Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1846-06-20
FROM WASHINGTON.
Hall OF REpREsENrArIvEs. June 0.


Dedr Sir have received your letter. You say
that my vote against raising the pay of the volunteers
to ten dollars per month is unpopular
10 this have to say, that have examined the
journal of the proceedings of the House, upon the bill
for raising the volunteers, ard find that provision
raising the pay to ten dollars engratted on that
bill bv the House. unanimously so far as the journal
shows any thing. The Senate refused to agree to
thls and rejected the proposition Of the House, and
amended our bill by striking 1t out. The question in
the House then was, on agreeing to this amendment
of the Senate. On that question did not vote not
having been present
large majority of the House voted to agree 10 the
bill.
Some days afterwards, Mr.. Stewart of Pennsylva-
MIA, who IL is said is largely engaged in manufacture
ing, and who uniformly Is found bringing forward
propositions to increase the expenses of the govern
ment TO increase the necessity of TAXATION and
thereby preserve the manufacturing monopoly, moved
to suspend the rules to enable him to bring in bill
to raise the pay of the volunteers and perhaps and
believe, OF the entire army. | believe (for | have
not examined the journals on that point | voted
against the suspension of the rules.
For this had one conclusive reason, to-wit: The
Senate had already, have stated refused to agree
to this proposition To receive it and pass it through
the House, would have been only useless waste OF
tmc the Senate had already rejected it, and would
do so again Of course. Now | imagine we waste
time enough here IN doing necessary business which
there prospect of succeeding with, and that
would be unwlse therefore, to receive every political
horse which member may desire to ride INTO and
through the House, and which we know, by the past
votes of the Senate, will be tied to stake when they
get hold of him in that body am specially dsinclncd
TO favor such horse when he is brought forward by
member who habitually opposes the administration,
and who has but one idea, and that idea is domestic
manuactures-to wit has no,ks.
One of my colleagues who voted for the proposition
TO raise the pay of the volunteers tells me he is con.
vinccd lac erred in doing fo the follow i
LIST. We would not expect TO enlist into the
regular army if should raise the pay Of volunteers
unless we should also raise the pay of the army.
3D. He had calculated the additional expense to fol-
low this Use of pay, and found it would be u million
and half per year. He thought We were spending
enough already. He thought the tax payers would
think
3d. He thought that if we began TO raise the pay
already and should progress did during the las,
war, should find ourselves heavily in debt at the
close of the present war; and in just such hard times
we had from 1915 10 1899, while we were paying
last public debt.
4th. He thought there no need to raise the pay
at time when tens Of thousands of volunteers were
Offering more than wanted.
9th. he did not believe that the volunteers had any
eye to the pay when they turned They had other
and higher motives
Now my friend, say that If any one of our volun
teers is discontinued, is unwilling to serve his coun-
try for the pay allowed, periodically and for love
of glory, Will undertake to procure his discharge
unless he manage to be sick, or ''htue lame"
do not believe that the grumbling you write about
originated with the volunteers. 1t had It's origin will
some dirty demagogue with who rather
than not oppose the present administration, would OPP
pose his country. right wrong. Some poor con-
Germ who thinks the war unjust. "Ihem's my sen.
timents."
You speak Of draft, if volunteers fail, in our
State. The law and the orders of the War Depart.
ment. authorize no such thing. If Indiana fails to
furnish three regiments, the deficit will be ied up by
accepting of the tens of thousands who, in other
States offering their services and deeply dis
appointed that they cannot be accepted
Now, sir. you may publish the above if you please.
In any event wish it read 10 Capt. brakes company
who, suppose are, many of them, my neighbors.
Your friend, W. w. WICK.