New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-26
CONFIRMATION OF CONGRESS-.

We printed yesterday a full and carefully COM
piled tabular exhibit of the compensation accorded
to each Member of the last (XXXYth) Congress,
whether in the shape of Salary or Mileage. We
ask fer that exhibit the careful attention of all who
desire that the prodgality and corruption where
with Government is administered in our country
shall be radically and lastngly reformed. Con-
WINGED that reform, to be thorough, must begin in
Congress itself-or rather must begin in the popu
lar mind, and be rendered effective through the
election to Congress of very different men from
majority of those who now hold seats in either
House-we ask for this subject the earnest and
practical attention of good men of all parties and
of none A Reform Congress-that is, Congress
earnestly and resolutely intent on correcting the
abuses and reducing the expenditures Of the Fed.
eral Governments hardly less necessary than a
radical change in the personnel and policy of the
Federal Executive, and the latter will prose in
complete and unsatsfying without the former.
And neither Congress nor the Executive will ever
be reformed without general and earnest efforts on
the part of the People. We know Messrs. Lincoln
and Hamln to be thoroughly honest and faithful
men, who will do their best to restore purity secon
omy, efficiency to the public service; but without
q thoroughly sympathizing Congress- their efforts
can but partially avail. VIII the People resolve
that such Congress shall be had'
The Congress of 1866, under the lead of Judge
Butler and Col. Orr of S. c., made great and in
one respect benefcent change in the mode of
Congressional Compensation. Experience has
proved the benefcence of the change from pay
ment by the day to payment by the year. The
long session is shortened by it, while thepubc
Guinness is no worse neglected than formerly. But
the system is still defective in the following par
ticulars:
I. The annual compensation is too large. A
Congress should not be in session more than four
or at most FIVE months at the long with the pre-
scribed three at its shorter or closing sesson-in
all seven or eight months, mainly in Winter. For
these seven or eight months service, $4,000 is too
large a recompense. 1t is twice what the average
earnings Of the Members would be in any other
vocation. There are of course men in Congress
who could earn S., 000 even SIC, 900 elsewhere;
but they areexceptiOns. A compensation OF $4,000
for each CODgress-that is, for seven or eight
mOnLnS BtrNlCt III INC COuIbt vi tcIn VI tWO
years-would be fair and ample. Nobody would
decline an election because Of the inadequacy of
that stipend who can afford to 60 at all. Our very
| ablest and most eminent lawyers, in the meridian
of their abilities and their fame could not afford to
20 to Congress for $4,000 per annum; but neither
can they for $1,000. Laws cannot be adapted to
| cases SO exceptional as theirs. The compensation
we propose is considerably more than was accorded
TO Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John c. Calhoun,
Thomas H. Benton and Silas Wright, during their
long and brilliant careers as legislators, and would
do for their successors. The present rate tends
strongly to belitte the stipends which States can
afford to pay to their Governors and other eminent
functiOnaIies, making them seem paltry and beg
carly. 1t tends to incite scramble for seats in
Congress as opening road to easy money making.
In Great Britain, q seat in Parliament is not
regarded as an office, and member is not paid at
ALL In no other free country, is the pay of legs-
lators 30 high as that of our Members Of Congress.
We ask the People to demand Of their candidates
for Congress q reform in this matter
III. When legislators are paid by the year, it is
simply just thatDthos who leave their seats tomind
their ewn personal affairs should submit to pro
rata deduction from their stipends; and this the
present law processes to make; but its operation
is mockery. Each member is allowed $4,000
per annum, from which is deducted at that rate for
every day wherein he reports himself as having
been absent uhen his House pas actually in session.
In other words: he is paid for each day OF the two
sessions at the rate of s25 to $50 per day, from
which is deducted $s3 per day for each day OF his
willful absence Thus Member who should never
take bis seat at all, but stay away devoting his
time and attention to some personal business,
would receive over $4,000 per annum from the
Treasury for not serving in Congress 1t is not
possible that honest men should deliberately per.
sist in UNFOLDING this gross abuse. Then the time