The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-05-26
politital.
Pay OF NIcrnbcrs.-NiIcnge.

w VI
Horace Greedy, ofthe New York Tribune wri.
ting from Washington. says:
There must be radical reform in Con-
gress and the best members concur in the
opinion that reduction of the pay is in.
dlsPensable. i have no hope wilhoutit.
Here are gathered great number ofreal
men of business-lawyers in good prac
lice, merchants. manufacturers, extensive
planters, aud thirty farmers, who earnest.
ly desire that the Nations business shall
be promptly despatched, so as to allow
them to go home and attend to theirs
But there is another class-noisy if not
numerous, and enabled by the present
Rules ofthe House to control its proceed.
ings-to whom Washington is a Para
disc: who live higher. drink freer, are of
more consequence and get more money
here than they ever did or ever will any
where else. Many who here pocket S56
per week and do the nearest to nothing
for it that can we'll be conceived, would
have to look very sharp to pick up S25
per week elsewhere. Now just so long
as the People will tolerate the present
exhorbltant rates pay.this kind ofMem.
bcrs will spin out Sessions and prevent
anything being done. And the fault is
not so much in their necessities, their GOV.
etousness or their shiftessness. as in the
Sinking indolence and carelessness of
the People who will not enforce the reme-
Idy.
The Mileage is still less excusable
abomination. Texas sends hilher two
Senators and two Representatives, who
receive in addition to their pay, some
$500 each every Session for merely
coming here and going away again q
would sooner pay them twice the money
to stay away)-1o,0OO in all for travelling
expenses which are not actually $1,000.
Arkansas will take 5000 out of the
Treasury this year merely for the travel
other Senators. When we come to have
Senators and Representatives from Ore
gon and California, we shall have to ne
gotiate loan expressly TO pay the Mil.
cage ofther Members.
Nobody pretendS tojustify this, and
yet it defes every effort 10 reform it. A
member starts up from Bangor, Maine,
and comes here in some two days and a
half, paying some s25 and pocketing
$3.50 clear profit. Coming from Galena
or Chicago, or Nalchez. or Little Rock,
he will clear from SIS to $50 per day,
lounging on steamboat and living like
prince Or he takes the cars at Auburn
in the morning, has capital nights sleep
on the North River, and next morning
awakes in New York, having in one day
cleaied over Sl20. Does anybody imag-
inc that those who make money like this
will carefully watch the Treasury against
the inroads of othersa
There must be retrenchment in the
Pay and Mileage of Members. Then the
compensation of the scores employed a.
bout the Capitol must be treated in like
manner. The Clerk, sub. Clerks, deputy
Door Keepers, Pages, &c, are paid too
much or there would not be such fierce
competition for the places. 1t never
should be worth any good mans while to
come from Illinois here to be a door
keeper, nor to importune his friends into
writing letters for him for any place. 1t
would not be ifthe pay were not exhor-
bitant. Hence the multiplication of pla-
ces and placemen far beyond the wants
ofthe public service. Worst ofall, comes
vote at the close of each Session, to
pay these overpaid placemen $3.50 each
extra, which is actually paid to men get
ting $2l per week, and boys getting Sl09
per week for very light work. Can the
people never be aroused to look into
these matters? Shall we not have the
Yeas and Nays on this Extra swindle at
the close of the Session.