Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-14
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

from the acting Secretary Of State and the documents by
which II was accompanied in answer to resolution of
the House Of Representatives of the 22d ulmo the
subject OF the fisheries The President states for the in
formation Of the House, that the United States
frigate Mississippi has been dispatched to the fishing
grounds on the coasts of the British possessions in North
America for the purpose of protecting the rights Of Ame
rcan fishermen under the Convention between the United
States and Great Britain Of the Goth Of October 1878
The message and accompanying documents were refer
red to the Committee Foreign Affairs and ordered
be printed.
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATION BILL.
On motion Of Mr.. HOUSTON, the House went into
Committee of the Whole the state of the Union (Mr
PHELPS OF Missouri in the chair and resumed the
sideration OF the bill making appropriations for the civil
and diplomatic expenses of Government for the year end
ing Both June, 1853, and for other purposes
Many amendments offered and acted upon. Among
those adopted was one ION motion of Mr. McCORKLE)
the erection Of branch mint Of the United States in San
Francisco, California
Mr. WEIGHTMAN moved to insert in the bill the fol-
lowing item:
co since that Territory taken of by the Amer
can troops under Gen. kearny in the year 1885, S50O0
so much thereof may discussed under
the direction OF the Secretary of the Interior
Mr. said that by the treaty between the United States
and Mexico which the supreme law of the land the
Government of the United States guaranteed to protect
the people OF New Mexico in the enjoyment Of their pro-
pery very large amount of property had been taken
away from these people by Indian depredaons and he
now proposed the sum named in his amendment to REIN
burse them for these losses The amount which he pro-
posed was based upon the returns which
prepared by officers of the United States 1t was
not the exact amount and would fall short several hun
dred dollars. This somewhat aggravated one
for the people of New Mexico time and again requested
the authorities of the United States give them arms
enable them their stolen property but this
was always refused. He thought the amendment was
just, and should be adopted
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee, inquired of the delegate
Meyico whathpr IL he was IN he
would vote in favor of this amendment?
Mr.. WEIGHTMAN replied most assuredly he would.
Mr.. HOUSTON said that the amendment proposed 10
appropriate very large sum- and he thought that the
subject had never been investigated by committee of the
House, it should not be adopted He presumed that the
delegate who submitted this amendment as uninform
ed himself to the correctness ncoectness this
appropriation.
The question then taken, and the amendment was
rejected.
Mr.. GENTRY moved to insert in the bill an amendment
granting increase of compensation to the clerks and
messengers in the employ of the Government Washing
ton.
Mr. G. remarked that he did think il was needful
for him to say any thing in explanation of this amend
1t based upon the idea that the facts forth
in the petition Of of the clerks Of the Government
presented by him three days ago were true viz.
that the expense of living in the city of Washington had
been very much augmented by the influx of gold from
California This fact he thought unquestonable and
there was not solitary individual who had given
attention to the subject who could pretend conrovert
it, Them unless it could be successfully established that
the compensation of these employees had heretofore been
adequate or too large the conclusion inevitably followed
that this appeal to their justice which ought
not to be repudated for increasing their compensation
Cases of suffering had to his knowledge which, if
told to the committee, would he sure enable this
amendment to pass without negative vote There were
clerks in these departments receiving annual compen
saton Of no than thousand dollars who
well born, well bred intelligent patriotic
honorable, and as sensitive as the best member upon this
floor and more competent to be members of Congress
than most of them. He knew of of this kind in
the person of clerk in whose bosom there beat noble
impulses filled the breast of any The gen
tleman to whom he alluded had been member of the
Legislature, and merchant in aiuent circumstances but
he oSertaken by misfortune and for the purpose of
supporting himself and family accepted Office of
thousand year, with an assurance that he would be
promoted whenever a vacancy should occur. Living
scantiy his proud heart chaed DEATH and he died
without the means of being decently buried By the
charity of his feowclerks, however, he found place
in the bosom of his mother earth This but one
example Of men dying here having to be buried by
charitable contributions voluntarily given by who
have nothing to spare. But he had time for lengthy
argument, in which to give illustrations The COM
mittee would allow him to state, however that in his
county, if gentleman starved his slaves it detracted
very much from his respectabty among all the gentle
men living in his neghborhood and if employer
starved his employees and apprentices, it would
him to lose his cast as respectable man Now, were
they poor that they should starve the employees of the
Government? Would they starye them TO death, and
allow them to be subjected to the contributions of the
charitable for burial expenses He trusted not for il
wise economy to give fair compensation to the
ployes of the Government He hoped nobody would OPP
pose the amendment
Mr. DUNHAM said that although he admitted there
necessity for change in the salaries of many
of the clerks yet he felt himself compelled to oppose the
amendment doing so because he did not think it equal
and Just He thought there should be general reform
in the in which clerks paid at the present
time If gentlemen would visit the Post Office Depart
ment they would find clerks sitting side by side at the
desk dschargng the duties and yet receiving
different saaries-one perhaps receiving fifteen hundred
dollars per and the other only thousand. This,
he contended, not just right He made several
objections the amendment which not heard by the
reporter.
Mr. BROWN Of Mississippi, said that the clerks here,
especially those occupying subordinate positions were,
In the present state Of affairs nadequaey compensated
He had some experience in the matter of housekeeping
in this city, and he forward to bear his willing
testimony to the fact that gentee family numbering
half dozen persons could subsst IN this seat of govern
ment upon salary of thousand dollars year. In his
Judgment il was utterly impossible for them do it. 1t
be sad however that il the salaries of the clerks
were not sufficient they could resign their places and
leave the city This they could not do for many Of them
were so poor that they could not obtain the money with
which to go away lie did not think 1t the policy Of
the Government 10 bring here to be put upon the
pauper list
MIR FOWLER expressed himself opposed to the amend
ment taking the ground in the that these clerks
already received sufficient salaries He opposed to
il on another groundthat if they should raise the aa
res of the clerks in the city of Washington they would
have to raise them in Boston, New York, Philadelphia
Richmond and every where else for the prices of living
had increased all the country II the salaries
not sufficient here, they not sufficient in all other
plnces where Government clerks were employed. Cali
orna gold which had increased the price Of living here