New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-04
CONGRESS- PARAIyZED.

That absenteeism in Members of Congress is
serious and growing evil, those who watch
with interest the daily proceedings oil the two
Houses must realize. The roll of the House
confirms over $50 names: yet 100 is rather
large number to find recorded on any DIVISION.
Yet there are notoriously many more present
when division il expected than usually, more,
especially, than when the House isin Committee,
where mos. Of the real work is done, and where
vital decisions are often made by majority
comnoscd of considerably less than one-third Of
q full Houee. And thc 20 or 30 always indus
trous. attentive and faithful Members are often
brought TO dead stand by the cry of No quo
rum voting which of course suspcnds pro-
cecdings.
One principal cause of this deficiency il that
aborninable Compensation Act Of 1856, whereby
the nay of Members was made $4,000 per an
mum instead of - per day. IT was inevitable
that this should impel to truancy; and It's de-
plorable tendency vas aggravated by rule or
amendment, whereby the deduction for non- At
tendanccis fixed az SSl per day. In otherwords:
for each day that the two Houses are in session,
and dcducts So for each day that they neglect
the duties for which they are thus paid; 50 that
q Member may refuse TO attend every day Of
each session but the last, and then be entitled to
draw - 900 for the long and $4,000 for the
short session, beside his bounteous Mileage, for
The performance OF duties that he has utterly
wiliully and most balefuly neglected. a
large minority of either House might thus, by
concerted and persistent Absence bring the Gov
eminent 70 a dead stand-in fact destroy it.
yet draw liberal pay from the Treasury as for
doing what they had conspred to leave undone.
This is all wrong. If $1,000 per annum is
to be paid for faithful service, the deduction for
absence should not be less than $50 per day;
and the Yeas and Nays should be called and
taken on the adjournment Of each days session,
and every one falling TO answer should be
docked accordingly. This would check another
mean practce-that of running oil TO dinner at
three O'Clock or some other early hour, and let
ting important measures fail or be postponed in
consequence.
We ardenly wish The Working Members
would reform their rules 30 as to compel the
habitual attendance of The now habitually alb
sent. Now the dronos are damaging the repu-
tation OF tho workers most unjustly. The
people hear that this or that House Was COM
PEELED 10 adjourn for want Of quorum, and
they blame unfortunately, without taking
note that nearly half Of those Of each House are
always on hand ard always hard at work.
There should be rules fning each Member
day. pay for each absence from a Committee
meeting unless caused by bis necessary presence
at the same time on the sitting of another Com
mittee whereof be- is also o member. Then let
every failure to respond On q call Of the Yeas
and Nays cost the non-respondent days pay
incxorably, and the vote in either House would
almost uniformly be full, and Members would
seldom ask TO De excused from voting.
We have great mind TO say something Of
travelling Committees who so faasting and frol-
licking from city TO city on various pretexts of
selecting siies, &C., bat enough Cor to-dey.
Have the working Members Of the two Houses
the nerve 10 protect themselves from injustice
and Tie public service from peril by such rule
a. we have Indicated
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