Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-05-13
VOTE ON IT'S PASSAGE IN THE HOUSE:

NA1S-MessTs. Albright, Allison, Bilinghurst,
Bliss, Bocock, Bowie, Bradshaw, Branch, Brenton,
Burnett, Cadwalader, John P. Campbell, Lewis
Campbell, Garlic, Caskie, Clawson, Clingman VIII
hanson R. W Cobb, Colfsx CragiD, Craige, Cum
back. Dick, Dodd. Dowdrn. Ellie, E lmund-on, e.
ott, Emrie, English, Etheridge, Faulkner, Fiagler,
GalloWav, Goode, Granger, 0row, Harlan, Haven
Holloway. Valentine B. Horton, Houston, George
w. Jones' KidweIl, Knight, KnowltoU, Knox, Lake,
Letter Letcher Lumpkin, Matteson, GcCarty, Nc
Mullin, Smith Miller Morgan, Morrill,, Mott, Muir
ray, Andrew Oliver, Parker, Petit, Phelps, Pike,
Porter, Powell, Puryear, Quitman, Ready, Rich
ardson, Richie, Rufin, Sandidge, Sapp, Sherman,
Shorter, Simmons, William Smith, William r.
Smith, Spinner, St,nion, Stephens, Stewart, Stran
abau, Talbot. Tappan, Taylor, Todd, Underwood,
Wade, Wnldron, Elibu B. Wasbburne, Israel Wash
burn, Watkins, Winsow, Wood, Woodruff, DAME
B. Wright, and John Y. Hright-99.
See Congressional Globe as above, page 2l6l.
The following is the law, as it passed
and was approved by President PIERCE:
THE COMPENSATION LAW OF 1896.
Be 1t enacted By tie Senate aud House of Repre-
SestatiUeS Of the United States of America IN Con-
qreSs assembled, That the compensation of each
Sc mater, r preventative, ana Delegate in Congress
shall be six thousand dollars for each Congress- end
mileage nov provided by law for two sessions on
ly, TO be pald in manner following to wit: on the
first day OF ach regular session each Senao Rep
resentativP, and Delegate shall ceive bis mil age
for one session, and on the first day of each month
thereafter during such session. compensation at the
rate of three Thousand dollars per annum during the
continuance OF such session, and at the end OF such
session he shall ceivr the residue OF his salary due
to him at such lime at the aforesaid still
plid; aud at the beginning of the second regular
session Of the Congress- each Senator, Representa-
tvr and Delegate shall receive his mil age for such
second session, and, monthly during such s5ion,
compensation at the rate OF three thousand dollars
per annum till the fourth day of March, terminal
mg the Congress-, and on that day each Senator,
R. preventative aud Delegate shall be entitled TO
cciVe any balance of the SIX thousand dollars not
heretofore paid in the said monthly installments
abovd directed.
Sec. 3. A,.d be IL further enacted That the Pres
ident of the Senate pro teDttore, when tbele shall
be no Vice President, or the Wee President shall
have become President OF the United States, shall
receive the comp :nsItion provided by law for the
Vice President; and the Speaker Of the House of
Representatives shall receive double the cOmpen-
sation above provided for Representatives, payable
ut the times and in the manner above provided
tor payment Of the compensation OF Representa-
lives.
Sec. 8. AndBe 1t further enacted, That this law
ator, Representative, and Delegate sbal be entitled
to receive the differences only between their per di
EN- compensation already received under tue law
now in force and the compensation provided by this
act
Sec. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That in the
event of the death of any Senator Representative,
or Delegate, prior TO the commencement OF the
first session Of the Congress- he shall be neither en-
titled TO mileage or compensation; and IN the event
OF death after the commencement OF any session,
bis representatives shall be entitled to receive
much of his compensation, computed at the rate OF
three thousand dollars per annum, as he may not
have received, and any mileage tnat may have ac-
tuHlly accrued, and be due aud unpaid
See. 8. Altd be 10 further enacted, That if any
books sail herratttr be ordered 10, and received
by members OF Congress by resolution OF either
or both Houses OF Congress, the price paid for the
same shall be6ieducted from the compensation here
inbefore provl d for such meinb,r Or members
Prov1dci houeuer, That this snail bot extend to
books ordered 10 be printed by tue puolc printers
during the Congress for which the said member
shall have been elected.
Sec 8. AHd be 10 further enacted, That i shall be
the duty OF tue Srrgeanl-at-Arns of the House aud
Secretary OF the Senate, respectively, to deduct
from the monthly payments 0i memOers as herein
provided for, the amount OF bis compensation for
each day that such member shall be absent from the
House or Senate, respectively, unless such Reprt-
sentative, Senator Delegate, snail assign as tue
reason Tor such absence tue sickness Of himself or
of some member OF his family.
Sec Z. And be IL further enacted, That all acts or
parts OF acts inconsistent WITH repugnanG to the
provisions OF this act, be, aud the hereby,
repealed.
APPROVED, August l6, 1856.
1t will be noted that this law is not
merely prospective in its operations, as all
such laws ought to be, but is also RETROSPECT
tive The third section declares that it
shall apply to the present Congress" Here
we have the spectacle presented Of men
voting an increase of compensation to
themselves-an increase, too, not in ac-
cordance with the increased demands upon
the time and purses of Members, but rather
in accordance with the prohigacy and CORP
tious at Washington which have run the
expenses Of the government from some
thirty millions of dollars annually up to
serenity millions.
In 1889, the simple minded and simple
hearted patriots and statesmen, who had wit
messed the struggles of our infant republic
for life, when called upon to estimate the
value of the services Of Members of Con-
greSs, fixed the compensation at sir dollars
per dsy, and sir dollars for ersry t,oeaty miles
of travel to get to Washington. Those
were days when travelling was laborious and
fatiguing, the steamboat and the railroad
had not yet superseded dirt roads, horses,
aud stages. In 1896, the subject was
again before them, and they adhered TO
the rates fixed in 1889. In 1916, when
Members OF Congress began to indulge
higher degree of selfappreeiation, on the
10th Of March compensation bill giving
them salary Of fifteen Aunirsd dollars per
annum-but one half the sum latter day
Congressman value their services at. The
enactment Of this law created considera-
bic excitement throughout the coaa-
try. The people Of that day regarded
it with unmeasured disapprObtiOn. HEs-
RY CLAY was in Congress, and, with
other Misunderstood Kentucky voted fogit.
He had then attained a degree Of eminence
which made him the pride Of his State aud |