New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-17
ADvrRrIsEMESTs.-Fo Auctions see third page
and California steamers see seventh
The NIiIcnge Reform.

u
charge Of a Member of Congress for coming
N and returning from Washington at any
ope Session hereafter shall be 81, 900 If he
represents a District this side Of the Rocky
Mountains, and $1,000 if he come from
Oregon, Utah or California, and thai no con-
structive Mileage (such as the old Senator's
followed last Spring and Controller Whit
tlesey refused to Allow shall DO paid or
allowed benceforth.
Although this proviso is not precisely
what we could wish it, we see but one
safe course for the earnest friends OF he
form-yiz. TO stand By II and reject all pro-
positions Of amendment, however speciOus
or plausible, that interfere with its retention
complete Once give way to motion OF
amendment, and the tricksters who mean to
defeat all Mileage Reform have its friends
of their feet, and no one can tell where
they will be landed. But stick to the Com
mittee's proposition and Reform is Sc
cured which, while it does not reach all the
cases Of abuse, corrects the worst of them
and renders further Reform easy hereafter.
Cut Of the double Mileage of Senator'S every
fourth year and the Extra Mileage now en-
ioyed by Members Of both Houses from the
further Western and Southwestern States,
and they will help us to throttle the over
charges from Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama,
&c. The first blow, well planted, secures
all beyond.
1t was pretended last session, that the
tenacious and successful resistance made to
Mileage Reform was impeded by the unpop-
ularity Of the Member who exposed the
abuses Of the existing Mileage system that,
if he were only away, Reform would hardly
be opposed. But he is not now in Congress
nor in Washington, yet the juggling game
of last year is played over with as much
resolution and dishonest tact as ever. Nay;
here is Monsieur Tonson ScHENoK, with his
very proposition that killed the Reform last
year, only varying the annual salary from
$1,000 to $1,000, and retaining his identical
ten cents per mile. That was carried last
year in Committee Of the Whole, (where the
Yeas and Nays cannot be called) but beaten
at once on coming out Of Committee into the
House-only thirty-sir sustaining it under
a call of the Yeas and Nays, though serenity
odd had voted for tin Committee. No mat
ter-it had doneits work. This proposition
had supplanted and dcstroyedthe original and
genuine Mileage Reform; now its defeat lin
part by the very men who had adopted it in
Committee) left the bill free and clear Of any
Mileage Retrenchment whatever. But this
game was too barefaced to be played over
again, so it is voted down.
But the Reform is not yet out of danger.
1t withstoOd all the arts Of its enemies last
year for more than one day; but at last the
project was concocted that killed it. We
fear it will be so now. See the heavy vote
SO to 70--for Orr's proposition to strike
out the Reform altogether, get the bill out
Of Committee, within reach of the Yeas
and Nays, and not half that 6fty-three can
be found to put themselves on record against
the Ways and Means Committees PROPOSE
ton. So long as it is in Committee it is in
danger, and We trust the friends of Reform
will be able to-day to pass on to the next
section of the bill.
20, why don't you bring in separate
biRP asked the writer's last session. This
matter has no business in an Appropriation
bill; but only put it in bill BY itself and
it will 60 through easilyv
SO the separate bill was tried, after
the People began to growl pretty loudly at
the defeat of the original proposition; and
tho bill did 60 through the House like
fash-157 to lG--nearly all the deadliest
enemies Of the Reform ostentatiously voting
Yea They kaeV perfectly VeH that the
Senate ,c0uld Kill ii, as was done. The bill
never kicked after it left the House. And
SO it would be again. If this Reform is
not fastened to the Appropriation bill, and
resolu.ely kept there, it has no chance this
year. 1t can succeed only by being kept
where it is.
Once more we say, Let no part Of the
Committees clause be stricken out If a
clause can be safely added, arresting the
Mileage abuses where less than 81 900 is
charged, very good; but let not this bone
be dropped for ever 50 large a shadow in
the water. Let US at least have the pleasure
Of seeing the old Senators chew the thistles
herein prepared for them. We want to see
what they will say to the prohibition Of Con-
structive Mileage, and how their successors
~ o.-ov NJ Revlyjs clousn IS