr Allen OF Maine
III The Char
Mr. ARNOLD moved that the Navy bill be postponed
for tie purpose of taking up the bull heretofore reporied
by hn for the reducton oflhe pay OF members OF Con-
gross, ard for other purposes but the motion did not
pIeval-yeas 50, nays 80.
The cun,n.ee then proceeded to the consideration OF
the bil, making appropriations tor the navy
Jhe following i,em being mnder consideration,
"For pay oi conu,sson warrant, ard petty officers
ard ~ nclud nc engineer corps, Tor the sad hall
c7t OAR year one million I.ur huadrt and nine:v.sx
thousand FIVE hurded and cgh'y iouF dollars and fifty
cents; and Tor the sad fiscal year, two million nine nun
cr5d aud ninety three thousand hudld and sixty
nine dollars
/ Mir MERRIWETIlER had moved 10 amend IT, by
! pg follows, VIZ:
"PrGridcG That uatil otherwise directed by law, ne
part Of the present any future appropriations tor the
pay commssion warrant and petty officers including
engineer corps, shall be paid TO the excep, upon
reduction Of the present pay n; and after twenty pei
| cent
! Sir. JOHNSON, OF Tennessee, supported the amend
men ard commended that the necessity for increasing
the salaries Of the officers OF the navy in 1850 Gid no
! now exist.
| AR FESSENpEN opposed l., and -aid 1t could no
he shown that the pay unnecessarily high, or tina
the officers received more than sufficient to supper
the dignity of their Office, and support themselves ant
| families
| Mr.. GORDON advocated the reduction. The means
OF living far cheaper than they were IN 1888
besides, they would never have Efficient navy unit
! the salaries were cut down. Where the carcass was
! there would the eagles he gathered together. There
were two classes in the couniry-one would serve fo
honor and for reasonable compensation the olhe
were for high pay and for plumber. Where The induce
ment of exiravaCan salaries held out, the appca
tons for place wonid he oyerpowering as 10 over
come even Executive discretion; where the opposite
state Of things existed, good and competent men only
would ask 10 b. admitted INTO The service.
Mr.. TiLLiNGnASr objected 10 The horizontal me
thod of reducing salaries He did not think that they
s Guild be measured hy the prices Of provisions but by
| the services rendered.
! Mr.. COOPER of Georgia deprecated making large
| appropriations when II was not known whence the
money TO 10 meet them. He thought thai
tie Government cunh, to be administered with fifteen
mli'ons tina. they might abolish the army and navy
and HAT we should have no money except gold ano
silver.
/ Mr.. ARNOLD replied, and spoke Of retrenchmen
and reform generally. If they abolished the army nnt
navy, then they would have to abolish this House
abolish the whole concern, and have q cheap Govern
meGt at cDce, according 10 the system OF the member
from Georgia. The gentleman for nbolishing the
army and navy, and ye, he would no;agee 10 take two
dollars from his daily pay il eight dollars was just
enough five years ago, it too much now; for he
cnulo, nj tins time, tuy much for dollars as h,
could then for eight But, notwithstanding gentlemen
were constantly talking about rctrenchmeni, they took
good care 10 guard there salaries the pay of the
Gear selves. They will, however, talk about their viii
lnsness TO diminish the pay Of pages and minor officers
OF The House and The Government; and even this morn
ing showed Their principles of economy far to
ducc The salary Of The Commissioner Of the Public
Buildings ore half. Toward the CONCLUSION of his
marks, he said that he would, TO morrow, make eff
fort 10 have his bill for The reduction of the pay
members token UP; and observed that he wanted the
friends Of rerenchment 10 be here ana back him by the
yeas and nays; that they might who III IA
Of reirenchment and reform, instead of frit.erng
away their time isolated the Navy bill, OF
any other.
alr. sTEENR0D Obtained tie floor; and on his mo
ton the COMMITTEE rose.
Several Executive communications were laid before
| the House.
MARINE HOSPITALS
! Mr. w. W IRWIN, in Pursuance Of previous no.
tee, asked and obtained leave TO introduce bill to
establish marine hospitals The Western waters
which was read twice ard committed 10 the Commit
| soao Of IN hole hoe I,ta a.. Tr,,:a