New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-18

sequence Of the hsr.ert.
The Members Of tie present Congress wore
elected under law of forty years' standing
whereby the compensation for their services vas
fixed at eight dollaIs per day, with forty cents f,r
each mile nece ssry Travelled In going 10 or re-
turning from the Seat of Government If any one
did not consider this satisfactory reoomperse for
the devotion of bis time ard talents to the public
exigencies, be was entirely at liberty to withhold
them. No MAJ wss constrained TO serve-barcly
one was placed in nomination without Ito put the
case mildly his previous assent And had each
one been interrogated, while . candidate. after
this fashion," Will you serve in Congress- for the
compensation by law es esabllshedi or shall you
"vo.e yourself more when snug1y in your seati"-'
We are confident that FIVE slxths of them would
bsvs spurned the idea of raising their own wage
ss an Impeachment of their personal integrity and
honor
The Federal Constitution (Art I. Sec. C) pre-
ecr bes that
"The Senators and Representatives, shall receive
compensation for their services, to be asoerAned by
law. No Senator or Representative shall
durrg the tenn for which be was elected be sppoioted
to any civil Office, under the su0erty Of the United
Statts, which ebal have been ueated, OF the emou-
mebts whereof shall have been increased, during auch
term"
Now we admit that the terms Of these prOviions
do not but we insst that the srirs does, forbid the
Members of Congress taking to themselves twice
as much pay as the Laws existns st the time of
their election would have given them. What force
is there in the phrase " "asoertained BY law" if,
after their term is nearly oat, and they have re.
ceived and spent their psy or two thirds Of it at
the rate Of eight dcllsrs per day, Nv may rush
through new act doubling or tebliug AAir com.
pensaton, and en- the strength Of this 60 back and
ram their arms into tbs Treasury up to the ahoul-
der over again What il tie psrpsse Of the pro-
hibioh Of the appointment Of ksmbess to ofdoes
TIE emcluments whereof shall have been increased
during their tenn Of service, but 10 prevent their
legislatiDg money into their swn pockets And
have they lot Just done this BY their new Csmpeu-
cation Act
1t was just forty years ago that the Congress of
that day undertook to inorsase The pay Of Aembers
They pu. it up to barely 1880 year. which is
about what they now reoeive. on tho average. at
the old charge Of SO per day. We believe they
did rot make the rise Retrospective, - the new act
does Yet this 81 500 year demolished nearly
all who were concerned In It, Henry Clay, who
bad not had competitor at the polls for some time
previous, barely saved himself from deieat by
superhuman exertions, unrvaled ability on the
stump by appealing to his great and admitted
public services, ard by virtually csnfssshs that he
had done wrong ard promising 10 do bester Menu
bers of moderate abilities and ordinary services
went down before the surge Of public indignation like
dry grass before praire-ire The sew Congress
hastened to repeal the Compensation Act and go
back to the So per day. which did net lock 30 in
significant to their constituents at their lonely fire.
.ides as to the dispensers of Millions st Washing
ton.
We do not object to charge from 30 much per
day to an aDnusl stipend. 1t viii tend t. shorten
Sessions sud expedite business and 70 70 the saving
of public morey, Nor will We here insist that s.
per day is quite enough, hossh that il our very
decided opiaion. Let those who centrovert it
mike out table Of the pay Of legislAton through
out the world, ard they will fnd that our Members
Of Congress have hitherto been better paid than
almost any other bcdy Of law.naksn On earth.
Make the salary S., 900 year, and there viii still
be Members who will lose money By serving. But
consider that the lawyers run home, even to Ohio
and Massachusetts,, to look after their Gases in
Court time-ihst the ablest Of them have lucrative
practice in the Supreme Court-tAAt merchants,
BANKERS, manufacturers Railroad men, do not aban.
don the oversight of their business while in Con.
gresa, ard you will have obtained now light cr the
subject. The fact that the only session net limited
BY law is usually protractei through seven or eight
months proves that it is not . sacrifice te ma.
jority of the Members to remain st Washington at
So per d'y. If it were, they would ahut of the
flow of gas and bring the Stsdon to IN earlier coz
clusiOn.
But the retrospective feature of the now act is
most indefersble. Every Member now in Congress
virtually contracted to selve tArOssh the next term
for S720. Instead Of that . majority have rov
voted to tske to themselves So 900 for that service
This is net exactly steaiDg bat II Il very ehsrp
kind Of conveying, See if it dess not bowl down
coed many of those engaged ia It! We earnestly
advise all parties not to put up Asaben who voted
for this grab in any Of the clsss districts. 1t will
not be cafe.
We object to the new act tkat it osFrsots nons Of
the old abuses, not even whore it prsessds t. do
60. Nisa farce to proviAs tAat a sbsest Mem. |
ter's pay shall be deducted except when his |
abe nee is casoned By ~ swa dckAssA or that |
Of some member Of his faniiS! 4 ooooA A41 Six