The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-10-07


of epery such session and meeting And in case
any Representative or Delegate has been, is, OF
shall be detained by sickness on his journey to
or from the session Of Congress, or, after his
arrival, has been, is, or shall be- unable to at
| tend the House of Representatives, he shall be
entitled to the same daily allowance"
The construction given to this section, so far
as mileage is concerned is, to allow member
mileage for the route he actually travels, On the
presumption that he selects it on account Of its
greater convenience and comfort which will
always render it the usual route, though it may
be longer than another, less desirable.
The l02d rule of the House is as follows
| at shall be the duty of the Committee on
Mileage to ascertain and report the distance,
| to the Sergeant-atArms, for which each men,
Der shall receive pay"
The Speaker pays the member his per diem
| and mileage, thus ascertained, but the charge
for mileage, before being paid, is submitted to
the Committee on Accounts, for approval.
By clause inserted into an Appropriation
bill by the both Congress, "all certificates which
have been or may be granted by the presiding
| officers of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives, respectively, of the amount of compensa-
ton due to the members of their several Houses
and to such Delegates, are and ought to be
deemed held and taken, and are hereby de-
| clared to be, conclusive upon all the Depart
| ments and officers of the Government of the
United States"
Towards the close of the session, the Speak
er's account is presented to the accounting Off
GERS of the Treasury, for adjustment and if
there is any charge illegal or voucher informal,
| they are bound to reject it,
When the Speakers account is settled, hav-
ing first been stated by the First Auditor, and
then passed upon by the Comptroller, the set
| Element is certificate that all the items of the
account are legal and correct.
Mr. Whittlesey charges Mr. Giddings, in
gross terms, with having drawn illegal mileage
from the Treasury. 1t is impossible for him to
sustain the charge, as a brief statement will
show.
The distance for which he has received
pay has been ascertained, not by himself but
by the Committee on Mileage. The Speaker,
recognising the correctness of their report, has
submitted the charge for mileage to the Com
mittee on Accounts, by which it has been ap-
proved, and the Speaker has paid it. The
Speakers account has been presented to the
First Auditor, passed upon by the Comp
troller, no illegality, no informality in the
vouchers been detected, and the settlement of
the account is of course certificate that all
the items of the account are legal and correct.
This statement is conclusive. The Commit
tee on Mileage has ascertained the distance for
which Mr. Giddings is to receive pay; the
Speaker of the House has recognised the cor
rectness of its report; he has submitted the
charge for mileage to the Committee on Ac-
counts, by which it has been approved; and
the settlement of the Speakers account in the
Treasury shows that there was no informally
in the vouchers, no illegality in the items.
But says Mr.. Whittlesey, | am not author
lied to determine the mileage of member; if
were should not allow Mr.. Giddings the
amount charged; that amount is illegal. That
is your opinion, MIR. Whittlesey; but the Com
mittee on Mileage of the House and the Speak
er clearly hold different opnion-and their
opinion on this point is by law binding on you
With what decency, then, can you pronounce
thing illegal which by law you are bound to
recognise and sanction
But Mr.. WIfttlescy intimates in his letter
that the amount of mileage is ascertained by
Mr. Giddings himself "The universal prac-
tce, believe" he says, has been for that Com
mittee ION Mileage) to request each member to
state the distance he is entitled to pay for
mileage" He, from this belief, jumps to the
conclusion that Mr.. Gddings has himself ixed
the distance for which he is to receive pay and
then he dissertates upon his cupidity, and rob
berry of the public treasury!
Let us hear the statement of the Ashtabula
Sentinel authorized we presume by Mr. Gid
dngs himself:
Formerly, Mr.. Gddings gave in his mile
age by the way of Pittsburgh, although he
travelled by Buffalo and New York The re-
cords at Washington show that Mr.. Fillmore
drew nearly double the mileage that Mr. Gid
dngs did, although Mr.. Giddings travelled one
hundred and fifty miles further than Mr.. Fill
more.
Indeed, every member representing constt-
uents on tho lake shore drew by the way of
New York. while he drew by way of Pitts
burgh.
This unjust inequality attracted the atten-
ton of the Committee on Mileage and without
MIR. Giddings's knowledge they raised his mile
age to compare with that of other members on
the lake shore The attacks were originally
| ID onI IN
takes the mileage to which Wig committee
said he was entitled When the attack was
made two or three years since Hon. Luther
Severance, who had been member of Con-
gress, and q member of the Committee on
Mileage, at that time editor of the Kenne-
bee Journal speaking of Mr. Gddings said
Justice to him requires us to say that has male
age tras raised u,thom has knowledge or pro
curement, and at the suggestion Of the writer Of
this paragraph, then a member Of the Commit
tee on Mileage He then goes on to state that
other members on the lake shore received pay
by way of New York, and he thought it Just
that the same rule should apply to all those
who were thus situated"
The testimony of MIR. Severance is conclu-
sive. 1t vindicates Mr.. Giddings against the
gross charges of cupidity and public robbery
preferred against him by this .iustice-oving
Comptroller.
But Mr.. Whittlesey regards it great crime
that Mr.. Giddings should travel to Washington
by the Lake shore. Mr.. Giddings we pre-
sumo, consuts his convenience, as other men,
bers Of Congress do theirs We do not know
what right Mr.. Whittlesey has to set up his
notion of comfort az test Of tho honesty of
| tbar a,rla he 4 Oh has 10 q A.