Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-02-07
In advance.
NUMBER 6.

T htIHliltsit 4fDH L ste ~ sun VI dIdltE9
between that case and the one under con-
sidcration. Mr.. Jones held no Office under
this Government, and had no connection
with it any way in the world, until this re-
lation of confidence and trust was establish
ed between him and the Government for
I this special purpose aloue
But this bill is only the pioneer Of long
train that are to follow There are two 9TH
ers Immediately upon the heels of it on the
Private Calendar--one the ease of Michael
Nourse, and the bill for the relief of Mr.
Kobb; and there are others under conside-
ration before the appropriate connitte, s.
II it is to become settled practice that men
IRE to receive. a double compensation fer
double services, you will find before long
that the number will multiply to a very Sc
rous extent. And then, besides that while
those patties are performing the duties OF
the higher oiliee-that Of Secretary of State
or Secretary of the Treasury-who is per-
forming the duties Of the chief clerkship
who is performing the duti Immediately
below him? and 80 on, regularly going
down through all the grades, all Of whose
duties may have been changed for the time
being in order that all may be compensated
for the double services they have rendered
1t strikes me that the Secretary of State
or Secretary of the Treasury, at any period
Of time from 1920 to the present day, woula
have as much as he could discharge without
the duties of chief clerk attached to it.
Mr.. SIMMONS. | see in this bill pro-
vision for the payment of small amount,
some $2G1, for services as chief clerk, It
assumes to rover the same time as that when
he was performing services i'll the higher
capacity. What [ want to know is, whether
this is intended to pay him as clerk when he
was not performing any of those other du
! ties? And again, whether he has been paid
as chief clerk during all the time covered
by this bill?
Mr.. LETcHER. PROFESSIONALLY he was.
for there WIS an annual appropriation to
pay the salaries Of the clerks under the c.
yernneHt.
VI. SIMMONS. l would ask another
qucstioH-Nhether the committee do right
I N recommending that The bill be not passed?
Why not deduct what has been paid for no.
miual services US an inferior officer ont Of
the compensation that he is in equity ent-
tied to for what he did as superior officer
am as much opposed to double compcnsa-
ton Is the gentleman can lac, but | aha in
iayor Of single compensation for services nc
tually rendered
Mr. LETellER. Then / suppose, as n
matter If course, tie gentleman from New
orl, Is to pay somebody for rendering the
services as chief clerk, while Mr.. Dickens
was occupying the higher place, and then
following up that, he would pay the next
inferior clerk performing the duties Of chief
clerk, and 50 8n, causing change in the
clefkshfs III the way down through the
Department.
Mr.. SIMMONS. That would be if we
allowed double salaries
Mr.. LETCIIER The Secretary Of State
was paid during I'll the time, and now YOU
would pay another Secretary of State for
idcntically the same time. But desire to
know from the gentleman, whether he is for
carrying this thing al! the way out, or whe-
Their he will take care of the big fish, aud
leave the minnows TO look out for them
selves Are you for taking care Of the chief
clerk OF the Treasury Department. and then
leave all the subordinate clerks, where they
have performed other services, to get along
as best they can? VIII lie give them only
their regular pay. while he will assign IN
creased pay to chief clerks, or other officers
OF higher grader 1t seems to me, that rule
which is good for the one ought to be As
sound rule for the other--that If they can
get payment for the performance of the du-
ties attaching to the higher grade of cleelSs.
payment tor the performance of the duties
attaching to the lower grade of clerks ought
also to be deereed
l'nt then, again, does not the gentleman
know that when this chief clerkship was con-
terFed II was conferred on Mr.. Dickens with
the full knowledge ON his part of the duties
incident 10 the position? Did he not know,
and had he not right to expect, that dur
ing the period Of that service he would be
called upon to attend to other duties Of a
higher class to be ievolyed upon him either
by the sickness or temporary disability Of
the head Of the Department himself?
And then, besides all this--whcn You in
augurate this principle here, you have to GO
back and grant the like measure of rehefto
the subordinate clerks. Many of those who
would be entitled under It are dead, and you
would have 10 hunt up their heirs, and APP
portion amongst them the sums due to their
ancestor fer his extra duties while in Office.
They are to be brought here and this thing
is to BE- carried on regularly down through
system of graduation until it embraces all
the parties who were in any way affected BY
the principle which You propose to establish
by the passage Of this bill,
Mr.. SIMMONS, Gnterriptiug) The