Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-21
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

ton OF parties and INDIVIDUAL mempers, Is
about the best use to which they can put
their time and talents. Under ordinary cir
cumstances. the idea that it could require
three weeks at least in which to choose q pre-
siding officer, would be preposterous. Yet the
fact is apparent to all. They have labored
nearly all that time earnestly and indus
trious]y to consummate an election, each
member being actuated evidently by what he
conceives to be the obligations of duty resting
on him. Such is our sincere impression Of
the motives of the members one and all, after
closely noting their proceedings from the first
Monday Of this month to the present moment,
whatever we may believe concerning the
soundness of the views of duty by which more
or less of them are impelled. Up to this time
they hardly know, many of them, precisely
why they pursue the course they do; while the
country, amid the glazing partisan misrepre-
sensations of what they have done, that have
signaliIed the comments of so many of the
newspapers upon their obfus:ated condition,
is even more obfuscated on the subject, than
the House itself
The speech of Mr.. Cadwallader, of Penn
sylvania, delivered yesterday, upon the condi-
ton of the parties in the hall and the existing
obstacles to harmony, was the first compre-
hensive and lucid exposition Of the whole
subject that has SO far marked the progress of
the session. This gentleman's manner is not
happy, and the querulous temper in which he
found the House, he was not, on setting out,
treated with that degree of courtesy by some
of his fellow members, which is due to the
confidence Of their fellow citizens sending
them here, in them, as gentlemen. However;
though he was ridiculed and laughed at un.
mercifully, as he set out, the matter of his
address soon gained him universal and earn
est attention; for on getting fairly started
upon the trail of his argument, he uttered
about as many strong, pungent, novel and ap-
plieable thoughts, despite the defect of his
manner, as we ever heard uttered in the same
time in the hall.
We respectfully recommend his exposition
of the existing condition of the House, as en-
bracing the most truthful and comprehensive
solution of the riddle of its dilemma, that as
yet appeared in print. He is correct in de-
claring that the Know Nothing party, proper,
have the choice of but two alternatives, viz:
either to waive their present views of the
paramount Importance of their position upon
the question of the future of the naturalization
of foreigners, and on that of the &C. equality
of Catholics in the enjoyment of all the rights
and privileges of American citizenship, or to
aid Indirectly, if not directly, in organizing
the House, on the naked platform of the Hon.
Mr.. Giddings, Of Ohio. 1t is at length evil
dent, clearly evident, that they must either
aid in electing gentleman standing on the
platform occupied by the Democratic repre-
sentatives, or on that formed by Mr.. Giddings,
in the original caucus of the anti Nebraska
men, on which all that party are now openly
and avOwedly contending Whenever they
make their election, we shall have Speaker;
and not until then.
An Important Decision.-The Secretary
OF the Treasury has decided, as the settled
construction in all cases. of the act of Sep
TENDER 80, 1850, that the accounting officers
cannot pay to a person holding two Offices the
compensation of both, but that the incumbent
has the right to select the one which shall be
paid. The act prohibits the payment "to one
individual the salaries of two different Offices
on account of having performed the duties
thereof at the same time.' 1t does not. like
tie act Of 1912, except messengers and watch
men.
Under previous decisions and opinions, the
construction given in the following extract
from an opinion of Attorney General Critten-
den has been held to be the law After quot
ing the act, he says:
"The plain meaning of this seems to he.
that an individual holding one Office, and re.
ceiving it salary, shall in no case be allowed
to receive also the salary Of another office,
which he does not hold, simply ON account of
his having performed the duties thereof
"The prohibition is against his receiving
the salary of an Office that he does not hold.
and not against his receiving the salaries of
two offices which he does iegitinately hold.
If it had been the intention of Congress to
prohibit in all cases plurality of Offices, that
purpose could have been easily and directIy
expressed. The language they have used i'm
ports no such purpose, but is directed to an
object and abuse distinct and separate"
1t follows that the union of army and navy
pension agencies in several places, as we'll as
all other duplicate appointments in one per
son, must be separated, or the incumbent must
perform the services Of both for the compen.
sation of one. Nor, if his commissions on his
army pension disbursements do not come up
to the maximum allowed by law, can the de-
fciency be made up by paying him a commits
sion On his navy pension disbursements. To
unite them by one appointment and bond
would not alter the case, as the compensation
would still be for two Offices, out of different
appropriations, under different laws, and in
separate accounts to different accounting Off.
GERS.
Mr.. Richardson's supporters.-Some of the
writers in Washington for distant journals, are
anticipating that more or less of the northern