Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-12-30

charged just what the law allows him.
Could any man (asked Mr.. T mistake the character
an article which set out with language like that
He speaking Of the editor of the Tribune il made
matter who that was-wheiher the people had elect.
him by their sufages TO take this floor, wheth
he an individual sitting behind desk in the city of Ne
York he should speak OF the publication and Of its autht
with the same freedom, whatever position he might occupy
lie had only to say that when that article was penned III
Individual who wrote il either Ignorant grossly ignoar
n OF the facts of which il treated or wiuly corrupy lie
from beginning to end He had charged hin, CHR. T.
with oyercharee of mileage the amount of $685. an
the article stated that he (Mr resided by the most drec
route, eight hundred miles from Washington. Now
known TO every gentleman this floor that he resided In tn
extreme Northwest that until Iowa and Wisconsin ad
mtted his district the northwestern corner
the Union and that by airline eight hundre,
miles from Washington He said further that there was no
merchant not individual, who travelled by public con
veyance from his part of the country Washington Bal
more, Philadelphia New York. that could come BY an,
different route unless he took his knapack his back
swan rivers and wadcd Marshes TO by airline,
then would fall little, if any, short Of Thousand miles
But there was public conveyance, stage coaches
railroads OF steamboats, by which any from the town
which he resided could reach the Government without
travelling two thousand miles. Perhaps the gentleman
(he begged pardon rather the individual perhaps the
thing that penned that article aware that his Mr..
portion OF the country not cut up by railroads and
travelled by stage coaches and other direct public
conveyance like the omnbues in the city of New York be-
tween all points they had other channel of communca-
ton except the mighty lakes the rivers Of the West he
Coua get mere IN any 0tner sub
Jec OF mileage authorized the members charge upon the
most direct usually taveled route. Now, he ventued the
assertion that there not individual in his district who
ever came to this city, to any Of the northeastern Cities
who did not come by the way of the lakes the rivers
Further this charge made in this article directly upon
the members. The gentleman from Indiana Mr. HEsLEr)
had principally anticipated what he had intended say
this point viz that the whole of allowance Of mileage
was by the rules referred to committee of this House, who
deded the amount to which each member entitled The
members themselves did not charge. No perhaps had
ever charged his mileage He knew how it had been his
He had furnished the committee Mitchels "ra-
veers Guide had told them that he had made the
pu,aon, but he believed the distance he travelled by
nearest usually ronte) thousand miles
and the committee had made their calculation upon the
thoriy of Mitchells "Taveers Guide" Was there any
other mode by which the Committee Mileage could arrive
at the truth in regard to the matter
Mr. GREEN said he a member of the Committee on
upon, with the leave Of the gentlemen from Illinois, to state
the process by which that committee made their estimates of
what each member entitled to.
The SPEAKER interposed, and said the gentleman could
proceed only by general consent.
No objection being made
Mr. GREEN said that the Committee Mileage had their
duty pointed out by rule of this House. That duty
ascertain and report the distance the sergeant for
which each member should receive pay
In order ascertain the number of miles for which the
members should receive pay, they must first look the law
That provided that members of Congress should receive
certain amounteght dollars for every twenty miles travel
controlled the matter There were, then, questions of
fact to be determined-rs what the usual route and
secod what the distance to be travelled by pursuing
that usual route The House would readily perceive that
in order to ascertain these questions Of fact evidence
must be before the committee. Whence this evidence
to come II had been the custom for the committee he be-
eyed time out of mind, to call upon the members them
selves for evidence as to their II this the only
evidence before the committee they governed by
cusivey but there other evidence they compared the
with the other and drew such conclusions seemed
AZ l.c~.~
usually the post route they ascerained
the distance by obtaining the certificate of the Postmaster
General. If the members residence distance from
where any post upon which he could travel thoy
asceraned from the member himself from other sources,
that distance, and added the certified distance of the
Postmaster General II the not post route, but
great public highway they had to rely upon general nfor
nation to the distances and they frequently referred for
aid publications authentic character But there
in which the committee relied exclusively upon the evi
dence Of the members and while gentlemen sought
cupate themselves from the charge and throw the whole
sponsbty upon the committee, he begged TO make this
mark far the committee responsible for having
passed upon and allowed unjust claims let the responsibility
be thrown upon them. II they had done wrong in SUBJ
penang Witnesses &c let them bear that wrong In
they might have been liberal if So let them bear
the responsibility.
He did undersandthat the editor Of the Tribune had
charged fraud upon the members Of the House, in illegally
drawing from the treasury the amounts Of mileage which
they received but he understood his design be show the
necessity Of change in the law He did charge he
(M g. understood, that the law had been improperly
ecued f he did, he certainly grossly mistaken If he
undsook say that the law did justify and make il the
duty of the Committee Mileage TO make the allowances
which made he certainly construed the law very differ
emily from the manner in which he Mr GREES) construed
it, and in which the Committee Mileage construed il
Mr. yINTON TO point Of order and insisted that,
although this question Of privilege far the
Der concerned, and although il entitled be heard
in preference any other, still resolution a proposition
should be Submitted the House before could be debated
There proposition no question before the House ;
and he made the point Of order that the debate could pro-
ceed until motion proposition submitted to the
House for their consideration.
The SPEAKER said he of the opinion that the gen.
tenan from Illinois (Mr TURsER) might be called to sub.
nit proposition. Il had been usual however, when
member question Of privilege, to allow him
his case make his argument and submit his proposition
the close Of his remarks
Mr.. TURNER (resumng) said he had proposition ready,
but he wished FIRST the gentleman from Missouri had
planned the action Of the committee and put something Of
different construction upon the article in the paper from tha,
which he (r T had been led give it, to read further
extract or two from that article show what was its cha
racter Il would be that the editor .of this paper had
had an Immense amount oftroubehe had laid awake nights
and written by moonlight he supposedfo the purpos Of
laying this whole before the world He said in the
commencement
The following transcripts OF the mileage, compensation
OF the present Congress for travelling 70 and from
Washing Of their attendance the last session.
ha. been obtained and prepared for the Tribune, 1vo
considerable del and dRcly The schedule Of the House
open u.s. and beetioa made TO its but the Sec
age Of that lusrious body be taken, he reqo
Hgtse and 10