Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-23

moment which, though tncy may settle great principles
involve no large amount Of pecuniary interests The
that before them often involve millions
Of property; and the question may with proprety be
asked whether any wise and udicious Legislature should
commit the decision Of such controversies to needy and
hafprovded men Sir every American must feel proud
to know that the ermine Of that court has hereto
fore been touched with suspicion Of corruption
but is it wise in Is SAFE according the experience
Of mankind to continue to press this experiment. and to
keep unproyded in such an Office to leave them
ly such an allowance does not provide decent and
comfortable support for their fames Sir they the
arbters in the last resort OF often
involving principles of vast moment and sometimes mil
lions Of dollars and ought not to be left to trials under
which many wise and good men have fallen. They
should have sufficient and honorable provisions they
should be freed from the perplexites of domestic want
the pressure of private cmbarrassment and thus be
abled to devote without interruption from private ankle
ties all their best to the service Of their country
But who are the men, sir, in whose behalf make this
appeal to your justice and magnanimity may instance
or two without fearing be invdious There is the
venerable magistrate who presdes in that court He
deserves to have applied to him the description which my
Lord Coke gives OF Chief Justice Wray He is emphati
cally most reverend judge, of profound and Judicial
knowledge accompanied with ready and singular ca
pacity grave and sensible eocution and continual and
admirable patience" He is noble specimen of what
the judicial character should be- Every Senator knows
that he has discharged all the duties Of his high office
with an integrity unimpeached, with unsurpassed learn
Ing and with decorum, courtesy which has never in
single instance been sweryed from its propriety He
ng but there looking only his country and his duty
and meeting increased demands upon his time and
strength with new exertons of energy and
ne continues TO- preside in that high court which is the
sheet-anchor of institutions, worthy successor of
that illustrious man who Immediately preceded him.
Mr. President look at the two junior judges Of that
court from the extreme points Of the Union, north and
SOUTH men OF the highest character for learning for in
tegriy, for talent for judicial proprety and decorum
men in the prime Of life; who have been placed
upon that bench with the prospect Of having long ca
reer Of usefulness to their country and Of honor for them
selves before them men, led by natural and honorable
ambition by just professional pride, eevating them
above scrdid considerations accept position the
pensaon OF which is not more probably than the fourth
OF what their profession had produced and would have
continued for many years produce for them Sir, we
had an example in the Of the last year which, my
mind was spectacle Of moral sublmity, when saw
those two judges presiding in the extreme North
the other in the extreme South calmly and fearlessly
endeayorng to enforce the laws Of the United States
against the preudces and the passions Of excited and
embittered community do not advert to these cases
for the purpose OF bringing up making invdious
ausion to the particular questions discussed which pro-
duced excitement discomfort in either case have
such purpose; but trust, another and higher
refer to the fact merely of the excitement the popular
outcry and the manly frmness OF the judges ask how
important it must be, how inexpressiby important for
country and its institutions it is and be-
have that bench adorned by magistrates possessing
and exhibiting such qualities; by men standing like
rock against which the Of popular passion and the
tumutuary ouburss Of angry and excited and sedtous
men may harmless break leaving the lofty and august
form Of judicial power unnured and towering far above
them?
Now Mr.. President, if those high functions are to be
exercised and by this court land cannot prevent it
the court is established by the Constitution ITSELF and
immense power, important to individual happiness and
wee and to the general safety, is deposited in it by
constitutional deyolutonthere it is and there it must
be) ask whether it is wise just fair, LIBERAL
while the compensation Of every officer Of the Govern
ment if except the President Of the United States
has beer me of
and the advancement of the country and the growing
official abors and duties that should leave these most
important officers these who must continue to exercise
those high functions these who established by the
Constitution ITSELF these for whom find sub
stitute if would, and have not the power
substitute if could find hampered in their private
relations with all the inconvenience and embarrassment
Of deficient support and have their minds distracted in
the midst Of their judicial duties by the difficulties Of
meeting the pecunay demands which devove upon them
heads of families Is it just, safe, wise the
ing countries progresses the bringing forward
of and large subjects Of litigation increases upon
to leave them opcn needy and half paid men must be
open, temptations before which many Of the mighty
have Ia times past fallen Is it just them Is it safe
to us? Is it wise for the country Sir these questions
receive but The additional amount of
expenditure from the Treasury regard nothing; it
but drop from the bucket but the advantage Of
the to and to country is, in my appre
hension large that scarcely admits of exaggeraon
There is another feature in regard to this bill, Mr.
President, on which wish TO say word nave not
made its provisions prospective merely have made it
to commence with the present session of Congress.
have made because consider it right that it should
be No gentleman who has come here this winter has
failed to learn this fact that of justice towards
members of Congress requires that addition should
be made to their compensation such increase
needed than it is do not therefore, yield to
what consider fastdious modesty in protesting that
while feel that it is unjust that other gentlemen should
for totally inadequate compensation, neverthe
less think it right and just that should for such
myself do not arrogae to myself any superiority over
my compeers here but have hesitation in saying
that deserve have, and that need better compensa
ton than receive under the existing law and deserv
ing and needing it, do not hesitate to vote it to my
SELF At the same time, Mr.. President in connection
with that would say that there gentleman in this
chamber who would dvest himself entirely Of per-
sonal consideration than would, and one who would
be less influenced by pecuniary consideration than
would. No one if / thought it desirable would more
cheerfully surrender any advantage than myself But
lay stress upon that provision think it right, and
therefore insert it; but shall cheerfuy yield to any
opinion Of the Senate that it would be either wiser
better, or more prudent, modest, self
denying to give to that portion Of the bill prospective
operation
Mr.. President, there Is another point upon which
wish to submit remark two before take my seat
You will have observed that the bill which have pre-
sented the Senate contains reference to what is
called the mileage Of members of Congress We have
Often sir, been admonished by portion Of fellow
citizens who take exceeding interest in conducting
the affairs of the nation with prudence propriety, and
justice and who seem long since to have embraced the
opinion that the wisdom Of the nation rests with them
have often been admonished in various ways through
the newspaper press and otherwise that ought to d
mnish the mileage which is allowed to members Of Con-
gress We have been told that great abuses have cept
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