Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-28


ton Of my views 1t is said by the Senator from North Caro-
lima (Mr. BADeER) that compensation Of membes should
bear proportion to their expenses That Is rue am
in favor OF fair and proper rate OF compensation ana
Senators think that the present rate is not large enough e
them bring forward proposition to increase It but let
be increased under its not nat OF
mileage and let it be equal all The object OF this poPo
sition from the House, if understand It, TO equaize IN
somedegree the compensation OF members winch
well known is now made up Of The items OF per diem and
mileage and is grossly unequal The effect OF the PROPOSE
on agreed to- will be not to equalize It perfectly D any
means, but merely to approximate towards wnat is uesaoo
There is for paying one member vastly more IMAM
another The services of member who comes from Onio'
for instance are worth no more than those Of member who
comes from Maryland And yet the difference in compensa
ton arising of difference Of mlesge very
BY adopting the limitations proposed BY the House we sna
make beginning towards equality This matter has been
discussed here much Senators alone were concerned
in it. But such is not the fact The members OF ne onsI
house quite largely concerned and are quite as ey
express the true judgment of the country on hs
as Their opinion is In favor OF reducuon o. ,
larger amount of mileage II is in favor Of fixing limit De-
yond which, this side of the Rocky mountains and on tne
other mileage shall CO. That limitation probably goes
far towards equality practicable, as things now
1.-THE Senator from North Carolina bring forward any
son which will accomplish the desired end more efcieny
than ths bill from the House, will very cheeruly support
it, but shall oppose every proposition calculated to emoarass
this scheme of reduction before us and thus defeat oil reform
/ shall prolong this discussion no further.
".
the House, and yet do know that it would be advisable
strike 1t out There is much irregary in the pay given
members Of Congress who live very near together arising
out Of the different estimates of mileage From my state Of
Ohio there very considerable difference propaDy ono
or two hundred miles, where the individuals reside within
twenty thirty miles of each other, owing to the different
mode Of estimate which they make Of mileage This Is an
rreguay which ought be corrected in way or other
do not know which best to dowhether to adopt the
proposition here as the which the mileage shall
be computed require to be computed by the routes on
which the mails transported certificate from the
Post Office Department. showing the route and distance IN
stead Of having merely certified to by the member or Sena
tor himself. Perhaps that might be well. But do not
think the compensation this bill allows members west Of
the Rocky Mountains those who reside near the base OF
those mountains and at such immense distance from the
CAPITOL sufficient It allows them but ~, 600 at the
outside. It is complained that members from Maryland, and
Vgna and Pennsylvania and other States near here, do
not receive much compensation as those residing at
greater distance because the compensation Is made up IN
part Of this item Of mileage Now, upposing the mileage
to be fairly and truly estimated do not think there Is any
reason in that complaint The member from Maryland,
Virginia. or Pennsylvania from any where within day
reach Of the Capitol visit his home when his business
requires matter what that business may be- and bis per
diem goes on during his absence.
The question was then taken striking out the first clause,
and the yeas and nays being ordered and taken, the result
follows: @
YEAS-Me,srs. Atchison, Badger, Bell Benton, Cooper,
Davis, of Mississippi Dickinson, Dodge of Iowa. Douglas
Mason Rusk Sebastian, Smith, soue, Sturgeon, Walker
NAYs-Messrs Barnwell, Berren, Bright Butler, Cass,
Chase, Clark, Clay, Dawson, Dodge of Wisconsin, Ewing
Felch, Gwn, Hale, Hamln King Morton, Norris Seward,
Spruance, Underwood Wales, and Winthrop-2s.
So the motion to strike out was agreed to.
The question then taken striking out the second
proviso. 10 part, as follows:
lind PROVIDED further That no member of either branch
Of Congress- residing east of the Rocky mountains shall
ceve than thousand dollars mileage for each SEES
sion and such member delegate residing west Of the
Rocky mountains shall receive than two thousand dol
lars mileage for each session.
The yeas and nays having been ordered they taken,
with the following result
YEAs-Messrs Atchson, Badger Barnwell, Bell Benton,
Bright Butler Cass, Clarke Cooper Davis Msssspp
Downs Ewing, Felch Foote Fremont Greene Gwn, Hale,
Hunter Mangu@ Mason Morton Ru'
NAYS-Messrs Berrien, Chase, Clay, Dawson, Hamln,
Norris Seward Spruance, Underwood Wales Winthrop-1.
Mr.. BADGER. now move to strike out the remaining
portion Of that proviso. 1t is in these words:
Nor shall any member of the Senate receive mileage for
session of that body which be called within thirty
after the adjournment Of beth Houses of Congress- unless the
travel for which such mileage charged has actually been
formed.
1t will be observed that this provision made n the appro-
pration BILL has been inserted by the House Of Representa-
ves for the special bene6tor otherwise, the case may
beo this body shall express opinion to the deli
cacy propety of the House of Representatives undertaking
10 introduce into this Dill provision winch IS specially aimed
at the members of the Senate That question for hem
upon which they have right to form their conclusion,
and upon it. But, in the first place. wish to say that
the amendment Of the law proposed by the House in this
vso founded upon total misrepresentation think, of
the law which applies. That proviso is, that
Der of the Senate shall receive mileage for any session called
within thirty days after the adjournment of both Houses of
Congress- unless the travel for which such mileage is charged
has been actually performed Now, sir, there is not
word syllable letter in the act Of 1918 which either ex
presses implies that any distance is to be travelled
fixing the compensation Of the members Of the two Houses of
Congress- and the provision in that law is intended give
them compensation composed of two estimated
per diem allowance during the attendance Of the
bes upon the duties Of their respective houses and the other
certain of money to be computed by the distance from
their respective residences to the seat of Congress- not for
travelling not because it is either required supposed that
yelled that distance The principle Of the act is very OBJ
vious one. II is to furnish compensation the members Of
the two Houses for their services and the mede adopted for
arriving at that is BY paying certain amount for the esma
ted distance OF the residence Of the members which certain
distance and compensation remain the same, whether the
member travels that distance not 1t is very mmaera
WHETHER at the close of session Of Congress- member,
either for hip health, business convenience, goes
the Virgin prngs, goes to New York, or remains the
seat Of go nmen It matter of no sort Of importance;
il never has been supposed to be of any Importance
and cannot be In any mode shape made matter of i'm
porance The members of the two Houses are not EMPLOYED
to do travelling they mail agents. they are moi
boys they not hired travel The whole object Of the
law IS obvious the whole shows it, because there not
word said about travelling from the beginning the end Of it.
1t supposed that the expense and trouble upon the
whole of attending session Of Congress this city, would
be greater to who from distance and generally
in proportion to the distance. than 10 those who lived near