Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-06-25
FROM WASHINGTON.
HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES, June 0,


Dear Sir-I have received your letter. You say
that my vote against raising the pay Of the volunteers
TO ten dollars per month is unpopular.
To this have TO say, that | have examined the
journal of the proceedings Of the House. upon the bill
for raising the volunteers, and find that provision
raising the pay to ten dollars engrafted that
bill by the House, unanimously, so far as the journal
shows any thing. The Senate refused to agree TO
this and rejected the proposition Of the House, and
amended our bill by striking IT out. The question in
the House then was, OIL 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
amendment of the Senate, rather than risk losing the
bill.
Some days DIlk, MEuStewart of Pennsylva-
ing, and w is found bringing forward
propositions the expenses of the govern
ment TO increase the necessity of axation 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-wlt The
Senate had already, have stated refused agree
to this proposition To receive and pass it through
the House, would have been only useless waste of
tme 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 is some prospect of succeeding WITH and that it
be glwise therefore, to receive every political
member may desire to ride into and
ID 49, 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 disnclined
to favor such horse when he is brought forward by
member who habitually opposes the administration,
and who has but idea, and that idea is domestic
manuactures-to wit his iron tcorkS.
One of my colleagues who voted for the proposition
to raise the pay of the volunteers tells me he is con-
vnced he erred in doing for the following reasons
LIST. We would not expect to enlist men 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 raise of pay and found it would be million
and half ner 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 as we did during the last
war, should find ourselves heavily in debt at the
close of the present war, and in just such hard times
as we had from 1915 to 1882, while we were paying
our last public debt.
4th. He thought there no need to raise the pay
at time when tens of thousands of volunteers were
Off, more than were wanted.
e did not believe that the volunteers had any
yyet54e pay when they turned out. They had other
aud higher motives
NOW my rlend, say tlat II any one OF our Volun-
teers is dscontented 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 can manage TO be sick, 'htae lame"
do not believe that the grumbling you write about
originated with the volunteers. 1t had its origin with
some dirty demagogue, with some one who rather
than not oppose the present administration, would op-
pose his country, right wrong. Some poor con-
Germ who thinks the war unjust. "THem's my SEN
tiHlenlS."
You speak of draft, if volunteers fail, in our
State. The law, and the orders of the War Depart
ment, authorize such thing. If Indiana fails to
furnish three regiments, the deficit will be filled 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 to Capt. Brakes company
who, suppose are, many Of them, my neighbors.
Your friend, W. w. WICK.