New-York daily tribune., 1849-01-27

Correspondence Of The Tribune.
W.eurxcrox Thursdav Ian

WASHINGTON, Thursday, Jan. q.
The House in Committee of the Whole having
under consideration the bill from the Committee
Of Ways and means making Appropriations for
the Military Service Of the United States for the
year commencing with next July-and the Com
mittee having reached the following item
"For Mileage, or the allowance made to Ofhcers for
the transportation of themselves and baggage when
travelling duty withou,roops seventynye thousand
dollars "
Mr.. GREELEY moved the addition OF the follow
ing proviso:
Prorid,d Tha, no Mileage shall be allowed OF paid
from the Treasury Of the United states, or from any
Fund thence appropriated, 10 any Military ofncer "
other person NhaeY for any constructive journey, OF
for any journey whsevsr not actually made By him at
the time and for the purpose designated in the account
upon which such allowance and payment shall be made %
The object and effect OF this amendment is
simply to prohibit the unjust and scsndalous allow
ances hitherto paid 70 certain Senators OF the
United States and perhaps to some other tanction-
aries, Tor journeys never travelled by them Thus
at the opening of Mr.. Polk's Administration, when
the old Senate adjourned on the Sd of March and
the new was required to meet on the 4th to pass
upon the new President nominations for Cabinet,
&c a portion OF the Senators charged-no, they
receiped-Milesge as for new journey TO and
from their homes between tie adjournment on tine
night OF the 80 and the meeting again next morn
ing-amounting in several instances to nearly or
quite s2,0OQ end in the aggregate 10 considerably
Mr.. G. remarks on submitting Il, pre-
suming n needed, and il was adopted in
COMMITTED h' and nearly equal V'T9 rooe
vote 4
Mr. GRrELEr then submitted the following ad
diuoual Proyiso
"AaG Pr0p,asa also That In every case OF allowance
or payment OF Mesge by the United states 10 any Mill
tsry officer any otA pos0H rkGfsrer the distance for
which such Mileage is allowed and paid sbsll be com
puted and paid upon the most direct shortest Mail
between the points travelled from and to respec
lively and all acts parts OF sets inconsistent with
this Proviso are hereby repealed.
In support of this amendment Mr.. q. spoke sub
stautially as follows
Mr.. Chairman, think the discussions already
hadan Committee on another bill have coDclusively
shown the necessity oi some general regulation OF
tnis kind. There should be one absolute and un
varying rule for the computation OF Mlleaee,
| whether BY officers Of the Army or Navy--oy
Members OF Congress or any other class OF public
! servants Some are paid higher, some lSwer ac-
cording 10 the supposed worth and Importance OF
| their services some have forty cents per mile,
| Others but ten some perhaps even less than ten
but there is no reason why one class should charge
more miles than another, for travelling between
| the same points sul less those who are
allow ed the largest rate per mile should
also be allowed 10 charge much lRrCer
number Of miles for making the same identical
| journey. Let me illustrate the injustice of you'
present system or no-system, BY some examples
| which have been enabled 70 present by the Of
1 81 81 I ha Ssa NJ
| Iohnsoal aud his assistant Mr. :, K. Hobbe q
| letters of inquiry which | addressed o. them, ask
ina statements OF the actual present distance from
this city to the residences respectively Of those
gentlemen who have most yehemently impesched
my Integrity and the correctness Of my publication
with regard t. Congressional Mileage. From these
official replies l have made up IN the following
| exhibit the Mai Route distances ln this present
! lS4o. 81 pt-crf ~ tF-al Cong N. =
| 49," Ma Route Coarse q Ma ssv Rolts
| Gslst.a. Ms GOV Rro~nsl..l,G3 leg 80
i =. Ma1 :. ono. Nj sa~gefs - sl S<
LNess-By TIE P BOA Of -hcA ussi canq.zs
Tee Teans Etpo., setua iaaes ., saoe % As
Po.rt. Hsas-Fr-.por, H. Ms 81 81 Mar
oAo ns orou,.. iAss aas sats 'Sc5'sset
s assss F-ePOr sua us-ne tss diaa-' % ca si a.
- NAYS BAL ne shsss- IA sah-ross- ncous ssrssls
This 10 the prsssai or Winter course OF the Mails -
When the Rivers sni Lakes ali nsvissbe, the Ms
are conveyed from Washington to FrcePOrt around .,
BY New-lork Albany, Buffalo, &c. extending the dis
tsnce to s69 miles.
! Mr. Chairman this Committee can bear witness
how grossly hsve been repeatedly ssssiled on
| tins door SIS a malignant and wAnton deiamsr Oi
the gentleman from Illinois Mr.. TUgSERl iol
stating that the distance 10 his residence by the
rost direct Post. Route was only So miles. Re
| declared that 10 was over one thousand miles BY
| an sir.line-more thsn eight hundred miles " est
| and four hundred north Of rs by the compass, &c
&c. hsve been asssiled as wilfally using an IN
correct authority told that must have known my
statement was false, &c Yet here hsve the
testimony OF the Postmaster General and MS As
sis,snt that the sctua distance BY the most direct
Mail Route noe is-not was, nor may oe-sSO
miles, or flco nilss less than II was gwen IN The
Tribune following the latest Post once List Of
Distances by shortest routes 10 this Clty' % Of
the other cases in which | have been sssaied.
Need say more
But. Mr.. Chairman, many gentlemen insist ths.
the usual Mall Route is fUrer. Let us see