New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-01-19
Correspondence Of The Tribune.

shortest Mail Route with the amendment OF MI
vEsABLE promptly accepted by Mr.. H. forbid
ding q repetition Of the National scandal OF con
struc.ive mileage, by which thousands Of dollars
have been drawn from the Treasury for journeys
never performed-paying $500 to $4,000 each TO
Senators for going 10 Arkansas or Texas ION the
clerks books on the night Of the Sd OF March and
coming back so as to take their seats IN the new
Senate next morning-slso Gen. MckArs Just
and salutary proyso against paying Members Tor
time on which they are absent from their seats at
tending TO their private business-all are thrown
overheard, TO make room for Mr.. ScHEScK's sub
stitate, as finally amended, giving each Senator
and Member salary Of $4,000 per snnum, and
reducing his Mileage to 10 cents for each mile Of
travel by the usual route. Here is the old abuse
retained in principle, though modified in the
amount taken under IT, The charge is but ten
cents per mile but the routes are left as zig-zag,
criss-cross aud circumambient as ever. Members
from Illinois are left to charge Their 300 and
from Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas
thence up to 5000 miles. when the real distance IS
not half so much and Northern Ohio may stu
stretch it's three or four hundred miles from this
city into eight or nine hundred by going round ny
Robin Hoods barn, as now. The simple truth Is
there 10 no disposition in a majority OF Congress
10 make its own crooked paths straight
Mr.. ExBREEs amendment, though beaten at
last held its ground well against perfect can
nonade Of amendments, substitutes and all man
ner Of Parliamentary strategy. 1t stood this sort OF
fire about one Legislative day Of proposing and
voting under the fve-minute rule. Mr.. SHENcK
had three or four rushes at 1t Gov. BRowS at
least two-one Of them preferable 10 the original
proposition, had the friends Of Reform been able
10 feel any sort Of confidence that 1t would be car
RED through if now adopted. Regarding 1t as but
a russ TO kill the whole reform, they generally held
on. This amendment proposed to pay every
Member eight dollars day for the whole term Of
bis necessary absence from home attending SEES
sion OF Congress, with his necessary expenses.
Mr.. sHEsoK. in opposing this, was not as tender Of
the honor Of Congress as he had been on recent
occasion. He urged that under such rule Mem
bers would be laid up with sickness In every city
on their homeward route. And the House did not
even resent this gross imputation, much harsher
than anything in the Mileage Expose
At last, the Committee was wearied out. Not
less than dozen different substitutes for Judge
Els proposition had been offered and voted down,
including at least two from Mr.. s. himself when
at length Mr. Schenck's amended proposition lior
salary Of 81. 900 per annum and Mileage at ten
cents per mile was submitted, and carried by
vote Of 81 to ST. Had it been practicable 70 call
the Yeas and Nays las tits not in Comniitteel this
amendment would not have prevailed; had MIR.
schsncks canvass for reelection been coming on
this Fall instead of successfully terminated last
Fall | think it would not have been offered
However it is in the BILL and, being in, the Chair
man ruled nay motion To amend it by substituting
1880 for o. 900 out OF order, and the proposition
not susce ptible of amendment. Our side has been
deficient in tactics throughout-end 30 they have
besten us. The sl,5 500 amendment. 1t seems,
sbould have been moved before the vote on Mr..
schsnck's proposition was taken.
What 10 now to be done Is the proposition as
\ il stands better or worse than no change at all
1t will somewhat esuaze the compensation of
Members, making an average payment OF about
els per day, instead of paying part but IS and
the rest $50 to eos. So far this measure is an i'm
provement ON the present law bat when we con
slider that this schenck amendment actually and
largely increases the pay Of majority OF the Mem
bers which certainly is not the kind OF reform
which public sentiment demandss that it does not
even tend to touch the gross abuse of charging
roundabout Milags to the extent of often more
than double aud sometimes nearly treble the di
rect or actual distance-that IL makes no clear
provision az ainst Constructive Mileage or charges
for journeys never periormed-and above all, that
il actually aggravates instead OF correcting the
80 n
gress while absent practcing law or making par
tisan speeches Tor weeks together-it will be very
difficult for the friends of Reform to scqUiesoe in
this amendment
Icheerfully give credit for all the good there is
In IL. Its adoption will tend to shorten the long
Sessions and diminish the waste OF time generally.
Members will not tolerate waste of time when
the loss shall be their own. and not the Nations.
There will be saving the Printing and some
other contingencies OF the two Houses. Each
long Session will cost the country less, each short
Session will cost il more, than under the present
law. But the measure strikes me as so radically
defective and vicious that the whole it may
better be defeated aud leave the iniquity Al 1t
stands, TO be dealt with as the people shall think
proper.
have said that the adversaries Of the Mileage
Reform have greatly the advantage as tacticsns,
They have known how to make dozen hve-min.
ute speeches against us, all admitting that the
present system is wrong, and sll supporting propo
sitions calculated to Perpetuate the wrong. They
have had at least half dozen distinct pulls al our
proposition; we shall not have one chance 10 pro
pcse IN amendment IA theirs Very probably,
when the bill is taken out OF Committee, they viii
s>-l~.Ns Previous Question, and prevent the
saa.a Of our amendment to the House. II
the p GUS Question is carried, the oTiginsl pro
psitsos " Judge ESsSNs cannot be revived al al
S<crc the House. to give its friends chance
call the Yeas and Nays. / do not believe II
could have been thrown on; on recorded Yea and
Nav vote We shall see whether the friends OF
The Schenck amendment win venture TO permit
each vote on the two propositions respectively.
II thsy head US with the Previous Question. the
People viii guess shy.
If the $4,000 compensation remains unchanged,
suspect il will be voted down by union of ex-