New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-08-25

additional out!sy,. without any addition N -
Their compensation heretofore, exclusive o. -, gy
age, was at the rate OF about 800 year. o, s.,
10 a clerkship Of the second class in one Of ns IN
| pariments. Their present pay is just what 1, ~
| fOgsd 10 the Con, trOler AVID Auditors OF tn c
eminent, for sitting in comfortable Offices 6y, NJ.
day and signing their names.
So for as the book clause of the nsw Az, I.
concerned, / consider it great gain II sboli,l.s
an annual appropriation OF nearly two hIn6,SS
thousand dollars. which had grown Ia bs e,S,..s.
source of corruption aud Decentralization Ina.
auste compen ,atioE offer induced and sonetm..
forced men to adopt erpedients, witch thej woub
have rejected bnaer other circumstances Itistrua
they have still the right IF voting thenaeyes .a,I
books ~ msy be printed by their ors o~dsr; which
in my judgment is an eIcePticnable pravla,s.
The whole system should be abolished, and sAs
continuation Of expensive comp latons, like tho
Japan Expedition, arrested without hesitation. OF
the books, however, ordered to be printed BY Coz
gress few are of any vslue They involve lsrss
cost, and sre attended with no corresponding beu-
eft.
So far rs the " absentee" cfssnse Of the Aeti,
concerned. which THE TRIBUNE discards with :,
little ceremony as utterly worthisAs in praeues.
The heat answer is furnished by sAe &c ,ounts At
ready adjusted for the late Sessicss II Membe-v
are capable Uf making false stat. nsents TO saye
their Der diem, which must be presumed 10 order
10 dispute the advantage OF this section, they
would hardly hesitate at more unssTupulous re-
sorts and are 1holly unworthy to be trusted in
such positions. 1t might have been % well, per.
hsps, if the justification for absence he'd been con.
fined to the sickness OF the Memoer hiuseu. wish
cut including his family.
This law is All experiment so far as it's nfu ,ncs
on legislation is concerned. IL mry have the effect
of shortening long sessions and of expedtsg bu,
ness If it has, something will have been accom-
plishsd by what | regard AS proper reo,m. If
some Of the details are shown to be- defective let
them be corrected. should have preferred that
the mileage had been cat of entirely, aud the pay
put saaarey at "a, 900 or 50, 600 year, e1eisins
all allowances whatever, in the shape OF books
papers, stationery, or the like.
There is no reason why Members OF Congress
should not be literally compensated for their time
and labor and separation from business or PROBES
siODal ayocatons, and especially when the salaries
Of all other departments ct the Government have
been raised TO their disadvantage. With the pres
ent allowance il is Just as much a Member caa
do to maintain himself and family here respectfully,
without attempting TO entertain or TO reclprocate
ciylities which his position requires him to accept
The Editor of The TRIBUNE well knows that even
with bis temperate and economical habitf, 80
week will barely cover his necessary expenses for
an ordinary chamber at decent hotel wnue iiving
en- garcOn. All the boarding. houses put up their
be considered lucky who can make both ends meet
before shaking the dust of Washington oil his
feet.
Itis no sort of argument that other men may be-
found who will gladly serve the country at 50
day, and vote against increase OF pay. The prac-
teal operation of such u system would be to con.
fine the representation to one class, the rich, who
can afford to expend their own means, and to shut
out mertorious men who are unequal to such CON-
petition and would not serve without fair remu-
neratiOn.
In order to exclude designing aud corrupt men
from Congress and to break up the disgr ,ceful
combinations in legislation which have become
common here and by which Members have been
VIGOROUSLY enriched sufficient inducement should
be offered for men of ability and character, who
are inclined to public life, TO compensate tor tno
sacrifices they must incur in reiinquishing more
profitable pursuits. The country will be greatly
the gamer in the long run, by elevatlng the moral
standard of Congress-, and putting 1t above the
suspicion of veDal imputations, such as are now
freely banded about.
l apply to them the same principle which
claim Tor nv own case Combining myself to the
legitimate and honorable duties of my own profes.
sion expect to be adequately paid, 20 as 30 be
entirely independent in opinion and in action, and
Invested of all such interested motives az might
even indirectly affect straightforward and manly
course. And now, az my personal expenses will
be increased next Session, shall expect THE
TRIBUNE to add propOrtionately to my per diem.
So you have not made much by attacking tho
Congressional exchequer. INDEX.