The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-24
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE SENATE
wEDrnsDAY, March %, 1859.

MT. dAMLlN asked the senate to consider the
following resolution. heretofore offered by him:
Resoued, That the same extra compensation be
allowed to the Superintendent of Printing and the
clerks aud messenger under him as is paid by the
resolution of the Senate to the other clerks and
messengers of similar grade.
The words superintendent of Printing! hav-
ing been stricken out, on motion Of Mr. SruARry
Gas in Committee of the Whole,) the question was
subsed uently stated on concurring In the amend.
ment, when
Mr.. HAMLiN said he could see no reason for
excluding the Superintendent of Printing. The
Senate had given the Secretary of the Senate, the
Lbrarian, and all the clerks additional compensa.
ton, and why should this officer be excluded from
the provision?
Mr.. STUART said the whole system Of extra
pay was a bad one The reason why the Superin.
tendent should be excluded was, he was not ap-
pointed by either branch of Congress, but by the
President, and was not an officer Of this body.
Mr.. HAMLIN remarked that the Librarian and
the Commissioner of Public BUILDINGS were ap.s
pointed by the President, and yet they received
the extra compensation. He only insisted the
another.
MIR. ADAMS commended that the salaries should
be fixed by law, and extra pay excluded.
Mr. BORLAND said if any one should be addi-
tionaIly compensated it was the Superintendent of
PRINTING. He surprised to find that that off,,
Ger had accomplished 30 much work with two
clerks. when he Mr.. b. had thought six would
be necessary for the purpose.
Mr.. BADG Err remarked that he voted to strike
out the superintendent of Printing! being led
assray by the plausible argument Of the Senator
from Michigan. Mr.. SrUARr,) but he was now
satisfied, after the observations OF the Senator from
Maine, (Mr HAMLIN,) and the Senator from Ar
kansas, (Mr. BoRLAND,) that the argument was
the other way; and accordingly, he should vote to
non-concur in that amendment. He was in favor
OF giving extra compensation to the officers of the
Senate and considered that they were deserving of
it. He never found it inconvenient to take his
mileage for called session; nor did the Senator
from Mississippi, (Mr. ADAMs,) who received
much more than he did. In fact, he was for lev.
cling up. ILaughter]
Mr. ADAMS thought that there ought to be con
structive mileage; and he had had so much
buslnessto attend to, late and early, he was of the
opinion that it ought to be more than it is. IRE
newed laughter ]
The Senate non. concurred in the amendment of
the committee.
Mr.. DODGE, of Iowa, offered an amendment.
Provided, No extra compensation shall hereafter
be allowed to any one out of the contingent fund
of the Senate.''
Mr.. BADGER appealed to the Senator not to
press the amendment. What would it avail, if the
Senate should think proper hereafter to vote the
usual extra compensation?
Mr.. DODGE replied that he bad 80 heard it said,
from session to session, sTbis is the last time md
yet the system is continued. He was weary of it,
He had been beset, befooled, bedevied by men,
night, to support such allowances. daughter
The abuse had grown so large that it was now
about to fall by its own weight. The committee
on retrenchment and reform will take up such
reiterated cry of "This is the last time''
MIR. BADGER. make an appeal to the Senator
for the .slast time" lLaughter.]
Mr.. DODGE | will withdraw my amend
ment.
Mr.. BRODHEAD. do not believe this ia an
Mr.. BADGER. 1t is dead.
MIR. BRODHEAD had heretofore, in 1851, heard
! AZ kAs.,
should be made, and now the Senator IRON Iowa
informed the Senate that he had been bese and be-
devlled by men, women, and children, to gain his
support to the appropriation. At the end of the
last session of Congress extra compensation, over
twenty-eight thousand dollars, was voted; and he
was opposed to 80 large an expenditure for this
purpose.
MIR. BADGER. 1t was with reference to the last
Mr. BRODHEAD "Henceforth." Laughter. !
Mr.. CHASE said it was wrong system and
ought to be discontinued; and with this view he
proposed proviso:
''That hereafter no allowance of any kind be-
yond the regular compensation shall be made to
any officer Of the Senate"
Mr.. BADGER moved an addition: "Unless di
rected by the Senate" [Laughter.l He presumed
the Senator did not presume to say that if the SEN
ate should vote the usual compensation the COM
mittee should not pay it.
Mr.. CHASE said the proposition would form a
rule OF action until it shall be repealed.
NAi. DSooIh0 uOpcu ludt the senator would
have frmness enough not to withdraw the amend
ment. He applauded the earnestness of the Sena-
tor from North Carolina, (Mr. BADGER,) but the
point ID whether the abuse shall be continued or
not. When an attempt has been made to resist
the abuse, they told, "Do not stop it at thia
session, because the employees work under an ex
pectation of getting it, He repeated, this was
an intolerable abuse, and the Senate should now
give the notice that they will not hereafter allow
the extra compensation. He thought the argu.
nent of the Senator from North Carolina was an
Improvement on Chitty's special pleading.
MIR. DODGE trusted that the amendment would
be adopted, although he had yielded to the Senator
from North Carolina, and withdrawn his pronosi
power of the Senator over him 1t was impossible
to resist the appeal, the Senator talks 80 WELL He
hoped his friend for once would yield to him in
this email matter. Laughter He gave way to
the Senator, and now hoped the Senator would
yield to him.
Mr.. BADG Err said that nothing would give him
more qualification, but the Senator must recolect
that it must be done in the proper place and in the
right way. The Senator, it is true, withdrew his
amendment at Lis MIR B.'s) request His own
kindness dictated the act but he had taken tho
hard-hearted reasoning of the Senator from Ohio
(Mr CHASED which had induced him to give his
heart, and earnestness, and strength to unfeel-
ing intellect. He repeated, he could not yield to
the Senator, and begged him to fall back on the
glorious position which he occupied little while
ago ILaughter.l
Mr.. DODGE was satisfied good would grow out
OF the adoption of the amendment of the Senator
from Ohio, notwithstanding the argument of his
friend from North Carolina, who had triumphed
over him almost every time.
MIR. BADGER. ! never triumphed over nv
friend in generosity.
Mr.. BRIGHT thought the Senator from Ohio
was right in offering the amendment, and the rea-
sons for doing 80 were not controyerted by the
Senator from North Carolina. Extra compensation
was at first considered tri1ing matter; but, like
every other nefarious systen it had grown larger
dimensions, and now the Senate appropriates
thirty thousand dollars for this purpose. One of
the officers whose salary s three thousand dollars
receives FIVE hundred dollars extra; another whose
salary is eighteen hundred dollars, two hundred |
and fifty dollars extra; third. with salary of |
fifteen hundred dollars, five hundred dollars extra;
clerks, at an annual salary of fifteen hundred dol
lars, each two hundred and fifty dollars EXTRA en-.
ployss receiving three or four hundred dollars, |
two hundred and fifty dollars extra. And this for
a short as we'll as long session, swelling the ap-
preparation thirty thousand dollars for this session
1t now proposed to add four recipients of extra
compensation to the list. Last session the gate
keeper, remote from the Capitol, was included |
He did not object to that. believing that objection
was useless, having resisted such appropriations !
from time to time, and uniformly failed. But they |
had arrived at point where the system should
be checked and stopped by giving notice If the
employees are not satisfied with their regular saa.
ries, there are plenty of well qualified gentlemen
throughout the country who would be glad to take
their places which could be disposed of in fifteen