The Portland daily press., 1867-01-31

Congressional Salaries md Prerequisites.
The correspondence which we publish in
another column touches matter which, if it
had not been Overshadowed by the momen-
tous questions growing out of prolonged
civil war, would mquestionably have attract
ed large share of public attention. The
mileage abuse is old, but there is firm con-
viction on the part OF the people that it ought
to be reformed. Some day we hope they will
insist upon reform. Members of Congress
ought to receive fair compensation for their
labors-fair wages for fair work Extra tray-
elling expenses ought to be taken into the ac-
count, and the people are not disposed to
reckon very closely with their representatives.
A liberal allowance should be made; but
when it is nearlyas cheap for government to
charter steamer to convey California Con-
gresham to his home as to pay his mileage,
the allowance must be considered excessive.
The system puts premium on long routes.
1t is positive advantage to hail from the
other side of the continent. Members from
the remoter sections of the Union quietly
draw their mileage when Congress adjourns
and 60 to Europe instead of going home.
Their allowance is amply sufficient Tor yoy-
age round the world. The representatives of
the nearer States are not benefited in the
same way. The system works unequally. 1t
has but one excuse; it offers strong induce
ment to Western Congressman to vote against
a rnn1Oual of tho "a ifa1f to-
their homes. la.der
OF other perquisites, the franking privilege,
the stationery bills, the black gloves for Con
gressional funerals, &C., &c, we do not now
speak. As to salaries, we should hesitate to
say that the present figure, considering the
expenses of living in these times, is too high.
But there can be no doubt that the action OF
the Thirty-ninth Congress increasing Its own
pay deserves the condemnation it has general
ly received. 1t is worth noting, perhaps, that
all the Democrats in the Senate and all but
six in the House voted Tor this measure. But
they found allies enough among the Republi-
cans to carry it. 1t was carried, and there is
no reason to expect that action to be reversed.
Probably members of Congress who voted for
this appropriation did not regard it as viola
ton of contract Their constituents do.
These gentlemen accepted their nominations
and took their seats knowing precisely what
salary to expect. There was an implied con-
tract to render their services for the salary ap-
pointed by law. II they found it too small,
nobody could have complained if they had
voted to increase it Tor the benefit OF their
successors, but they had no moral right to
make new and better terms for themselves.
Now have the people any remedy? Is the
public treasury at the mercy of any future
Congress, which chooses to improve upon this
bad precedent? BY no means. We desire
once more to call the attention OF the Maine
Legislature to pending amendment to the
national Constitution, which, if ratified,
would prevent the recurrence of such pro-
ceedine. II the appendix 10 Lanman's use
full dictionary of Congress, we find subjoined
to the first ten amendments to the Constitu-
tion, two Others, proposed at the same time
but never adopted. These twelve amend
ments were proposed to the State legislatures
when there were but eleven States in the
Union. While they were still penaing, the
number OF States increased to fourteen, and at
the critical moment just before they became
fifteen, it was found that ten of the series had
been ratified by eleven States. In this manner
the first ten amendments now belonging to
the Constitution were barely saved, ele-
mir fhron he nH
but not three fourths of fifteen. The
other two have not been further acted
on and are still pending, neither accepted nor
definitely rejected. One Of them, the second
in the series as originally proposed, reads
thus: @H'
No law varying the compensation for the
services OF the Senators and Representatives
shall take effect until an election of Repre-
sentatives shall have intervened. aF
This amendment has received the assent of
the Legislatures of seven States-Vermont,
New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, Vir-
ginia, North Carolina and South Carolina
Four States-Rhode Island, New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania-rejected it while
accepting the other ten. Massachusetts, Con-
necticut and Georgia never acted on any of
the series, and the twenty-five States since ad-
mitted have never acted on this. Now why
should not the twenty-five States which have
never considered this amendment take it up
and ratify it? Why should not the four
which rejected it, reconsider their action?
Official information may be sought and OBJ
tanned from the State Department at WASH
ington. In what better way can the popular
disapproval of the measure crowded through
at the close of the last session Of Congress
be expressed than by the deliberate decree of
the State Legislatures that it shall not be re-
pealed? t9'N A'9 yaA
- ~ Y !.