New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-18
TIKI VILLAGE REFORM.


We reproduce for public scrutiny the follow
ing passage from the tslegrspbic synopsis Of
the House proceedings last Tuesday on the
Mileage question:
The House resumed tho cousilersou Of the Mileage qpe'
ton which pending when tue Adjournment TOOK place
yesterday.
M CoIYaI (Rep. tndl isd introduced bin Tor the
reduction Of mileage - per cent, 20 which M ALoEoh
rep MIMI had offered substitute that al h~s AID
parts Of laws giving Mileage 10 NJ noe'o' Cose' % ana
the same are hereby repealed.
Mr. Tsos,s moved TO amend Nj. Adrieb, proposition
b. sddn, and this provision .la sPpy TO the present. Con-
rre,s AID the mileage ALREADY received for the sime
"Ihs amsudmen. Of Mr 7hons sdoYted ~ O.
against a..
Nh Aldreh, substitute FOR ml. Collar. bin, {" .hs.
sinsades. vas then agreed to BY 20 .s,in't".
" The bnl va. then fs.ed BY Yeas 80. Ns:'es"
II IS impossible to mistake the purport OF this
butlesque Of legislation. but We will make 1t
so plain that the wayiaring man, though ras-
caly Member Of Congress, shall not be able to
peryert or confuse the public Judgment with
regard TO it.
Members Of Congress are now paid so Tor
every hundred miles they are presumed to
travel in gong TO and returning from Wash
ington for each regular session. Ii was for
merry $50 for each hundred miles Travelled,
when the stage.roads TO Washington we're far
more direct than the present clrcumaHbient
steamboat and railroad routes. Then forty
miles was fair acreage days journey, and its
cost, including meals and lodging, moi much
less than $40. In other woTds, the cost I'm
Guiding time) of travelling was at least treble
or quadruple what II now is; yet the charge
is now higher than it was then Members
from tho remoter States charge twice as many
miles a. their predecessors did fifty years ago.
No Member from Kentucky now charges for
40 few miles as Henry Clay did when Il was
good fortnight's journey from Lexington to
Washington, though now the journey may be
easily made in three days, aud 10 q COMPARE
tyeiy small expense.
The proposition first made I've belieye) BY
Nr. Sherman Of Ohio IN the Senate, and
which secured the assent of that bos4, and
now renewed by Mr.. Colfay in the House,
was very moderate one. II left the business
Of travelling to and from Washington rs .
Member Of Congress about the best we have
any knowledge OF, though there are some things
reported in the way Of Congressional engineer
ing of contracts that may be triile fat!er.
Had Mr. Shermans or COlfax's proposition
been adopted. Mr. Latham would stu haze
charged the Treasury SI.2Is for coming 10
Washington each Winter, and q ike sum for
returning to Sacramento, adding at least $4,000
clear profit TO bis salary Of $4,000 per aunum.
We call this fair wages for these trying timer.
DIR. Gwin Of course charged much more, but
he always ,cos eIpensivc.) We submit to every
fair man that $50 for travelling from Boston
to Washington in twenty. four hours at total
cost Of under $l5. leaving SIS net federal
gain, cannot fairly DO regarded as a penurious
allowance.
But this retIenchment vas obnoxious TO a
majority OF the House and Was to DO beaten
how Not by a square, manly opposition and
voting down on the Yeas aud Nays: that
would afford too little scope for cunning and
cowardicc. So Mr.. Aldrch of Minnesota and
Dir. Thomas Of Mass. must show themseyc.
the tricsstcrs they are by such propositions az
are recorded above.
Does any one believe their amendments hon
esty offered Hear what Mr.. Edwards Of n.
II. said in exposure OF that moved By MIR.
Thomas-Judge Thomas they call him!
AMI FDgAspsi wish only TO ,sy that ihs progiso Ia the
OH relating to ess received by members Of this Co
il entirely ug4ory snd void All esge received Las been
in ,eeordsncs with existing law aid no power exists in this
Hons. o. ia tbs Congress to compel any member o. this
House. any other person in the public service to pay BAGS
money legally paid TO him aud received The eject still
may bs .sfscory to these who opposed to any m-ase
reform a. ts adoption aids in rendering the BILL Objectionable
aud the s.np. made TO correct m sbuse much com
pianed OF more certain.
Need q word DO added on that head
And now to Mr. Aldrcb's proposition;
What the advocates Of Mileage Refosn do
mand and their opponents dodge Is Justice
neither less nor more. We ask that those
wbo .r7e tas ggbue bs fairly. reasonably.