New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-20
TIE following is on official copy Of the new Con
oress,onsl Colnpensa zion Ac'

gress;onsl Compensation Act:
AN ACT 10 Regulate the Compensation Of Members Of Goa
BE it enacted 5y the Seuate and House Of Represent
ofres of the United States of America IN Congress
Assembled, Tiat the compensation of each senator,
Representative, and Delegate in Congress, shiu De
200 for each Congress, and mileage, as no" pro
weed by law for two Sessions cnly, TO De pala n
manner following to VT: On the hrst dsy oi eac1
regulsr Session, each Senator Representative, aud
Delegate, sba receive hs mileage tor one Session
the fret dey Of each month thereat er, dafug
such Session, compensation at the rate OF s1ooo per
ahhum during The cor tuance OF such session; ana ~
the end such he shall receive toe Residue OF
bis salary due TO him at such tme at the rate sfore-
said sI unpaid; and at the beginning OF the second
regular Session Of the Congress, each senator Repre-
sn,aiive aid Delegate shall receive his mileage tor
such seCOrd So ssiOD and monthly. during such S-s-
sun, compensation at the r,te of $4,000 per ennum,
till the 4th day Of March terminating the Coogre -
ano that day each Senator, Representative, and
Delegate, shall be entitled to receive any balance OF
the So O00 rot Heretofore paid in the said monthly IN
sta lments a. above directed.
SEC 2. amt be furthIr enacted That the President
of the Ser ale pro temL0Te, when there slal De no
Vice-Presdtnt the Vice President shall have b.
President of the United Slater sh s., receive the
compt nsation provided by law for the President
and ihe Speaker If the House Of Representatives shall
receive double the compensation above piovl1ed Tor
IL pr sentatives payable at the times aud IN the man
Du aSove provided for ynent Of the compensation
Oi Representatives.
SIC 3. And be IL further enacted, That this law
shs apply to tie present Congress, and each Sena'
tor, ReIresentative and Delegate shall be entitled to
receive the difference oDy between their per diem
compensation alreaoy received under the Law now in
force and the co.npens alton prOvic ed BY this act.
SEC 4. And beH FURTHER enacted, That in the event
Of the death of any SENATOR representative or delegate
IriOr 10 The ncement OF the first session Of the
CongIess, be shall be neither emitted 10 mileage or
nsao0; anc III the event of ceath after the com
m.pcemen Of spy session. hs representatives shall be
ti, q
pbteo at the rate Of - OO9 per arnum, as he may not
have received, and any mileage that may have asu
ally accrued ard De dut and unpaid.
SIC. ). And be (urthtr enacted That if any books
shall Lereafie be odered 20 aid received by members
of Corgrss, by resolution OF either or both Houses
Of Cor gress the price paid for the same shall be de-
Quoted from the compensation hereinbetore provided
for such member or members; Pro'ded, h0TereT,
That this shall not extend TO books ordered to be print
ed by the pnb ic printer during the Congress for whih
the Sait member shall have been elected.
SEC. 6. ana be IL fuTtter enacted, That it shau be
the DUTY Of the Sergeant-at aims OF the House, and
Secretary of tho Senate, respectively to decuct from
the monthly payments of Members "a. herein provided
for the amount of his compensation for each day that
such Member shall be absent from the House or Sen.
ale respectively unless such Representative, Senator
OF Dele gate shall assign the for such absence
the sickness Of himself or of somc member Of his
family.
SEC. !. And be it furtter enacted, That all acts or
parts of acts inconsistent with repugnau. to the pro-
v.ioDs of this act be, aud the same are hereby,
pealed.
On the merits Of tb. bill, we desire to be ds.
tinctly understood. We proceed, therefore, TO an.
siyze it by sections:
/. We do not object to the change herein effected
from payment by the day to payment BY the term
On the contrary We consider this q sslQtary
change, calculated to shorten sessions and induce
attention 10 business. We are confident the House
will never again consume nine weeks in the elec-
tion of Speaker so long as Members are paid by
the term. The specifications in this section Of
times at which payments are due t. each Member
respectively strike us as fair and we'll considered.
2. The double pay to the President pro. tenn of
the Senate snd the Speaker Of the House is juss
and according to uniform precedent. Those Off
GERS are subjected by their positions to expenses
not deyO,viDg on other Members.
5. The Retrospective operation Of the act pro-
yidtd for by this section we utterly object to aud
condemn 1t is wrong in every aspect. Bat for
this, we might have looked with favor on the act
generally. With this provision, the act ought to be
generally reprObated.
4. This section is pretty fair, except in one re-
ct. A Member is taken sick aud dice, say
IL on.h after the CONNIE ncement Of the first session
Of his term. Now be will be entitled TO compen.
saticn at the rate of $1,000 per annum for ten
uontb, that is from the 18th If March precedini-
or 81 500 for single months actual ;sIyice. This
is exorbitabt.
5. This section is veiy well, except that it is
nearly ntutrsz,d BY the provi,o. Congress may
order any books of the Public Printer, ard divide
thtm by caIt.loads The ProvisO should read
% P,oridtd, That this shall not extend to any re.
% port made to either House by suy of its Com.
80 mittees, bor TO any Official communicates from
:. the President or any Of the Executive Depart
- II ents
E. The grammar Of this section is horrible, but
his is one Of the least OF lis faults I, i. e7a,y
v 81 unjust and Ineffective Fact member i. ir tie
irst plsce allowed $1,000 PEI sunum, while TIE
s. ssiops will average four mo tbs ia eaca yesr
Now a Netbtf wbo chooses to abseu. hims II from
lis public duti. during the sessions tthoat he
xcuse Of .ickLess even in his family ought t0 for
t.it at least pro rata Of bis annual Cooperation
fhats 10 ssy-the actual st''A- Il ether House |
nj averfge OF U re t.au 90 fa.1 pr arnun.
uaA tie psy $50 T. eact das that Cea5ress is
b, ,.ti-r'y io SIS ic, Nav Memhar ifolI Il