Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-08-13
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
The Pay or Clerks. &C.

CIVIL ana uiplomauc appropriation bill
"Be il further enacted, That the clerks. mes
sengers, watchmen, and laborers, EMPLOYED Mt
an annual salary or in temporary positions in
the executive and legislative. departments Of
the government in the city of Washington, whose
compensation does not exceed twelve hundred
dollars per annum, shall, in addition thereto, be
| allowed the following annual increase Of COM
pensation, commencing from the first day of the
present fiscal year, viz: Al aehose annual COM
pensatton does not erceed tpelpe hundred RoilaTs
shdH, IN addition thereto, be allored an increased
compensation Of twenty per cent, and that the same
shall be paid out of any money in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated Pr0riaed, That this
section shall not extend to any person receiving
a salary for discharging the duties of more than
one office at the same time, or to any person who
does not actually discharge the duties Of the Of
\ nee Tor which he receiyes'sueh salary or to any
person engaged in prosecuting any claim other
than his own before any Of the departments or
Congress. And that in case any paying or dis
counting officers Of the government shah pay
said additional per ccntage to any such person,
u. Shall be misdemeanor in the person know
ingly paying or receiving such additional per
centage, rendering each liable to indictment and
punishment: Provided, further, That the propi-
sions Of Mis section shall not apply TO any person
rhose compensation has been increased at the present
session Of Congress-"
correspondent objects to the above on the
ground that it elevates some above others who
have long received thirteen or fourteen hundred
dollars; but we do not see the force of the OBJ
lection If the latter think they should receive
increased pay, they can be heard !; but increasing
the pny Of such Us have long toiled for low com
pensation inficts no injury upon others.
lie fears also that the proviso will cut off clerks
who have lately received pay for extra services.
But that is impossible as the regular compensa-
tion for the usual duties is alone referred TO- The
not preclude extra pay for extra services in one.
We have, however, no objection to this being
rendered more explicit.
1t is also argued by our correspondent that as
many 81 900 clerks are soon to be dismissed, the
bill should have retrospective application,
awarding the additional compensation for seryi-
ces during the past year. We are opposed to
such things. A bounty for meritorious services,
&c., is at times well enough but an extraordi-
nary case alone should demand it. What is Just
and reasonable, and accordant with usage, may
well be asked; but anything beyond this VIC
would oppose.
We would have preferred Mr.. Gentry's propo-
sition but the House has manifested consider
ate and liberal spirit, and with its action NIL
should be satisfied.
We are Jewellers, but We prefer levelling up
ward. We never have any objection to the pro-
gress Of the high; but our chief pleasure is in
the elevation Of the lowly. The House has done
well, and merits universal thanks.
Another Diplomatic Controversy.---The
| L0bos Islands, and the Guano Trade.
Simultaneous with the Newfoundland fishery
troubles, We have parallel case in the South
the history and present aspect Of which is con-
cisely set forth in the Philadelphia Ledger. The
difficulty is between our government and Peru,
respecting the right Of Americans to visit the
| Lobos Islands, TO procure guano; "but England, !"
says the Ledger, from the interest she has in
this, and her disposition to meddle with every
other American question, by pretended pecuuiary
claims of British citizens upon nearly all the gov
ernments on this side Of the globe, may possibly
have something to say, IL not to directly inter
fere with the assertion Of the rights OF American
citizens by our government.
"Mr. Webster has recently given his opinion as
TO the American right IN the matter; and, though
the letter has postscript that it is important
that 1t shall not he made public yet, like all gov
ernment secrets, its contents have leaked ont and
been published. In that letter, Mr.. Webster
takes the ground that, unless the islands lie
within n marine league OF the continent, or have
been discovered by Spain or Peru, the Americans
cannot be excluded. The islands are between
thirty and forty miles westward of the Peruvian
coast; and 1t is claimed that they discovered
by Benjamin Morrel jr., an American. Under
these circumstances, Mr.. Webster considers it
the duty of the American government to protect
the Americans visiting those islands from any
attempts If Peru to prevent them. The game
practsed by the British authorities in the fishing
watcrs will not be allowed in the South Pacific.
vessel Of war has been ordered TO the islands
to protect American rights; and it is said that
some Of the trading vessels have gone out armed
to resist any attempt TO interfere with their bus-
ness We learn from New York that, within the
last three months, ten ships have left that port
to load with guano, and that they are armed, un-
der the special authority Of our government; in
which case there is likely TO be sudden COLI
sion, if the Peru,isns shall be rash enough to
attempt to maintain doubtful clnim by force,
however backedsby Great Britain.
These Lobos Islands are uninhsbited, except
by penguins and other sea-fowls, whose occu-
pancy gives them the only value they possess
they being the only producers on that otherwise
sterile soil. Peru has a rightfu possession Of
the Chincha Islands, and demands forty.fiv dol
| iars nor ton from traders who take the guano