The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-25
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEEERsED Il REmARKs.

bich were withheld Tor revision, made upon ths
ooion by Mr. DIckissos 10 strike out the following
proviso: seNa st
psopidsd That the mileage OF senator's representatives
l delegates, shall herrusr be computed the by
heh the mails transported from the CAPITOL to the
.drnco OF such senator representative delegatci Ana
ovided further, That such member Of either branch o.
ngIess dung east oi the Rocky mountains, sha
@ more than thousand dollars mileage for each
I'M and ueh member OF delegate residing wcst OF toe
Rocky shall eceivn more than two 'honsand dol
| IN lnlIe aye tnr each session 7"
| ar BADGER shall vote for this amendment, sir
nl alter the question is taken, whether the amendment
orwIIs or not shall submit motion strike our the
residue oil the proyiso. The particular part OF the provi
"a now proposed 10 be stricken out is which look
mon as vicious in principle and wrong and injurious TO
considerable number Of the members o this body and 81
Me other house, and even II were tree from those ob-
lons il is brought forward in manner SO ohiectiona
Se as no 10 be entitled to the support and consideration
lhe Senate. Ia the rst place, say that il is vicious
principle, II undertakes to establish rule by which
ne mileage OF members OF Congress- is TO be computet
a has no foundation in reason or In justice No mem
M residing east OF the Rocky mountains is to receive
more than 81 900, and member residing west OF them
10 receive more than 2,oo0 As i the difference be-
respectively, of this range Of mountains from the Capitol
was so very nconsideraie ais amongst themselves, that
larger sum should be allowed 10 any Of them living east
d that range than $i.OO0i member may come here,
who according TO the existing rate Ut compensation shall
entitled to $1,000, and he is to receive ii another may
rone here who according to the existing rate OF cope
adon entitled TO ~ 5O0that is, the distance from his
residence shall be than twice great the former
and vet he is enued to receive more than the l 900
pray you, sir, where il the justice, reason proprey
m such provision that! lnmy Judgment, there Is
rone In the next place, is proposed 10 estimate the dis
auce upon totally false principle OF computation. and
one utterly irreconcilable and inconsistent with the
subsequent part OF the provsO which is not embraced by
his mo,oa, but which will be embraced BY motion l
shall submit 10 the Senate.
Mr. BERRlEN moved to strike out all Of the pro-
Mr. BADGER. am sorry the motion did not embrace
he whole subject The proposition reads, .tde mileage
Senator's representatives. anil delegates shall hereafter
be computed on The route by which the mails are trans
oed" Pray, why should the rou,e by which mails are
transported BE- selected any Than the route pursued
BY the telegraph wiIesl No reason can be assigned tor
Il is perfectly arbitrary, and the House OF Representa-
ives might just well hays taken any other imaginable
rule Why should il be selected Ii the mail route be
The uua road OF travel then there is need OF the pro-
ALL for by the law as Il stands we are restricted
the usual road. lpray you, then, what has the mail
route 10 do with the compensation OF member9 IL the
mail could be transported between two points on dis
OF two hundred miles. what possible relations what
imaginable connexon can there DC between that fact and
he compensation OF member whose usual road OF travel
between these points should be two thousand miles
None in the world. But them in the next place, those
who framed this proposition were entirely inconsistent
with themselves and by the subsequent part OF the
the rule laid down in the rsl part OF H. The Tst part Of
ideelares, as have stated, that the mileage shall be
computed not according 10 the usual road OF travel but
BY the astnce OF the mail and then the subse
quent part Of the proposition is that in the circumstances
there mentioned no member OF this body shall receive
mileage unless the travel Tor which such mileage charged
has been actually performed Well, now, II he Is TO be
paid for actually performing the travel il not unden-
able that be should be paid according 10 the route travel
d II the mal-route is to be selected. il that Is TO be
the route by which his compensation Is computed pray
you what have TO do with actual ravels 80 that IN
any point OF view in which the matter can be presented II
is, to my mind. unjust and unreasonable.
will now menton another consideration, which TO me
is Of yet higher moment. have no personal interest IN
this question-no than any gentleman in the United
Males who is not member OF Congress II were ca
fle, which trust am NOT Of being influenced by any
asdersons merely personal TO myself and entirely ~
this subject al all But here il is proposed TO strike
down the mileage OF gentlemen who belong TO this house
and TO the other, thai il shall not exceed the sum OF
cue thousand dollars. Well, what is the compensation
gwen for The constitution says il Is given Tor our ser
wees and most undoubtedly The constitution did not In
tend that should for less than would pay our ex
lenses while were engaged in rendering those ser
vices. Now, have very simple and easy mode OF sal
styling myself as TO what usiand right towards othes
thls II 10 my own pay and mileage were added the
largest amount Of mileage which 10 received by any mem
bf Of THIS body, which believe 10 that paid 70 tbe sens
tor from Texas. not now in his seat, Mr.. HoUsTos1
some s25oo should stll find myself al the end OF The
session. several hundred dollars behndhand IN paying
ny expenses.
A SEsAroR You must have been extravagant
Mr. BADGER. No, sir, | am not exuavagant; my
hend is mistaken. Now, II there any gentleman who
member OF this body whose compensation under the
law il now exists, will enable him TO defray his ex-
lenses here !, Tor one, Will never give my consent 70
sliuon Of the United States must have intended every
member o Congress shoud have But this is not stating
lbe whole matter ! know how 1t is myself my own
vate professional business nj home utterly destroyed
and gone live 10 the seat OF government; anS
s matter Of course, gentlemen who come here from
distant districts, and whose homes are thousands Of nes
hom the seal OF government, must find that eject pro-
oueed on them in equal degree az on myself. Then
have another mode of asceriaining what is right and
Eoper towards others by putting myself IN Their place
Now, would far rather attend session Of Congress N
Warrington, without cent OF mileage, than TO attend
one at 81 Louis, even al Louisville, or any other OF
hose attractive places in the far West II the mileage was
5000. IL makes vast difference ioa gentleIan to be
soe 10 be where, under extraordinary circumstances he
can command communication with his family, or can
snser himself TO his home, and give his personal aeD-
ton TO his business with the least possible delay Now
have heard grsat deal said, and everybody ese has
beard u said throughout the couniy in the newspa-
prs, ls talked on The stump and II said sometimes
on the floor OF Congress-about the abuses the ont
rages, and the mpositions OF this system Sir, 40
not admit the truth oil these charges | say that the
eompensstion--he largest that Is paid--is not too
much; and should be sorry. because cannot level
up my own compensation 10 what Is right, to be dis.
posed 10 level down that OF Others below what Il
night regret that this matter has been presented 10
SsS @ S" NJ ss . s: luxe: he sss:sss's s%sss q Is
proviso 49, r. $50 ~ gs.6f ~ ~ f.s attaa
MI. BADGER. Icannot 50 amend the motion. Ihav.
sand that this proposition, EVENT. properin ITSELF out
place and altogether improper here. What did Conges
uedf Why, bill was introduced, and went TO the hand
OF committee, was considered by that committee IN al
is various relaons considered by the two house
Songfsss' ana according TO its importance was Y
measure Now Il this subject II ,be comusnsssicn .
members y 10 Be gone inof the House OF Repesenta