Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-08
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

plOy eeB III W dsAAAS tVu-Ne Hnu the meSS0l-
gers, guards, watchmen, laborers, DC. who
hope to have their compensation increased I'M
der Senate bill 122, now before the House,
very nervously anxious about its f,te.
The truth Is, manyof these poor men are under
PAID They receive no more now than years
ago, when nearly all they had to purchase in
the way Of neccssaries of life, were from
twenty to forty per eentum less than such arti-
cles now cost. Many of them with an annual
of not more than FIVE hundred
dollars, discharge very responsible duties, and
even those who are best paid $500 per annum)
do not get the wages paid to the first class of
in Washington city We shall not urge the
large-family-o Observation-Disclosures argument in
their behalf, because their cause rests on the
really higher ground of being underpaiI for
the services they render, the criterion of prope,
compensation being taken at the rates paid
to similar classes of the employees of private
persons in Washington and its vicinity
The messengers, watchmen, guards, door
lai or, all of them, more hours daily than
others in the employment of the Government
in Washington. The auxiliary guard, for
instance, the members of which receive but
$500 per annum, are not only on duty all
night, but are subject to be called on land are
frequently so employed,) at any hour during
the day, while they are also positively pro-
hibited from engaging in any other business
whatsoever. The case of the mechanics and
laborers employed in the Washington Navy
" ard is also one of peculiar hardship. Take
them by and large, and nowhere is there a
body Of more Intelligent, industrious, valuable
and faithful workiDgmen. Yet, under Gov
eminent regulations, they are 10y no means
paid as much, as persons SO employed in private
service now receive. We are persuaded that
it is only necessary for Congress to realize the
force of the facts we present above, to induce
them to apply the proper remedy. 1t will be
recollected that We have consistently set oul
face against unnecessary or extrayagant appro-
priations from the National Treasury, even
where the interests Of Washington arc pre-
tended to be concerned We are, and ever
shall be, against them in every form, shape
and manner, being persuaded that our city
and Georgetown should only ask justice at the
hands of Congress. If they gettAat, they will
have all they can righfully ask. Acting OIL
this principle, we hesitate not to invoke tn,
House of Representatives to act on this bill
remembering that at present the classes of the
Government employees considered in the bill
are VIGOROUSLY paid less than persons around
them laboring after the same fashion for pri
vate individuals.
A Marine Officers Fuel and Quarters -
A case has been decided by the Government
accounting officers, in which it was held tina
if Il marine officer stationed a. u Communication
post commutes for fuel and quarters, he can
not receive more than the communication allow
anee, no matter how inadequate that may be
but he has right to demand his fuel ant
quarters in kind, and it is the duty of the Gov
eminent to furnish them.
John Quincy Adams denying the Constitu
tionality Of Congressional Legislation to reg
ulate the affairs Of United States Territories
denying in fact, the constitutionality of tn,
Missouri Compromise.
We have IA communication from John Quincy
Adams upon the subject indicated above; anc
that, too, without the intervention of the spill
rappers.
In 1922, he had a violent controversy Will
General Smyth, a representative from Vir
ginia, upon the ccnstitutionaIity Of the legs
promise Act.
General Smyth addressed his constituents
arraigning the course of Mr.. Adams anon,
others, on this measure. Mr.. Adams reptile.
through the same channel, the Richmond En-
quirer, of the venerable Thomas Richie Yes
terday, we read his long communication pub
lished in that journal on the 4th of January
1923, in which he distinctly takes groun
against the eVnstitutionality and propriety G
congressional legislation to determine the in
situations of United States territories Tha
there may be 10 mistake on this head, W
quote as much of his paper in question, as W
can find rot III for i'll our limited columns
Mr.. Adams addressed his letter (of five 0
six columns) to the people Of the counties O
Virginia, represented i'll Congress by his an
tagoni,t, to whom the paper or address, draw
ing him out thus, was also addressed
We quote Mr.. Adams on that occasion, a
follows:
= After these questions had been settled b,
large maJOritiCs of both Houses of Congress
and sanctioned blythe acquiesccnce of the people
bo.h of Louisiana and OF the United S ates.
have considered them as no longer controvert
BILE. But the consequences of the principI,
then settled, and by those very acts agains
which voted, have been as yet very imper
fcctiy developed. When the day shall com,
for your representatives to determine whethe
the territories of Ceyloh or Madagascar, o.
Corsica OF of Cuba, shall be governed by rules
and regulations emanating from your Congress
whether the inhabitants of those teryitOrie.
shall be governed for discretionary time by
such persons, and in such manner as the Presi
dent of the United States shall direct, and
whether their people shall ultimately be con
stituted into States, represented upon the flool
of your National Legislative assemblies; theI
will be the time for discovering in distant per
spectiye, the full import and final consequence
of that I'd section of the act for taking posses
sion of Louisiana.
Upon the question. in this aspect, my senti
ments are recorded in the votes which CAV,
when it appeared in its first remedial princi
pie upon the legislation over Louisiana in $50:
and 1904 The time is perhaps far distant
when the question in this aspect, will bear will
momentous weight upon your interest ant
upon your affection. The seed was buA as ;