The republic., 1851-02-19
Whole on the state of the Union. He hoped that
there would be time to consider this subject.

|
| Mr. BURT also reported bill to limit the COM
| pensaton of officers Of the army incapable Of ac
tive service, and 10 reduce the number OF majors
in the regiments Of artillery, dragons, and rifle
| men; which was referred to the Committee Of the
Whole on the state of the Union.
MIR. b., from the same COMMITTEES. reported
bill for the relief of the widow of Lieutenant Col
onel William Gray, OF Arkansas; and 1t was
passed.
| ENLISTMENT or MEcHANIcs, TRANSFERS, AND La
l BoRERs.
| Mr. CALDWELL, of Kentucky, from the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, reported a bill author
| izing the enlistment of mechanics, teamsters, aud
laborers in the Quartermaster's Department; which
was referred to the Committee Of the Whole on the
state Of the Union.
| Mr.. c. also reported back the House bill, with
| amendments, amendatory OF the act OF lS49,
paying for horses and other property destroyed or
and the bill was passed-yeas l2S, nays o..
Mr.. CHANDLER, from the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, reported bill for the relief of the le
| gal representatives of General Armisted and it
was then passed.
CLASSIFICATION OF CLERKS.
Mr. EWING, from the Committee on Military
Affairs, reported back the Senate BILL with amend
nents providing for the classification OF clerks in
the military bureaus, and equazing their salaries.
He said that the present aggregate amount OF sala
ries Of clerks in the War Department is S55, 800;
| the bill proposes to increase it to $6S,4OO. The
salaries are to be apportioned according to the du-
1
he said, be a similar measure applicable to all the
| departments.
MIR. CARTIER opposed the bill. If any change
should be made. let it apply to all of the depart
| ments. He moved to commit the bill TO the Conn
| mttee Of the Whole on the state OF the Union
| Mr.. JONES, referring to the remark Of MIR.
/ EWING, that the salaries proposed would secure
the services of good Clerks said that all the clerks
| in the War Department were turned out to-day,
| there would be ten applicants for every vacancy
before to- morrOw's sunset. From one to five hun
dred men can be called up, who think themselves
| competent for clerkships
MIR. EWING said that Judge of the Supreme
| Court might be secured for hundred dollars
| year, probably; but the question was, would the
| duties of the station be performed
Mr.. JONES said that, from every department
throughout the country, almost without an cxcep-
ton, applications were coming here for an increase
OF salary; and, in reply to a remark OF his COL
| in this city, remarked that when he was in the Le
| gslature of Tennessee he paid nine dollars and
seventy five cents week for board, and got good
living IA voice: "Did that include your liquor?''l
No. [Laughter] clerk does not pay for his
board much member Of Congress does.
| Members charged double that others are for
clothing, board and every thing else. Laughter.
| Mr.. BURT said he had tried living in hotels, in
private boarding houses, and in his own house;
| and he avowed to the House that his experience
taught him that, throwing aside luxuries, with
simply and fTugally, Il cost him al least ten doG.
lars week, any way he could live; and 80 help
him God he would not go into boarding house
that would undertake to board him for less than ten
| dollars week, for fear that the keeper would
| break, or that he would be half starved. He had
| paid seven dollars week for the board and lodg
ing ofh servant. And had he TO be told that any
one could live in Washington cheaper than in many
of the Sntes9 He supported the bill; and, when he
| concluded his remarks--
| Mr.. AsHIUN, as an object of economy, moved
the previous question; under Incorporation Of which,
the bill referred to the Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union-yeas 81, nays 81.
! INCREASE TYPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS.
| MIR. EVANS, of Maryland, from tho Committee
on Military Affairs, reported bill provide for the
| gradual increase of the corps of engineers, by
annual access to the lowest grade; which was re-
ferred to the Committee of the Whole on the state
| Of the Union.
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
! On motion of Mr. McLANE, of Maryland, the
House resolved itself into Committee ofthe Whole
on the stateofthe Union, Mr. MEADE in the char,)
and resumed the consideration Of the bill making
| appropria tons for certain harbors and rivers.
| The CHAIRMAN announced that the substitute
offered by Mr.. McLANE was the matter to be con-
| sidered.
| Mesars JOHNSON, of Arkansas, FITCH, Nc
CLERNAND, and MORSE, having addressed the
| Committee on the several amendments which had
1 been offered
| Mr. BAYLY remarked that he stated yesterday
that heb was sectional in its provisions. The gen
| tleman from Maryland (Mr MCLANE) took issue,
| and asked him whether he had made calculation
| to the amounts appropriated for the North and the
South. He had and found that the appropriations to
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
| Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky, in all,
amount to 1912, 500. There is appropriated for
New York alone $340 900, more than for the whole
Of the saveholding States together; and it was not
necessary that he should have looked to the provi
sions Of the bill to have characterized it with great
| confidence as a sectional measure, and as uncon-
stitutonal, being unequal in its operation.
| Mr.. HILLlARD, like the gentleman from Virgil
MIA, opposed to the bill; but his opposition rest
| ed q look tn aec
whether moro money to be given to one Sec
| ton than to another. II commerce demands more
for the North than for the South, he would, Re
preventative, vote to make the appropriation. The
great question should be, is this national object?
| II SO, he would not stop to consider whether the
port to be improved lies north or south of Mason
and Dxon's line. He would vote readily on the
one as the other. The sectional spirit ought to
be resisted. II was full of mischief. We must
| legislate in national spirit, and not local. He
was opposed to the log-rolling which the bill be-
| gets
MIR. STANLY replied to Mr.. BAyLy, (who said
this was a sectional measure) have (said Mr.
81 but few remarks to make in reply to this
statement. / regret that the chairman Of the Ways
and Means, from whom VIC have right to expect
better things should be trumpeter of party his
friends here, to excite their opposition to this
sure. The gentleman selected certain southern
States. and proclaimed that New York gets more
than all of those he mentioned Whose fault is tbis
Certainly not the fault of the northern members
We have seen the gentleman from South Carolina
(Mr. BURT) move to strike out appropriation
for an improvement in his State The House voted
down his motion This is an evidence of the feeling
which animates some southern gentlemen. in oppo
sing according to their sense ofduty this bill South
crn gentlemen refuse TO take the appropriations
Take example OF the sectional character fthis
BILL Last night, when this bill was under consdera
ton, the gentleman from New York-Imean thatone
whom the chairman of Ways and Means referred
to good -humoredly as being only [" five feet five
inches high" MIR. CLARKE,) but who, if the mind
ia the measure of the man, is very tall-movcd
| an appropriation of ten thousand dollars, ! think
for Sacketts Harbor, but his amendment failed.
Ths morning the member from Arkansas sue
ceeded in obtaining additional appropriation Of
one hundred thousand dollars for several southern
rivers, and this, too, in house where the North
has large majority of members. Is this evidence
of sectional feelings l hope the gentleman from
Virginia will give facts, and not merely charge
that this bill is sectional It is not; according to
NV knosuladcre of facts IL has hem a