The North-Carolina standard., 1846-02-25
MILEAGE OF MEMBERS.

MILEAGE OF MEMBE hS.
On the 18th instant, Mr. John P. Martin, from
the Committee on Mileage, reported the follow
ing bill 10 the House of Representatives 49,
A Bill relative to mileage of members of Con-
gress. .'
Be IL Pndcted by the Senate and House OF Rep
reseniafires of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, That after the close of the
present session of the twenty ninth Congress, the
pay for mileage Of members of Congress shall be
as follows, to wit: For every twenty miles between
the residence of each member and the capitol, the
sum of eight dollars, the distance TO be computed
by the nearest mairoute by land; and that each
member, before he shall receive his pay shall de-
posite written certificate with the proper officer
for paying said money that he has actually trav-
elled at least said distance.
SEC. g.. Ind be it further enacted, That men,
bers living over twelve hundred miles from the
capitol shall receive the rate of ten dollars per
hundred miles for any distance exceeding said
twelve hundred miles, and no more.
MIR. Thomas Smith mot john moved the refer
ence of this bill to the Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union; but this motion Mr..
Martin urgently and properly opposed. He said
if the motion prevailed, it would be altogether
uncertain whether the bill would be taken up at
the present session of Congress- and he advocat
ed immediate action upon it. inasmuch as if pass
Cd it would save to the people, during the exist
cnce of the present administration the sum of
S25O,OOO. The yeas and nays were demanded,
and the bill was referred Tor put 10 Sleep by l9
maiorily-al! the members from this State, except
Gen. Dockery, voting against the reference Sever
al voices exclaimed s:postpone it until the fourth
of JuIy"-but we hope for the good of the Trea-
sury, that Congress will have adjourned before
that day arrives.
In the House on the next day, Mr.. Martin twho
seems to deserve thanks for his course in this mat
-ter( introduced another bill as follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Rep
resent0tires of The United States of America in
Congress assembled. That no senator shall re-
ceive, be allowed, any travel fees whatsoever
for attending any called executive session of the
Senate unless he shall have actually travelled and
performed the journey for attending such meetings,
and that constructive travel 10 attend such ex-
ecutiVe session shall be made, or in any case al
lowed.
And after q running debate Of some two or
three columns, in which several sharp and many
good things were said, this bill, which touches the
Sen1Ee, was not commilled as the other bill had
becn-thirty voting in the affirmative, and one
hundred and forty in the negative. And here
also, we are proud to say all the North Carolina
members always excepting Gen. Dockery, who
lodged this votc) voted against the reference.
In the course of this debate Gen Mckay said
with much force and truth
"This subject of mileage was an old acquaint-
ance of members who had served in Congress for
some years past. 1t had attracted a good deal of
public attention. 1t had frequently been up for
consideration, and the house had repeatedly acted
upon il. He believed the journal would bear him
in the assertion, that every direct vote
which had been taken there had been large. an
overwhelming majority found in favor of some
immediate legislation. II arGs knoWn that there
acre great abuses eristing as TO The manner an
1rhich gentlemen charged. A senator and mem
Der living in the same village, and travelling the
same distance. would compute their mileage ac-
cordng 10 different rule. Mr.. Mex. adVerIed to
such case. This was wrong; ;here should be
some Uniform rule by which the computation should
be regulated"
Beyond doubt "groat abuses" do exist in this
matter, and it is high time they were corrected.
In the name OF the people we tell members OF
Congress, plainly and directly, that the work OF
retrenchment and reform must be carried forward.
The President is doing his duty. From what we
have heard of him. we believe no man who is
under his eye, eats the bread Of idlcness. Let
Congress sustain The Executive in his noble efforts
to give to the people cheap and vigorous admin
istr alton of public affairs