The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-18

say with regard 10 them what he thought proper
should be The last to endeayor 10 avoid fair nyesga
lion but when he avowed his ignorance OF the remarks
which had been made, objected that he could fairly
comment upon and controven them will ask the yeas
and nays upon this amendment.
The yeas and nays ordeed and, being taken, the
result was--yeas 20, nays 24-as follows:
YEAS-Messrs. Adams, Boand. Bradbury. Brodhead,
Butler Chase, Clarke Dodge OF Iowa, Douglas Fech Fz-
seward, Soue, Sumner. Toucey, Wade. Walker and
Weler--23
Desaussure Downs Fish. Foot, Geyer, Hale, Hamlin,
Hunter Jones of Tennessee. Mallory, Mason Miller. Nor
on Phelps Pratt Sebastian smith, spruance. and I'M
Mr., DOUGLAS. having at first voted in the negative,
changed his VOTE stating that he did in order that the
appropriation might be placed upon the general appopri
Mr. JAMES, when his name was called stated that
he voted in the affirmative for the stated by the
senator from Illinois
So the amendment was rejected.
SUPERINTENDENT THE CENSUS
Mr.. WALKER | wish 10 make motion which will
bring 10 vote Of the Senate, believe for the fourth
fifth time, the same matter move TO strike out lines
"a 10 81 inclusive, on page two, in these words;
"oat of which the superintendent of the census shall
be allowed compensation at the rate Of three thousand
dollars per annum from the time his salary secretary
OF The census board ceased !"
The whole clause reads thus
For pleng the work Of thoeven,h census, and
prepare the same for publication, twenty-five thousand
dollars of which the superintendent OF the shall
be allowed compensation at the rate Of three thousand
dollars annu from the time his salary secretary OF
the census board ceased"
The Senate has been called upon TO vote upon this
proposition several tines and upon every occasion
when i has been called upon TO vote, has recorded its
refusal to increase the salary OF this officer. II TO
us in this form from the House OF Representatives.
raise the question again, in the form which have indi-
Gated for vote OF The Senate. This understand be
appropriation to complete the preparation OF the
sus; and the amount proposed 10 be appropriated to
plete i is $4,000 believe it may be safely said that
there has been average of $50 clerks upon this work
At one lme--lhe length of time do not remember
believe the number was as high as 100. 1t seems TO me
that the preparation OF the ordinary matter which ought
to be embraced in the census could have been done by
80 good clerks IN month at the furhestlha is if the
material for each State had been set apart for good
clerk to work upon il for monh seems to me that he
could have prepared the matter for publication But sir
it is not only that in the preparation OF which these
clerks have been engaged, but history OF the various
States We do not know yet that to publish this
history will now mention lact-and 1t be insisted
upon will give my authorty-that the preparation of
this work is sill in progress and whether Congress or
ders its publication not matter OF great indifference
to the superintendent OF the census. Indeed, he would
rather, from what heard-and mean dsrespect to
him-hat Congress should refuse to publish it; because
if Congress should refuse to publish il, he considers il as
his private property and has standing proposition from
Lppncolt GTambo & Co to take ii and publish it as
private work upon private speculation inter- then, that
the $4,000 here appropriated 10 complete the census is
TO put the disposal of the superintendent OF the
corps OF clerks ocompe,e what is TO constitute for him,
should Congress refuse TO publish it, private and indie
pendent fortune; and in the mean tme be desires to
have carved out OF an increase OF his salary from 1880
10 $4,000 per year
Mr. BRADBURY AS | understand the amendment,
its only effect will be to strike out the increase of the
salary of the superintendent OF the censns. Then the
question whether the head of the census bureau shall
receive the compensation the heads OF the other
bureaus. suppose that his is as labor US position as
any other; and see no particular reason for max ing
discrimination This subject was good deal debated at
the last session. and do not that il is matter of
very great consequence TO place this officer upon differ
,l,. al.
gard TO the publication OF the history which is said to be
preparation, glad to be informed that it is likely
be such work that publishers would upon their ownre-
sponsbillty give il to the world large portion of the
documents published by Congress certainly OF very
inferior Character and would be published by any
body else il not published by Congress.
Mr. DAVIS | concur entirely with the honorable
senator from Wisconsin, that there is propriey
whatever in allowing tins compensation. This gentle
man sought compensation OF $4,000 when the orgi-
nal census bill was passed. II was denied TO him IN
the House OF Representatives. The law passed without
it, Well, SIR there has been struggle since that
time by one mode or another TO raise the salary OF this
individual from $4,000, given him by law, TO SO 900 In
the first place. the Department of the Interior allowed to
him double salary account OF his being supernlend
ent OF the census and clerk OF the census board Il was
only at the last session that had this subject under
consideration and then this gentleman and his friends
commended here that The board still in existence,
and that he entitled 10 this double compensation be-
cause that board existed up 10 that date The Senate de-
cided otherwise and then what folowed' Every
gentleman that advocated this held up to the
OF The public in the newspapers as having done injus-
tce 10 this individual Yet, sir, when the law went
from here 10 the House OF Representatives passed that
body without adssenng voice having passed the Sen
ate by an immense majority. Well sir, that law was 10
correct a mistake made by the Senate in amending the
census law OF 1880 An amendment passed through the
Senate, without their comprehending what IT was, as
many amendments do, by which construction was at
tempted TO be given 10 the law TO give 10 him The
sum of $4,000 year. The law that mistake
passed the Senate and went 10 the House, but did moi
go through at the last session And the Department OF
the INTERIOR am told made the allowance based upon
the circumstance that the House did act upon The Sen
ATE bill correcting that error. The compen saion
tualy made up in the Department of The Interior to the
sum OF $1,000, upon the supposon that the bill OF the
Senate would not pass through the House Now, sir il
so happened that OF the earliest acts OF the House OF
Representatives at this session to pass that very bill
and they passed IL without dissenting voice. so far
! know thus putting an esoppe upon the allowance
terror, contrary TO the express will of the Senate, and
contrary TO The express will of the House OF Representa-
lives.
Now, il can understand this proposition at all, this is
now attempt 10 that allo by the provision
which the senator from Wisconsin TO strike from
by the amendment In the first place he Is not the head
OF bureau He is experimenting clerk and a clerk
he has greater salary than any other clerk in the de-
partment He was dgnihed with the position OF
head OF bureau. The place never considered.
The business under the direction OF the Department,
of the Interior. And now. sir, believe that when the
Senate comes TO see the expenditure which has been in
Cured in taking the census, and especially in ma
king the abstract, and in reducing form for publ
Gallon, they will see such an exhibition OF expense
has never been equaled or approached by any former
census and should be surprised II II should turn
out to be the fact that the expense OF taking this
and reducing IT TO form Tor publication exceeded all the
expenditures which have been made upon all the pre-