New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-24
The spenker-hip of the English House Of
Commons, and of the United states House
of Representatives.

The regular salary Of the Speaker Of the House
Of Commons is about $4,000 year: he has beside
a house. with some other en- 'iuments on public and
private bills and the sale Of certain cerkships con
pected with the business Of the Commons--making
his annual receipts altogether nearly $1,000
$4,000
He has. moreover, the appointment OF Chaplain
to the House, a perquisite equivalent to the dspo-
sal of valuable church patronage which the recipi-
ent pays for in other ways than in saying masses
for his benefactors soul
And if the Speaker be q man OF intellect orpoti-
cal influence, he is promoted To some high office
in the Cabinet or, on bis retirement from the ardu-
GUS duties of the Speskership, reposes upon some
downy seat in the House OF Lords
But then he is expected, from the proceeds oihis
Office, to keep up an expensive establishment-to
live in a state becoming the first Commoner in the
Kingdom-to give costly dinners and to have even.
ing receptions and levees all demanding large
drains upon the purse. His duties too are exact
ing and onerous nor confined TO the time he occu.
pies the Chair.
The Speaker of the American House receives, as
foil pay, emoluments and perquisites sirteen dol
lars per diem during the Session! In the short
session his salary would not reach the sum Of
81 500.
He appoints no clerks nor chaplains, not even a
door keeper nor is he supposed TO be interested di
rectly or indirectly in any public or private bill
Our speakership, however, like the English IS
often the step to greater promotion. Ministers
Penipotentiary. Cabinet officers, Vice Presidents
and even Presidents may spring from such an Ap
premiership to public service in truth, the influence
exercised by the Speaker Of theIlouse OF Repre-
sentatyes, and the felicitous adaptation, by some
who have filled the Office Of such influence to per
sonal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, have caused il to be con
sidered the second Office in the country. The rcrJ
first seems near Of view and facile OF attainment
contemplated from such an elevation.
If the Speaker OF the House Of Representatives
be expected to entertain much, to dine or sup peo
pie, he generally disaPPoints expectation. Will
the exception Of II. NJ. I. Hunter, we do not be
eye that any one who has filed the Office since the
ACCESSION of Gen Jackson has exceeded his salary
small as it is in truth, many of them, including
James X Polk his present Excellency, have con
trived to save money from the Office.
But if the emoluments OF our Speaker be less 10
crative than those Of the Speaker OF the British
House. his style Of living lns we have shown II
less extensive and his duties far less arduous
Few of our Speakers have undertaken to do NOR,
than to preserve order in the House and even II
this limited duty they have mostly failed. Oh out
door business, business in committee, digest o
bills. entainment of measures sc they seem Il
know little and care less. The adjournment of the
House with them is, generally speaking the adj
ournment of business While the English Speak
er is much deeper immersed in affairs, out OF the