The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-03
SENATE. SPECIAL SESSION.
DErERHED DEBATE.
SATURDAY, MARCH s, 1881,

EAraA CONDENSATION.
MT CLAY. now move thai lhe Senate take ~ M
resolution IN regard To compensation 10 ofiesTs ana
dispose OF II IN one way or the other
Ihe question being taken upon the motion, IL was
agreed TO- 1atp .gsH
The Senate then proceeded 10 consider the resolution
which is as follows:
Resaued That be paid out of the contingent flna
OF the Senate to each OF the officers. clerks messensefs
OF com Pensation allow cd them
sion OF the Ihaih Cong and that
pages be continued io The period oil Two nonhs from the
termination OF the present session. for the purpose Of tdss
aud documents ordered % be printed of the
use OF the Senate.
The following amendment was reported from the Com.
mee TO Audit and Settle the Contingent Expenses OF The
Senate
Strike out all after " "resoycd,' and insert ia lea
ihereoi-- .au a## a1taE sHs. ##
direction Comnee 70 Aadt and Control lhe Con,in
gent Expenses 10 each Of the officers. cieks
assistant Librarians and gers in tie library Of
sres ,he fireman in tho crypt ald the hborer the
tre building the amounts pee vey they
pad nndeI the resolution OF the Senate OF 81 March, lsi9
70 he regular police the watclmen, ana the pborel In The
CaPol grounds the western gale Keeper and the lamp
,,gn'eI. such sums espec lively as together with what
al e last session. shall sount TO hat is here allowed
a messenger.
" dnd be Further resolved That the sergeanat Arms be
during the recess IN folding documents, they be
IN the Houe Of Representative during The last Congress
and that he bo also authorized employ mail wagon
cost"
Mr. DAVIS of Mississippi, offered the following
amendment to the amendment which was read
Strike from second resolution down word Con-
gress and inseu in lieu thereof
That the messengers be continued three months iron
The termination OF the present session, Tor lire purpose
M dins M and g ansmtns a., documents ordered 10 be printed
Mr. CLAY Will the honorable senator from Misss
spp allow suggest him that the original draught
OF the resolution which have presented there
proposition to retain those officers for three months; but
upon inquiry afterwards, was induced 10 believe that
two months would be long enough would, therefore,
suggest to the senator that he roposetwo months instead
OF three. "@
Mr. DAVIS, OF Mississippi have no objection 10
that and will so modify my amendment. viii say that
the great difference between the amendment which pro-
pose and The proposed by the committee is, that
propose TO pay them for certain time, instead OF paying
them by the hundred
Nh. DODGE, of Iowa ! rise for the purpose OF ex-
pressing my hope that that amendment to the am mendment
will not be adopted We, The committee propose that
the messengers pages, etc. shall be employed folding
by the hundred just as they employed in the House
OF Representatives.. That system has been thoroughly
tried iormerly the custom that exists in this house now
formerly existed in the House OF Representatives They
abolished il and adopted this system | do not myself
have any complaints TO make OF our officers pages, or
any body else but learn that the documents will be folded
more expeditiously. Those who fold well and under.
stand their business make than their per
diem" compensation now. Those who doNnot work or
who do understand II, cannot, pehaps make SO much
but at any rate they are paid according to the labor per
formed
think j, is good system and hope HAT at the ne x
II will be adopted entirely, and pcrhaps viii en-
able us 10 dispense with many OF The messengers that we
now have certain that the documents will be fold
ed more readily than they now
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi. defer much TO the wis
dom and knowledge necessarily acquired by the Committee
great distinction between the messengers of the Senate
and those OF the House in relation the folding docu-
ments in this respect viz understand that in the House
the messengers do not fold documents during the
Other employed during the session but after
the termination oil the session, then the messengers are
allowed to fold by the hundred think that constitutes
an important difference between the messengers OF the
two bodies. Moreover think that the messengers that
we have, who have served during the session. using
their spare time in folding documents are better retained
service until they complete the labor that they have
been employed in during the session II might ensue
that the messengers would not choose TO fold by the
hundred, and you would have go the town TO
hire other persons TO fold the documents. II the
gers choose, take il for granted they will have the
preference all other persons to do H. But suppose
they did not choose, then you would have go into
the town and hire other persons. Our messengers, |
think, are select class, as they should be- and do not
want 10 throw them open 10 being converted into less
Mr. DODGE, OF Iowa This is The only li,,le reform
that committee have been able ever to propose
complish.
A SENATOR 1t is TOO small
MIR. DODGE, OF Iowa. think not Il is a system
tha, | think would work well and on that account
want 10 see i tried hope the Senate will make the
pertinent They DO with perfect safety There
will be sort OF difcuy-no doubt but that the mes
sengers and pages will fold for us-for they will be glad
10 work for US al the compensation that propose
give them. And there earthly doub, that il they do
not Others be 60, who will be glad to perform the
labor.
Mr. WHITCOMB I do no, know that / really compre
bend the amendment proposed by The committee Bat If
do, am in favor OF IL, for two is, that
think s the part OF wise legislators make II the in
ierest oil the employee 10 do the work well and speedily
and the other is, that think IL is important that
should receive documents soon as possible.
think sound principle to pay person according to
the amour, Of labor that he performs and 10 make for
his interest 10 do il As soon as possible
Mr.. BADGER As my friend (he chairman OF the
committee MIR DoDGE) has said, this is the only
mencemeDt OF a system OF retrenchment that have
been able with safe conscience TO propose 10 the SEN
ate The amendment as IL stands think even better
MIR DAvIs1 To that there is this objection He pro-
posee 10 keep the messengers two months You cannot
tell beforehand whether they will be able to get through
The work in that time for there vas amount OF work
10 be done. and II you continue them indefinitely al the
per diem allowance. You enlarge indefinitely the expendi
ture with reference 10 the amount OF work But If you
adop, the plan proposed by the committee you retain in
employ the messengers and pages, and pay them Tor the
purpose Of doing thai folding those who are pu,
to the business OF ioldng-unl the work "a done; and
you ray them according to what IL done proporionabe
compensation. You certain then to pay them ior
nothing but what you need, and every will receive
just Compensation That seems 10 be the reason Why
the plan should be preferred.
Mr.. DAVIS, OF Mississippi think the modesiy Of
the committee 10 greatly to be commended in the small
extent which they have gone reirenchment II seems
be the very smallest kind oil rerenchment that
have ever heard oi am 10 favor OF equalization and
sce no upon which the argument Of the senator
from North Carolina Mr. BADera founded that would
not be fully applicable TO the clerks of the Senate do
iustica Of N