Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-15

,sssuSs, 10 dsSaet from tia nsnthy p.yaeHt Ct nom
bsrs - herein provided for the amount OF eonpsnsa
ton for esob day that such member shall be absent WITH
out leave from the Senate or House respectively uness
such Senator Representative or Delegate shall ss'gn a.
the reason for such absence, the sickness Oh nmssn OF
some member OF his family.
Mr.. FOSTER, of Ala, moved that the bill be printed
and made the special order for wednesday next
Mr. JONES Of Tenn. said he was opposed IN the hrst
place, the principle OF salary TO members Oh Con
grsss and opposed in the next place. to the amount
of lsry proposal be eiver He supposed that every
member upon the floor made up his mind whether or
not he would vote for this bill and in order to test the
PRINCIPLE he would move Il in order, to re-commt the
bill 70 the Committee with instructions to report bill
providing for p" Sism Of IS during the sessions OIL
| Congress and ten cents mile for mileage.
The SPEAKER said that both motions were out Of
order the gentleman from Mississippi hr. SSdLEroS)
Who made the report being entitled to the floor.
| Mr. SINGLETON moved 10 amend the bill by striking
out oil of the first sscIion down 10 the word and Id
| the IL th line and.insert the following section:
| The Congress Of the Confederate States do enact,
That the compen,aton for each Senator Representative
and Delegate in Congress, shall be twenty-five hundred
dollars each year. and mileage at the rate ct twenty
pr me for each session, to be paid In m,nner
following TO witt On the first day Of the first session OF
each Congress or as soon thereafter he may be in at
endance and apply each Senator, Representative aad
DslegAte shall receive his mileage, and one thousand
dollars Of his compensation the balance TO be Fad nj
the rate of hundred dollars per month, ~ the ex'
| Iiration Of each month.
Nj. SINGLETON thought II was right and proper that
| each member, when he Is elected, should know what
compensation he is to receive, and make bis arrange
ments accordingly.
Hc (Mr. 81 thought $4,000 to be more pay than the
members should receive. He felt that the discrepancy
between the pay Of officers and soldiers too great
and confessed that when the Paymaster came around
he felt sngs of conscience at receiving $3.50 as
| his pay of Captain Of company while the private in
! bis company only received Gil month He felt that
the pay Of officers should be decreased and that Of pr
Yates increased Although in good times be would be vii.
ling vote for paying members Of Congress salary OF
$4,000 year, he unwilling now to cast any such
vote when the credit Of the country was strung TO lis Ut
most He was conscentousy Of opinion that they ought
not to draw from the treasury salary Of $4,000 year.
The salary which he Mr.. 81 proposed was $500 year
less than drawn by the members OF the Federal Con
grsss and the mileage one-hslf what 10 paid by that
Congress He hoped the amendment would be adopted.
| Mr. NILES, of South Carolina said that this was .
subject which may very naturally Gauss some embarrass
meht to gentlemen upon this moor, inasmuch as they
we're called upon 10 assess were the value Of their
services to their country There VAS he would repeat
naturally sensiVeness in the minds Of gentlemen lest,
at this time II would they were governed by selfish
considerations, and looked TO their own ease and
comfort than to other important matters connected with
| the Government
he (Mr. M thought that an honest frank and manly
character could deal with questions tecng the indivd
uGl himself calmly and mparialy, without any appre-
hension that be Woud be unduly biased by selfish con-
sideraons or an apprehension that bis constituents who
reposed in him their trust and co0hdsnce would accuse
him with being acluated by base low and improper mo-
| tives.
He mr. NJ wsI one Of those who did not hesitate to
saw here with all modesy ard fankness that he thought
bis services worth $4,000 agar. He believed that
the labor required for the proper discharge OF his ser
vices in his capacity as member OF Congress- entitled him
TO compensation which he thought he could readily make
| At other employments.
Il would not for them to b, eternaly bringing up
the case of the poor soldiers. He would say for all
that he Welded TO no in his admiration in his feel
logs OF gratitude to the noble defenders OF our county,
who have gone forth bItte for their independence
He would cheerfuy il it in the power of the Gov
eminent, give 70 every member OF the company oil ms
friend from Miss Ar. SINGLETON the pay which the
gentleman himself receive as Captain but be was very
sure that no man who saw the gentleman receive his pay
OF $3.50 month shared with him in his feelings Of mo-
dsty or delicate scrupss he said that in spportoniDg
compensation 10 public officers regard should be had
not 20 much to the Of phItica labor performed
the responsibility OF the position which they &C.
eupy.
| mr. JONES Of Tenn.-I now submit q motion to re-
commit this bill with the amendment, with instructions
to the Committee 20 report bill in Leu OF the present
one fixing per diem Of IS during the sessions Of Con-
Rrass and cents per mile for mileage where the Ia
cires Of railroad steamboat communication exists,
and twerty cent. where such facilities do not exist.
| A VOICE -Tnat lie the law now.
Mr. J0NES.-That was the law for the Provisional
Congress; but do not know that it applies to this
Congress.
| have seen in my time, grea. deal Of this thing Of
fixing aud increasing compensation. have witnessed II
in the old goyernmenyou sir, have witnessed II, and
yhsn the bill in the old Cor gress TO change the compen.
,ion from SIS day to $1,000 per anLum ives sent from
the Senate it laid upon the Speakers table until the pro-
DOR time for Il be taken up. The Senate had passed
TIC bill for e. 5O0 but gentleman got the hoor got The
bill from the Speakers table, and offered substitute in
lieu OF the Senses bill providing for salary Of IS OOO
he made bief speech upon it. and called the previous
question No word Of argument could be heard against
Il no debate was permitted no amendment Was per-
mtted but under the operation oftbe previous question,
the bill was put through the House. and sir it is to this
day doubt in my mind whether if the vote have been
fairly counted, Il had passed.
believe tina, there those present who approved
Of the obec. of the BILL but who recorded their votes
Ayains. It, bsing satisfied that it would pass. II vas
however finally announced tha, il passed, believe, by
orty Of one, under the operation OF the previous
question. 1t went back and was concurred in by the
S nate.
Sr might appeal to some gentlemen here and ask
What great good suited from the passage Of that bill
TIA. Government hurrying in the path OF all Re-
publican Governments, in the Uord-they were going
, giant strides into luxury and eItravSgant living A
wear before the disrup ion Of the Government il
20 me that under the increase OF salaries TO heads OF
Departments and 10 all the employees OF that Gov
crnment, including members of Congress, it was one
continual feast OF sumptuous revelng Day and night
the highest Of the government we're almost given
I'D to that sort Of living and the government was 10
nv opinion for years before il disrupted, practical
" administered by the clerks In the Departments who
perhaps, were heard Of outside OF the Depart
ments.
Now, cir, am not disposed to parallel between
soldiers pay and that Of member Of Congress. Why
IL Il that you do not pay to your soldiers than you
do For the that the gentleman from 5. O. hr
Miles, assigned Why Is 1t that you do not pay the sol
der larger salary than any person employed by the
government 1t Is for the simple reason that you can
not do It. You have not got the money and cannot get
IT, aud your credit will not sustain you in it. While
am In favor of fixing the pay Of member Of Congress